FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, 4 July 2016
Positive developments but need for further progress
The Legal Services Board (LSB) publishes today its latest periodic evaluation of the changes in the legal services market since the Legal Services Act 2007 (the Act) was passed.
This market evaluation focuses on all areas of legal services. The key findings in the areas of greatest relevance to consumers are:
- Competition - positive developments but improved outcomes for consumers are emerging slowly
- Access to legal services - same proportion of people taking action, but more consumers handling their legal problem alone rather than seeking advice, and
- Quality of legal services - improvement in most measures.
Legal Services Board's Chairman Sir Michael Pitt said:
"The current framework for legal services has been in place for sufficient time to assess its effectiveness. Much has happened in the nine years since the Legal Services Act was passed, so it is right that we assess how outcomes for consumers have changed during that time.
Overall, this latest evaluation shows signs of some positive changes in the legal services market. The market has grown. Some consumers have been able to take advantage of fixed fees and published prices to buy services at a more affordable price. Moreover, the quality of legal services has improved on most measures following the 2007 reforms. The review does however, reveal the continued scale of unmet legal need and suggests that progress has been slow towards delivering better market outcomes and access to justice for all.
Looking ahead, the LSB believes that the market needs to change further and the pace of change needs to increase. We need to continue to break down regulatory barriers to competition, innovation and growth. We also want to empower consumers and enable their need for legal services to be met more effectively."
ENDS
For further information, please contact the LSB's Communications Manager, Vincent McGovern (020 7271 0068).
Notes for editors:
- The conclusions of this research are based on a review of a wide range of sources of information. It is 'best available' evidence rather than perfect evidence, given constraints on resources and the LSB's desire to minimise the burden of information collection on the regulated community.
- The Evaluation: Changes in the legal services market 2006/07 - 2014/15 report and the summary report can be found here.
- A Changes in the legal services market 2006/07 - 2014/15 info graphic can be found here.
- The Legal Services Act 2007 (the Act) created the LSB as a new regulator with responsibility for overseeing the regulation of legal services in England and Wales. The new regulatory regime became active on 1 January 2010.
- The LSB oversees nine approved regulators, which in turn regulate individual legal practitioners. The approved regulators, designated under Part 1 of Schedule 4 of the 2007 Act, are the Law Society, the General Council of the Bar, the Master of the Faculties, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, the Association of Costs Lawyers and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
In addition, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants are listed as approved regulators in relation only to reserved probate activities.
- As at 1 April 2016, the legal profession in England and Wales comprised 145,059 solicitors, 15,288 barristers, 6,848 chartered legal executives and 5,697 other individuals operating in other areas of the legal profession such as conveyancing. The UK legal sector is valued at £32 billion per annum (2015) which is up 23% in cash terms since 2012. For more information see here.