SRA Standards and Regulations

Regulated credit agreements

Where you carry on a credit-related regulated financial services activity involving a proposed regulated credit agreement, you must: provide adequate explanations to the client in order to enable the client to assess whether the proposed regulated credit agreement is suitable to the client's needs and financial situation; and when providing such explanations, comply with the requirements of...

Consumer credit guidance

Where you undertake credit-related regulated financial services activities, you must have regard to any guidance issued by the SRA from time to time relating to such activities.

Commencement, replacement, and renewal

The commencement date for a practising certificate or for registration in the register of European lawyers the register of foreign lawyers or the register of Swiss lawyers shall be the date specified by the SRA on the practising certificate or the register. The replacement date for a practising certificate is 31 October following the issue of the certificate. The renewal date for registration...

Financial services activities

If you are a solicitor, an REL RFL or RSL you may carry on regulated financial services activities under the SRA Financial Services (Scope) Rules, provided that such activities are undertaken through an authorised body.

Practising on your own

Subject to regulation 10.2, if you are a solicitor or an REL you must not act as a sole practitioner unless your practice is authorised as a recognised sole practice. If you otherwise would be, you will not be regarded as acting as a sole practitioner and you will not therefore need to be authorised as a recognised sole practice if: your practice consists entirely of carrying on activities...

Recognised training

In order to satisfactorily complete your period of recognised training, you must maintain a record of training which: contains details of the work you have performed; records how you have applied and developed the skills, as set out in the Practice Skills Standards; records your reflections on, and your training principal's appraisal of, your performance and development against, and your...

Retention

If you are a solicitor and you do not hold a practising certificate the SRA will write to you once a year at the last notified version of your postal or email address to ask you whether you wish your name to remain on the roll. If, following an enquiry under regulation 5.4, you wish your name to remain on the roll, you shall be required to pay a fee of £20.

Reserved legal activities

Subject to regulations 9.2, 9.3, 9.5 to 9.10 and 10.2(b), if you are a solicitor with a current practising certificate, or an REL, you are entitled to carry on all reserved legal activities except notarial activities. If you are an REL you may only exercise a right of audience before a court, conduct litigation or prepare court documents, in conjunction with a solicitor or barrister who is...

Regulated claims management activities

If you are a solicitor, an REL, RFL or RSL you may carry on regulated claims management activities or activities that would be regulated claims management activities but for the exclusion in article 89N of the Regulated Activities Order, provided that such work is undertaken through: a body authorised to carry on reserved legal activities; or if the work does not comprise reserved legal...

Consideration by authorised decision makers

On finding that an allegation is proved (save for sub-paragraph (g)), an authorised decision maker may decide as appropriate in respect of a relevant person to: give a written rebuke, in accordance with section 44D(2)(a) of the SA or paragraph 14B(2)(a), Schedule 2 to the AJA; subject to rule 3.6, direct the payment of a financial penalty in accordance with section 44D(2)(b) of the SA,...