LDG LegalBulletin – Issue No. 3

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LAWYERS DEFENCE GROUP BULLETIN 3

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In this issue:
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- Handling Complaints in Practice
- Closing down your practice
- Outcomes-focused regulation
- Controversy over OFT willwriters code
- Legal Ombudsman

Handling Complaints in Practice
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Keeping clients happy is not always easy, no matter how well you
do the job and how little you charge. Fortunately, in the vast
majority of cases, clients are satisfied with the services which
they receive from their solicitor, barrister, legal executive or
licensed conveyancer. However, every so often things either do
not go according to plan or the client feels let down.

To help you to deal adequately with complaints, we have produced
a guide setting out the need for a complaint handling system, how
such a system should be implemented and a sample policy for you
to adapt for use in your practice.

Read More
[http://www.lawyersdefencegroup.org.uk/introduction-to-complaint-handling/]

Closing down your practice
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It is a sad fact of the current practice climate that we are
seeing a number of practices closing down – whether it be as a
result of problems in the property market or from difficulties
with legal contracts.

The Lawyers Defence Group has considerable experience of helping
firms with practice closure and can advise on issues including
disposal of files, professional indemnity, insolvency and
intervention avoidance.

This article looks at some of the issues which are likely to be
encountered and offers preliminary guidance on how they should be
dealt with.

Read More
[http://www.lawyersdefencegroup.org.uk/practice-closure/]

Outcomes-focused regulation
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The SRA is currently in the middle of a major consultation
exercise looking at all of the issues surrounding the move
towards outcomes-focused regulation. This will involve a major
rewrite of the rules and affect both the way in which firms
achieve, and the way in which the SRA enforces, compliance.

Read More
[http://www.lawyersdefencegroup.org.uk/outcomes-focused-regulation/]

Controversy over OFT willwriters code
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The OFT have approved the Institute of Professional Willwriters’
(IPW) code of practice under their Consumer Code of Approval
Scheme. However, many feel that since the IPW represents only
about 20 per cent of independent will writing businesses, that
compulsory regulation, as is being proposed in Scotland, would
have been a better way forward.

Read More
[http://www.lawyersdefencegroup.org.uk/controversy-over-oft-willwriters-code/]

Legal Ombudsman
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Established by the Office for Legal Complaints, the Legal
Ombudsman will, it is proposed, ensure that consumers of legal
services can access an independent and impartial Ombudsman scheme
to resolve disputes with lawyers of all kinds, including
solicitors, barristers, licensed conveyancers and legal
executives. However, recent announcements have thrown some doubts
over its future with both it, and the issue of alternative
business structures, being looked at by Vince Cable’s Reducing
Regulation Committee.

If it goes ahead, it will take over from a number of bodies,
including the Legal Complaints Service although its start up date
of November 2010 is looking increasingly unikely.

Read More
[http://www.lawyersdefencegroup.org.uk/the-legal-ombudsman/]

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This is the third edition of the LDG Legal Bulletin.

Produced by the Lawyers Defence Group
[http://www.lawyersdefencegroup.org.uk], the LDGLegalBulletin
brings you news, information and guidance on issues affecting all
legal practice and keeps you up to date with developments at the
various regulators and other legal sector bodies.

For more information about the Lawyers Defence Group, or to
receive a copy of our forthcoming newsletter LegallySpeaking,
please visit our web site at www.lawyersdefencegroup.org.uk
[http://www.lawyersdefencegroup.org.uk].

Alternatively, why not follow us on Twitter
[http://www.twitter.com/lawyersdefence]

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Lawyers Defence Group