SRA Standards and Regulations

Maintaining trust and acting fairly

You do not unfairly discriminate by allowing your personal views to affect your professional relationships and the way in which you provide your services. You do not abuse your position by taking unfair advantage of clients or others. You perform all undertakings given by you, and do so within an agreed timescale or if no timescale has been agreed then within a reasonable amount of time. You...

Other business requirements

You must not be a manager, employee, member or interest holder of a business that: has a name which includes the word "solicitors"; or describes its work in a way that suggests it is a solicitors' firm; unless it is an authorised body. If you are a solicitor who holds a practising certificate, an REL, RFL or RSL, you must complete and deliver to the SRA an annual return in the prescribed...

Cooperation and accountability

You keep up to date with and follow the law and regulation governing the way you work. You are able to justify your decisions and actions in order to demonstrate compliance with your obligations under the SRA's regulatory arrangements. You cooperate with the SRA, other regulators, ombudsmen, and those bodies with a role overseeing and supervising the delivery of, or investigating concerns in...

Client identification

You identify who you are acting for in relation to any matter.

Eligibility

You will be eligible to apply for authorisation: as a licensed body, if you are a licensable body and have at least one manager that is an authorised person (other than a licensed body or an RSL); as a recognised body, if you are a legal services body in which all of the managers and interest holders are legally qualified (other than RSLs); or as a recognised sole practice, if you are a...

Authorisation decision

The SRA may grant an application for authorisation in relation to one or more reserved legal activity. The SRA will refuse an application for authorisation if it is not satisfied that, if authorisation is granted: the applicant's managers, interest holders or management and governance arrangements are suitable to operate or control a business providing regulated legal services; the applicant...

Duration of authorisation

A body's authorisation takes effect from the date the certificate of authorisation is issued to it by the SRA. A body's authorisation shall cease to have effect: subject to Part 5, if the body ceases to exist; or if the body is a licensed body and is issued with a licence by another approved regulator. The SRA may revoke or suspend a body's authorisation, if: it is satisfied that the...

Effect of authorisation

If you are a recognised body or a recognised sole practice authorised by the SRA you are entitled to carry on: all reserved legal activities except notarial activities; and immigration work. If you are a licensed body you are entitled to carry on the activities set out in rule 5.1, in accordance with the terms of your licence. An authorised body may only carry on a reserved legal activity...

Payment of periodical fees

Every authorised body must pay to the SRA a periodical fee in the amount, and by the date prescribed.

Temporary emergency authorisation or approval

An application for temporary emergency authorisation may be made: within seven days of any change in the management or control of an authorised body which brings into being a new unauthorised body or practice; within 28 days of the death or incapacity of a sole practitioner by a solicitor or an REL who is: the sole practitioner's executor, personal representative, attorney under a lasting...