CLC-regulated firms have until 6 December 2018 to implement new guidance on how firms should give consumers up-front information to help them in choosing a lawyer.

The guidance sets out required minimum standards including the mandatory information which must be supplied. The guidance also allows some flexibility in deciding how to implement the requirements.

CLC-licensed firms will be particularly interested in what price, service and quality information needs to be published on their websites (or in alternative formats if requested) and in the guidance templates provided. The CLC has worked with the SRA and CILEx to produce templates and examples of displaying cost information for both conveyancing and probate work. Firms are able to decide the best way to display cost information, such as examples of fixed fees based on specific values or a range of values of properties, hourly rates of members of staff with indicative timescales for transactions, or through instant estimate generators.

Service information on firms’ websites must include a description of the services they provide, key stages of the services, indicative timescales, and the staff mix, their experience and qualifications.

The guidance and templates can be found here: https://www.clc-uk.org/lawyers/informed-choice/

There are also two webinars (taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday next week (1st and 3rd October) and a series of roadshows taking place around the UK to enable firms to ask questions. If you would like Legal Eye to pose a question on your behalf please contact Helen Glaze at [email protected]

Legal Eye offers bespoke support and advice on how to implement these changes. In particular we are keen to assist firms in balancing their offer on both service quality and price in order to avoid a ‘race to the bottom’ on fees by making price comparison the primary focus of guidance for consumers in selecting a legal adviser.

Contact [email protected] for more detail on how we can help

Look out for more detailed comment and guidance from Legal Eye over the coming days. To subscribe for our regular practice updates please click Here.