New guidelines for solicitors provide more protection for public

The regulatory body has outlined its vision for the future, outlining changes it believes will provide more choice and access to services for the public.

The planswill also give legal firms greater freedom to run their businesses as they need to, allowing them more flexibility to adapt to the rapidly-changing legal market.

The regulator will launch a formal consultation on the proposed changes in spring next year and there will be further consultations as part of a phased review over the next eighteen months.

Paul Philip, CEO of the SRA, said: "Today we are looking to the future and sharing our plans to review our regulatory model and our Handbook. At the heart of this is the goal of protecting the public and encouraging a vibrant, competitive legal market.

"The legal services market is developing at an unprecedented rate and the expected review of the Legal Services Act may bring further changes. We have to design an up-to-date and fit-for-purpose approach that will protect the public and give flexibility to the profession.

"We want to move away from a prescriptive set of complex rules to focus on core professional standards, with additional restrictions only when necessary.

"I want to see an end to the long and unwieldy Handbook and instead give the profession simple, clear guidance on what we require. And I think we can do much more to help the public find the services they need and to know what to do if things go wrong.

"This approach will benefit the public and the profession alike. It frees up solicitors and firms, boosting competition while ensuring a focus on the greatest risks to consumers and helping people to use legal services effectively."