SRA to “empower” consumers
The Solicitors Regulation Authority Board is to consider this week a two-year plan of actions which it is claimed will “help ensure consumers have the information they need when they use legal services”.
The plans, which include a new consumer-facing website called “Legal Choices” have been announced today.
The action plan, entitled ‘Empowering consumers – the SRA’s approach’ – will run from September 2013 through to August 2015 and aims to:-
- deliver a round of initiatives to help people to take more control of the decisions they take when they face legal issues;
- help people understand more about the risks they might face when they use legal services; and
- what to do if things go wrong.
The SRA state that they will, over the next two years, introduce a series of measures which, they believe, will increase understanding of the risks that consumers can face in the legal services market and will focus on providing advice and support for managing some of those risks. Specific actions will include:-
- launching and growing the Legal Choices website with other legal regulators to provide a one stop shop of factual advice and opportunities for consumers to have a say about legal services;
- working closely with partner organisations on consumer engagement and education activities, including Citizens Advice and charities for people with disabilities; and
- continuing new research studies to ensure consumers’ needs are at the centre of our future policy work.