The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published its third research report focusing on the legal needs of small businesses and looking at how their views have changed – and the legal services market has responded – since similar research was conducted in 2013 and in 2015. It is the largest ever survey of small firms’ interactions with the legal…
Prices of Individual Consumer Legal Services 2017: LSB research
The Legal Services Board (England and Wales) has published research which monitors the average prices that consumers pay for a number of common legal services. Understanding changes in prices over time helps determine whether there have been any improvements in the extent of competition between providers, and affordability and access to justice for consumers. It provides…
SRA consultation – Looking to the future: better information, more choice
The SRA is consulting on publishing more of the regulatory data that they hold about solicitors and firms they regulate. They are also consulting on asking the solicitors and firms they regulate to publish more information on the legal services they provide. The SRA is proposing to: require firms to publish their price for services…
Focus on… ABS investment activity
A major aim of the introduction of alternative business structures (ABS) in England and Wales was to allow new forms of capital into regulated law firms to improve market efficiency. Enabling external investment in law firms was designed to allow less reliance on short term sources of financing such as personal debt and overdrafts. The…
ICLR 2017 – Panel: “Protecting the Vulnerable”
A synopsis of panel session 7, which takes place on 6 October at ICLR Singapore, kindly provided by the session’s moderator, Lim Tanguy – Chief Executive Officer, Law Society Pro Bono Services Limited. Conference materials will be made available to ICLR.net members after the conference. This panel discussion will hear from regulators on the work that…
ICLR 2017 – Panel: “Disruption in the Legal Profession: Automated/Semi-Automated Online Delivery of Legal Services”
A synopsis of panel session 6, which takes place on 6 October at ICLR Singapore, kindly provided by the session’s moderator, Robert Hawley. Conference materials will be made available to ICLR.net members after the conference. Moderator: Robert A. Hawley – Former Deputy and Acting Executive Director, State Bar of California, USA Speakers: Crispin Passmore – Executive…
Vulnerable consumers
A qualitative study of how consumers with mental health problems and dementia experience legal services published by the Legal Services Board (LSB), England and Wales. Why is this research important? The LSB has a strategic objective to reduce the existing high levels of unmet legal need. Ensuring the needs of vulnerable consumers are understood and…
Opportunities for law firms to tackle unmet legal need
The opportunities for law firms to reach out to potential clients are outlined in a new paper published by the SRA. Improving access – tackling unmet legal needs outlines some of the barriers faced by the public and small businesses when they need legal services. It also details ways in which law firms can develop their…
UK study probes access, quality and costs in family law
Most solicitors practising family law in England and Wales appear to be providing services in line with expected standards, according to recently published research. The study, carried out by Ecorys UK, found fairly strong agreement among consumers that their solicitor met the core competencies, particularly those relating to their professional manner. Just over one-half (58…
The legal needs of small businesses 2015 survey
Large scale quantitative survey of the experiences of 10,528 small businesses, showing the origin of legal problems that they face and their strategies for dealing with these problems, including where they seek advice and their experiences of doing so. Read the report on the LSB website