Is your practice ready for the new SRA Standards and Regulations which came into force on 25th November 2019, with no grace period.

It only seems like two minutes since the arrival of the much heralded SRA Code of Conduct 2011 but we’re already up to Version 21 and the whole thing has been overhauled again. 

All firms need to be compliant now.  

If you have not done so already you need to:

• Understand your new obligations

• Review and revise your existing policies and procedures against the new Standard.

• Train all your staff about the Standard and their responsibilities under it. 

To find out how this can work best for you, call Catherine Gasparini or schedule a free video or telephone call here >>

Money laundering is one of the SRA’s nine priority risk areas, where they have become more stringent.  

In early 2019, the SRA contacted 400 firms asking them to demonstrate compliance with the 2017 MLR.  83% were non compliant.  

During the year the SRA opened 172 investigations linked to anti-money laundering compliance and in the last five years, it has taken more than 60 such cases to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, resulting in more than 40 solicitors being struck-off or suspended.

Now the SRA is planning a much greater exercise involving 7,000 firms.  Are you confident that your firm will pass inspection?  

• Have you carried out a full AML risk assessment?

• Are you applying your firm’s specific risks and issues to templates or simply adopting a cut and paste approach? 

• Are your procedures up to date and compliant? 

• Have your staff been trained?

To find out how this can work best for you, call Catherine Gasparini or schedule a free video or telephone call here >>

Whether you are already Lexcel accredited or aiming to apply, it’s vital that you make sure your policies and procedures are not only Lexcel compliant but StaRs compliant too.  

There are no planned changes to the Lexcel Standard to specifically address STaRS so your policies and procedures need to reflect both sets of requirements. 

However, this is not a tick box exercise as it involves interpretation of the new regulations and application to your business.

To find out how this can work best for you, call Catherine Gasparini or schedule a free video or telephone call here >>

Is your website compliant with the law and your professional obligations?

All law firms, large and small use a website to promote its business.  Websites are increasingly a point of first contact between a firm and a potential client which is why firms spend a considerable amount of time and money on the design and content of the site. But how often are they checked for compliance?  

It is common for this point to be overlooked once a website is up and running despite both the law and professional rules having requirements about site content.  This poses a risk especially for small - medium sized firms with limited time or in house knowledge.  

To find out how this can work best for you, call Catherine Gasparini or schedule a free video or telephone call here >>