07.12.2018

As from 06 December 2018 all firms providing specialising in specific areas of legal practice will be required to publish information on their pricing and services.

 

Both the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) have issued regulations requiring regulated legal firms to publish information on pricing to help consumers make informed choices.

What areas of legal practice are affected?

Under the new pricing transparency measures regulated law firms must publish prices and what the prices cover for the following areas of practice:

• Probate
• Residential conveyancing
• Motoring offences
• Employment tribunals (claims and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal)
• Immigration (excluding asylum)
• Debt recovery (up to £100,000)
• Licensing applications for business premises

What information must be published?

 

Information on costs information should be clear and accessible and shown in a prominent place on the firm’s website. If a firm does not have a website, it must make the information available on request.

 

Costs information must include:

• The total cost of the service or, where this is not practicable, the average cost or range of costs.
• The basis for the charges, including any hourly rates or fixed fees.
• The experience and qualifications of anyone carrying out the work and their supervisors.
• A description of, and the cost of, any likely disbursements or the average cost or range of costs.
• Whether any fees or disbursements attract VAT.
• Details of the services that are included in the price and likely timescales for key stages.

 

There are also plans for the SRA to develop a digital register with details of solicitors and regulated law firms and their areas of practice. This, together with the publication of prices, should make it easier for consumers to make price comparisons when purchasing legal services.

Walker Solicitors have prepared the following guides relating to the areas of law which we practice which can be found on the relevant services pages below:

Residential Conveyancing:

http://www.walkersolicitors.com/services-for-you/residential-conveyancing

 

Wills Probate and Lifetime Planning:

http://www.walkersolicitors.com/services-for-you/wills-probate-and-lifetime-planning