SQE 1 Legal Services notes. Crafted by a recent graduate, these notes are tailored to the SRA syllabus, ensuring they cover the crucial Legal Services concepts you need to master. These notes are perfectly structured to make a closed book exam that much easier. The notes feature case studies and re...
Regulated Services:
Regulated individuals are subject to regulatory requirements in respect of all legal services
they provide (not just for reserved legal activities):
a) Solicitors
b) Barriesters
c) Chartered Legal Executives → work within law firms under the supervision of a solicitor
(authorised by the CILEx Regulation)
d) Licensed conveyancers → deal with property transactions (authorised by the Council for
Licensed Conveyancers)
e) Patent attorneys → specialists in patents and intellectual property (authorised by the
Intellectual Property Regulation Board)
f) Trade mark attorneys → specialists in trade mark law and practice (authorised by the
Property Regulation Board)
g) Costs lawyers → specialists in legal fees and costs (authorised by the Costs Lawyers
Standards Board)
h) Notaries → authenticate and certify signatures and docs (authorised by the Master of the
Faculties)
i) Chartered Accountants → authorised by the Chartered Accountants in England and
Wales
Reserved Legal Services:
The framework for the regulation of legal services is contained in the Legal Services Act 2007
,Services which fall within the definition of ‘reserved legal activities’ can only be provided by
those who are authorised to do so
Essentially comprise the types of legal work where the risk to the public is the greatest
Definition:
6 types set out in s 12 Legal Services Act 2007:
a) Exercise of a right of audience → right to appear before and address a court
b) The conduct of litigation →
○ Issuing of proceedings
○ The commencing, prosecuting and defending of those proceedings
○ The performing of any ancillary functions in relation to those proceedings
c) Reserved instrument activities → preparing and lodging an instrument (formal legal
doc) dealing with the transfer or charge of land, relating to real or personal estate or an
instrument relating to court proceedings
d) Probate activities → preparing probate papers
e) Notarial activities → activities relating to the certifying and authenticating of certain
docs
f) The administration of oaths → power to administer an oath
Authorisation:
Reserved legal activities can only be carried out by those who are authorised or exempt by an
approved regulator
● The Law Society is the approved regulator for solicitor
● But the regulatory function is carried out in practice by the Solicitors Regulation
Authority (SRA)
, ● It is a criminal offence for a person to carry on a reserved legal activity if they are not
authorised or exempt (up to 2 years imprisonment)
Legal Services Board:
The Legal Services Board are responsible for overseeing the regulation of all lawyers in
England and Wales
● A body can only act as a regulator for legal services if approved by the LSB
● Have a duty to promote the regulatory objectives in s 1 LSA 2007:
a) Protecting and promoting the public interest;
b) Supporting the constitutional principle of the rule of law;
c) Improving access to justice;
d) Protecting and promoting the interests of consumers;
e) Promoting competition in the provision of services in the legal sector;
f) Encouraging an independent, strong, diverse, and effective legal profession;
g) Increasing public understanding of citizens’ legal rights and duties;
h) Promoting and maintaining adherence to the professional principles of
independence and integrity; proper standards of work; observing the best
interests of the client and the duty to the court; and maintaining client
confidentiality.
● The LSB monitors the way in which regulators operate
- They can make recommendations for improvement, impose penalties for
deficiencies or withdraw approval
Unregulated Providers:
Unregulated legal services providers conduct work outside the areas of reserved legal activities
under the Legal Services Act 2007
● E.g. will writing, family law advice and employment law advice.
● Many individuals providing legal services in the unregulated sector have legal
qualifications in that they are former or non-practising lawyers or law graduates
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