According to new proposals from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), better information on price and quality of service will help the public make better legal choices and thus help law firms find new clients.

The SRA takes the view that it can be hard for people to find useful information on either price or quality of legal services. That, in turn, can make it difficult for members of the public to make good choices resulting in many not seeking professional legal help when they need it.

The plans put forward by the SRA include:

• a register bringing basic regulatory information on solicitors and law firms together in one place
• law firms publishing information on prices and the services included for certain types of work, such as conveyancing, wills or personal injury work,
• publishing data collated by firms on the complaints they receive,
• the introduction of an “SRA regulated” and “SRA Compensation Fund” logo so that the public can see the extra protections they get when using a fully regulated firm

The SRA aims to not only benefit the public directly, but also indirectly by making information available to data re-publishers, such as comparison websites.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said the legal services market is not working well for the public or small businesses. The CMA recommended that better information is vital to create a more competitive market, where people can make more informed choices.