SRA release price Transparency Rules for law firms
From December 2018, regulated law firms will be required to publish prices for specific legal services on their websites.
These plans were approved by Legal Services Board in August 2018 in a bid to improve accessibility to legal services for the public and small businesses.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) released the plans to encourage law firms to be transparent about pricing and other service information, which in turn will make it easier for customers to make informed decisions about different legal routes.
Law firms must publish price and service information on their websites, in the following areas of law:
- For members of the public: conveyancing, probate, motoring offences, employment tribunals (claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal) and immigration (except asylum).
- For small businesses: debt recovery (up to £100,000), employment tribunals (defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal) and licensing applications for business premises.
Firms will be required to publish clear price information, including either an exact cost, an average cost, or a range of costs for the specified services, together with a clear breakdown of what is included.
They must also publish typical timescales of each stage, outline the experience and qualifications of staff who carry out the work in each of the relevant service areas.
The information must be published in a place that is easy to find on their website, and it must be clear and accessible for everyone.
If a firm does not have a website, they will make this information immediately available when requested.
Alongside pricing and service information, law firms must outline their complaints procedure and provide guidance on how to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman or the SRA.
Want to know more?
The SRA have published guidance on the new Transparency Rules that will come into effect in December 2018.
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about what this means for you, or to find out more about our pricing and services information.
