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The Legal Services Act received Royal Assent on 30 October 2007, marking the final stage of a long and detailed process of regulatory reform.

The reasons for reform

• To simplify the over-complex and inconsistent system of oversight regulatory arrangements in the legal services market
• To provide common standards for professional practice
• To increase competition, flexibility and choice
  

Key measures provided by the act

• A single supervisory body, the Legal Services Board (LSB), will oversee approved regulators such as the Law Society and the Bar Council.
• A single point of entry for consumer complaints about legal services, called the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC).
• Alternative business structures (ABSs), which will allow lawyers to form partnerships with non-lawyers, and accept outside investment or operate under external ownership.
• A requirement for professional bodies to separate their regulatory and representative functions.
• Statutory objectives and duties for all regulatory bodies.

Changes to the legislation

The Law Society lobbied to improve the proposals in the original Legal Services Bill.

This lobbying led to significant changes to the legislation which helped to:

• preserve the independence of the legal profession from government,
• ensure that primary responsibility for regulation rests with the approved regulators, not the Legal Services Board,
• introduce alternative business structures, while providing robust and effective safeguards to protect clients and the public.
  

Read more about the Legal Services Board
Read more about the Office of Legal Complaints
Read more about alternative business structures
Frequently asked questions about the LSA
Read a detailed briefing on the act (PDF, 81kb)
LSA - implications for the profession and the public - audio clip with Russell Wallman, director of government relations for the Law Society on the Law Society media centre website.

Preparing the Law Society for the changes

The Law Society has already separated its regulatory and representative functions in anticipation of the act.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority now oversee the day-to-day regulation of solicitors. This is funded by the Law Society, though it is functionally separate, with an independent board.

The Society's representational arm continues to focus on representing the interests of solicitors, both here and abroad, influencing law and procedure and providing support to the profession.

Key dates

July 2008: Legal Services board appointed
Early 2009: Legal Disciplinary Partnerships possible
2009/2010: Move to entity-based regulation
Early 2010: Legal Services Board becomes fully operational
Autumn 2010: Office of Legal Complaints become empowered
2012/2013: Alternative business structures possible

• Read more about key dates (PDF 21kb)

Frequently asked questions about the LSA 2007
Read more about the reform of legal services
E-mail us your comments
Read a detailed briefing on the act (PDF, 81kb)