Since the German Legal Tech Act came into force in October 2021, allowing lawyers to charge success-based fees and cover clients’ legal costs in certain cases, these opportunities have been rarely used. A recent survey conducted by the Federal Bar Association (BRAK) as part of the law’s three-year evaluation found that most lawyers have not…
Check My Legal Fees wins informed consent court case against Slater & Gordon
Solicitor/own client claims entity Check My Legal Fees (CMLF) has won its case against Slater & Gordon, opening the door to millions of former personal injury firm clients to recover deductions. Mr Justice Ritchie ruled that Slater & Gordon had to make significant disclosures to CMLF, including of the phone calls in which it signed…
Legal Services Board of England and Wales research finds that consumers are missing out on legal expense insurance
A new report by the Legal Services Board of England and Wales (LSB) includes calls for legal expenses insurance to be promoted more widely to consumers, in order to widen access to legal advice amongst the public. The report estimates that 3.6 million people in England and Wales experience unmet legal need as part of…
Transparency lies at the heart of Consumer Satisfaction
In January, the Legal Services Board (LSB) of England & Wales released its Regulatory Performance: Transitional Assessment Review looking at the transitional assessment of each legal services regulatory body against the LSB’s regulatory performance standards. The report found that it had “sufficient assurance that the regulatory bodies have met the minimum required level of performance…
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…
Costs of regulation in England and Wales
The Legal Services Board found little evidence on the costs of legal sector regulation, so in late 2014 it surveyed the regulated community and in 2015 it commissioned a study of the incremental costs of regulation – those incurred to comply with legal regulation. Categories of regulatory cost in the studies include: Requirements to…