Legal Services Consumer Panel - Referral Arrangements
Consultation
Ref: 04.10
ILEX has been invited by the Legal Services
Consumer Panel (The Panel) to provide evidence on referral
arrangements. Referral arrangements are often characterised
by payment in return for referral of business, but fees do not need
to be involved. In the legal services sector, the third party
may be another lawyer, but it may also involve introducers such as
claims management companies, insurance companies and estate
agents.
The Panel will be looking at the payment and
receipt of referral fees by lawyers, as well as non-monetary
arrangements that are linked to the introduction of clients.
In order to assist our submission we are
inviting all ILEX practitioners to respond with as much information
as possible to the following three questions:
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of referral
arrangements to:
a) Your firm/organisation
b) clients/consumers
2. If referral arrangements are banned, what impact would this
have on:
a) Your firm/organisation
b) clients/consumers
3. If referral arrangements remain, what if any, additional
safeguards would you like to see for:
a) Your firm/organisation
b) clients/consumers
Please email your three responses to Gus
Ghataura, Law Reform Officer at: gghataura@ilex.org.uk by
Monday 8th February 2010 latest.
A copy of our submission will be uploaded to
our website after 26th February 2010.
Thank you for your support, we look forward
to hearing from you.
Posted 15.01.10