1. Our reforms - opportunities for you and your firm to work differently
Chris Handford

2. Across England and Wales we regulate
185,000 solicitors
31,000 solicitors work in-house
10,400
law firms
700
alternative business structures
Design - icon & numbers
Map show England and Wales

4. Key changes: Our reforms
Our changes

5. Handbook review + New codes of conduct for individuals and firms
Authorisation rules & other
rules
Revised
principles
Simplified accounts rules
New practising flexibility
HANDBOOK Review
What is it?
We have REVIEWED and REDRAFTED the entire HANDBOOK – all 450 pages and all 20 plus sets of rules
In the NEW WORLD there will be about 150 PAGES (compares to 120 in 1974)
Highlight 5 KEY AREAS
Revised PRINCIPLES – the 7 core ELEMENTS of ETHICAL behaviour that APPLY to all those we regulate (individuals, firms, managers and employees)
New CODES of CONDUCT – one for INDIVIDUAL SOLICITORS and one for AUTHORISED firms
New AUTHORISATION – again split by INDIVIDUALS and FIRMs, get rid of bits that aren’t needed to protect PUBLIC e.g. approval when move firm
Simplified ACCOUNTS RULES
Lifting some of the RESTRICTIONS about how and where solicitors can PRACTICE, more choice for solicitors and more
FREELANCE SOLICITORS
Work on you own NO PARTNERS, NO EMPLOYEES, DEALING directly with the CLIENT you have to authorised as FIRM as well as person. CHANGING THAT
Solicitors in BUSINESSES that we DON’T REGULATE
Small list of legal services that LAW says that (unless freelancer) can only be delivered to PUBLIC through a REGULATED firm e.g. LITIGATION, Key parts of CONVEYANCING and PROBATE and some ADVOCACY
We’ve EXTENDED to all activities EVEN where the LAW doesn’t require ANY regulation
There is unregulated MARKET – thought to be about 25% OF LEGAL SERVICES e.g. HR FIRMS and WILL-WRITERS
SOLICITORS only people NOT ALLOWED to advice (or without giving up practising certificate)
This is what we ARE CHANGING. In future SOLS will be able to. As a PRACTISING SOLICITOR
Which means Will be bound by CODE OF CONDUCT and access to LEO
So we might see SOLS in:
HR FIRMS for employment advice (or au pair service)
WILL-WRITERS employing a solicitor
ARCHITECTS employing a solicitor for planning law advice
IN-HOUSE advising clients of their employers
WHEN?
Next SPRING / SUMMER depending on a few things: MIT as on new PLATFORM, Giving people enough time to PREPARE, BREXIT
WHY? – Highlight 3 reasons
CLEAR and EASY to use
What is the PURPOSE of each rule?
EXPRESS in the CLEAREST and most FUSS FREE way possible
ORGANISE in a rational and EASY to NAVIGATE way
PRO – BONO?
2. EASIER for SOLS and FIRMS to RUN BUSINESS and DELIVER SERVICES – in way that works for THEM, CLIENTS and PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS
Less PRESCRIPTION, trust JUDGEMENT more
Innovation and NEW WAYS of delivering SERVICES (cheaper?)
New ENTRANTS?
3. MORE WAYS TO ACCESS A SOLICITOR – remembering that at the MOMENT most people DON’T, they are NOT BUYING WHAT THEY ARE BEING OFFERED

6. Innovation: what we are doing
Talk a little bit about INNOVATION – I know you had a SESSION on TECHNOLOGY earlier, which is one aspct
We want to be a regulator that makes it EASY for you to INNOVATE
Lots of you say that you plan to CHANGE the way that YOU operate in some WAY (25%)
Demands of CONSUMERS
Technological advancements
Competition
Be more EFFICIENT, grow profits, keep workforce happy
Just have GOOD IDEAS
Part of our DRIVE to remove unnecessary RULES and GET OUT OF THE WAY
Also FUTUREPROOF – help us keep up V.18 since 2011
6. BUT also to SUPPORT, now - SRA INNOVATE
- Offer guidance
Help people through our authorisation process
Grant waivers to rules that might be preventing a business development where we think any risk can be managed
- Innovation space, where businesses can pilot new ideas in a controlled environment.
Examples:
Helped businesses understand how virtual offices can work
Crowd funding
Small non-legal businesses wanting to add relevant legal advice to their offering (eg au pair provider advising parents on their obligations as employers)
TPMAs
8. Come and SPEAK to us