Member Article

“Tesco Laws” come into place

From today businesses other than law firms will be able to sell consumer legal services following a change to the law.

According to BBC reports, banks and supermarkets will now be able to provide advice under the new Legal Services Act, which the government hopes will offer more choice and better value to the consumer.

However, critics of the Act believe this could cause a dramatic fall in standards of legal advice.

The Justice Minister, Jonathan Djanogly believes the new regulations will make legal services “more accessible, more efficient and more competitive.”

It is also hoped that that Act will raise the profile of the UK as a top legal market,, allowing forms to set up multi disciplinary practices and provide growth opportunities.

Many lawyers are still concerned by the so-called “Tesco Law”, believing it could wipe out good quality legal advice. When the move was announced in 2009, around 100 firms came together to protest against the measures.

Management, ownership and financing of law firms has been restricted for hundreds of years, and currently solicitors and barristers’ chambers are owned in partnership by the lawyers themselves.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .