Transparency Rules and guidance
Our Transparency Rules apply to all CILEX Authorised Firms providing legal services to consumers. This includes:
- individual consumers and
- small businesses, as referenced within the LSB empowering consumers statement of policy, which states:
we refer to small businesses as businesses meeting two of the following criteria:
a) annual turnover must be not more than £10.2 million;
b) the balance sheet total must be not more than £5.1 million;
c) the average number of employees must be not more than 50.
The Transparency Rules aim to make sure that consumers have the information that they need when they are choosing legal services, so they can make an informed decision about which provider to instruct.
The Transparency Rules set out the minimum information that firms must provide, but we encourage them to provide additional information that they think will help consumers understand the services they offer. Firms are required to publish information on:
- price
- service
- complaints procedure (including a link to Legal Ombudsman decision data page)
- regulatory status
- digital logo
This must be published prominently in a clear and accessible format on, or via a link from, the homepage of its website.
If a firm does not have a website, it must provide the required information in a leaflet (the “Consumer Information Leaflet”) which it must:
a) make available on request, and
b) provide to CILEx Regulation at annual renewal, or more frequently where appropriate, to be linked from its entry on the CILEX Authorised Entity Directory.
Firms can implement the requirements in a way that best meets the needs of their business and clients. They are strongly encouraged to read our transparency guidance which suggests how firms could go about providing the information, with optional presentations and templates. The guidance also sets out the benefits of making information available, both to businesses and consumers.
A checklist is also available to assist firms in ensuring that they are compliant with the Transparency Rules.
Further information about our requirements for complaints handling is provided in our First Tier Complaints Handling Guidance.
We continue to work with the other legal services regulators on the consumer-facing website, Legal Choices. We encourage our regulated firms, and all members of our regulated community, to provide a link to the website in their client communications.
Quality indicators
Improving comparison information for consumers
Members of the public are increasingly looking for information that can help them understand the quality of legal services they might receive, to help them compare different firms and lawyers.
Our Transparency Rules set out what we expect our authorised firms. With the current increase in use of the internet to search for legal services, it is all the more important that firms provide this information.
Consumer demand for reliable and trusted digital information is increasing generally. Research by Ofcom shows that UK adults now spend more than a quarter of their waking day online, a trend driven by the pandemic.
Reviews and comparison websites
Research regularly finds that while price is important to consumers looking to instruct a lawyer, a bigger factor is the quality of the service and legal work they will receive from a firm.
It is difficult to find independent and reliable information about quality which consumers can use to compare legal firms. This includes information published by firms or provided by third parties such as comparison websites.
Taking steps to actively manage online reviews and engaging with comparison websites can help firms to ensure they highlight the quality of the legal services and professionals providing them in a firm.
We provide information about Online Reviews and Endorsements.
Comparison websites
There are comparison websites publishing consumer reviews, ratings and other information about legal firms. Some of the sites operate exclusively in the legal services sector, while others are general sites covering many markets.
We, along with the CLC and SRA provide a Voluntary Code for digital comparison tool providers. This includes price comparison websites and online review platforms. The voluntary code sets out the standards we expect of these sites to ensure that they are independent, transparent and fair to both consumers and legal services providers. Website operators that agree to work in-line the Code’s standards can apply to be part of the voluntary code.
Comparison Tool providers
The digital comparison tool providers that participate in our voluntary code are:
Information for Digital Comparison Tool Operators
Participation in the Voluntary Code
If you operate a digital comparison tool that helps members of the public to compare and choose legal service providers, and are interested in participating in the code.
Legal service regulators for England and Wales offer a voluntary code that we encourage operators of digital comparison tools to participate in. In order to join the code, you must make an application to us.
The regulators operating the code are:
- CILEx Regulation
- Council for Licensed Conveyancers
- Solicitors regulation Authority
Digital comparison tools (DCTs) are important gateways for the public to compare, contact and choose legal service providers, and to access the legal advice and representation they may need during different stages of life.
Our voluntary code describes good-practice standards that we think are important to providing good experiences for consumers when they use a digital comparison tool for legal services. We also think that the code helps to increase public trust and confidence to use digital tools safely, and a legitimate entry point into the legal services market.
Digital tool providers who participate in the voluntary code will have access to a number of benefits, including:
- being listed and promoted as a participant on regulator websites
- being part of other promotional activities that may be undertaken by legal service regulators, with the public and legal service providers
- opportunities to raise awareness of their platforms with legal service providers
- ongoing engagement with legal service regulators.
Applying to participate in the Voluntary Code
If you are interested in participating in the voluntary code complete and submit the form below.
Your application will be reviewed. You may be asked to provide further information, which may include arranging a meeting to discuss your application.
The regulators will acknowledge your application on receipt, and aim to provide decision within 30 days of receipt.
If a DCT provider is found to have made false declarations or included other misleading information in an application, it is likely they will be considered ineligible for participation in the voluntary code.
Ongoing participation
If successful, the DCT will be added as a signatory to the voluntary code of conduct. Only when an application has been approved, can a DCT reference their involvement in the code. More information about how to access the benefits described above will be provided.
The legal service regulators may periodically review the participation of any DCT in the voluntary code and may request information from a DCT as part of that process. A decision to suspend or remove a DCT from participation in the voluntary code may subsequently be made, and the named person for the DCT will be informed of that decision.
DCT operators may at any point cease their participation in the voluntary code by notifying the legal service regulators of their intention.
