The owners of our firms go through a rigorous application process. They must show us that their firms are managed effectively so they can deliver legal services and are not likely to put their clients or the public at risk. Firms must be able to:
- Treat client information confidentially
- Deal safely with client money
- Deal effectively with complaints
- Manage cases professionally
- Provide all necessary information to their clients
- Record clients’ information accurately
- Inform clients regularly about their case
- Ensure each case moved forwards properly
All authorised lawyers in our firms must show that they have the right knowledge, skills and experience in their specialist area of law. They must also continue to update and develop their knowledge of their specialist area of law.
Each of our firms has a Compliance Manager who has the knowledge, skills and experience to manage the business and manage the accounts. The Compliance Manager is responsible for making sure that the firm meets our regulatory requirements.
We supervise our firms by providing them with support and guidance and carrying out regular reviews with them.
Our firms must fill in an annual return and inform us of any changes to their business. They may also be required to provide us with an accounting report. We supervise our firms to make sure they actively prevent money laundering.
Protections when using our firms
If something goes wrong when you are using one of our firms, the firm will work with you and try to put it right. Each firm must:
- have a procedure for dealing with complaints that is easy to follow and works well;
- have insurance in case they make a mistake on your case, known as Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII); and
- provide access to a scheme which mitigates against hardship if something goes wrong which is known as the CILEx Regulation Compensation Arrangements.
