Articles
All Change – the New SRA Process for Firm ApplicationsAugust 10, 2020SRA makes changes to the means by which individuals and firms are to make applications such as new firms and authorisation applications.Read More
Transparency – Certifying Compliance with the SRA RulesAugust 6, 2020The SRA has emailed solicitors' firms giving them just 14 days in which to confirm that their websites comply with the Transparency Rules. Here we look at the implications, at some of the difficulties firms face in achieving compliance and how Infolegal can assist in achieving compliance.Read More
Regulation, the SRA and COVID-19July 7, 2020Businesses of all kinds - solicitors’ firms included - are facing unprecedented problems in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the challenges of maintaining the practice as a going concern are still challenge enough for most to contend with. Issues that seem at first to be a lesser concern than the sheer problems of survival are bound to receive less attention than usual, especially if the resources to deal with those issues are currently in short supply.
In this article we look at whaRead More
Conflict, Confidentiality and DisclosureJune 12, 2020For many solicitors considerations as to whether they may act in certain situations will inevitably surface from time to time. Often this will be as a result of the existence of other, and sometimes rival, professional commitments. In this article we look at somer of the provisions relating to conflict, confidentiality and disclosure and in particular at the impact of recent case law on the Prince Jefri decision.Read More
Reforming Legal ServicesJune 12, 2020A 340-page report, "Reforming legal services: Regulation beyond the echo chambers", conducted by Stephen Mayson, concludes that the regulatory framework for lawyers needs better to reflect "the legitimate needs and expectations of the more than 90% of the population for whom it is not currently designed" and calls for, amongst other things, a single, sector-wide regulator of all legal providers and a single point of entry for consumer complaints.Read More
Cybersecurity and Confidentiality During LockdownMay 19, 2020With many lawyers currently working from home, and with many firms reviewing whether they can implement more widespread remote working – even after lockdown comes to an end and we can return to “normality” – the issue of cybersecurity has inevitably yet again reared its ugly head. Cybercriminals and fraudsters are treating lockdown as an opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities and weaknesses that have arisen from the need to move outside the safer confines of the office environment.Read More
Law Firm Compliance Concerns During Coronavirus LockdownApril 21, 2020Most firms are experiencing unprecedented challenges in maintaining their services to clients whilst they are unable to meet with colleagues and access the support facilities of the office. This has not, however, removed the need to remain compliant with the various regulations to which solicitors are subject. In this article we look at a number of the areas in which solicitors need to take care.Read More
CDD with Clients and Law Firms in Self Isolation LockdownMarch 20, 2020What should solicitors do about gathering CDD when their office is closed or the client claims to be self-isolating in accordance with Government guidelines. The firm’s policy may require sight of original documents or a certified copy from someone in the regulated sector. What if this is impossible to obtain? Do the instructions have to be declined? Here we look at an alternative way of managing this.Read More
COVID-19 and SolicitorsMarch 17, 2020As the impact of COVID-19 starts to really take effect, there is clearly a high chance that solicitors’ firms all over the country will be affected – either directly as a result of staff absences or indirectly as a result of others with whom they have dealings being affected. As with all risks, firms must take steps to ensure that the impact upon clients and potential clients of the firm is as low as possible.Read More
BOOMs and the New Need for DBS ChecksMarch 15, 2020All firms that carry out services that are subject to the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 must ensure that new beneficial owners, officers and managers (BOOMs) provide the SRA with proof that they do not have any criminal convictions that would prevent them taking up one or more of these roles.Read More