LSB to oversee the legal services sector

For the first time a single regulatory body will oversee the entire legal services sector in England and Wales.

The Legal Services Board (LSB) was set up by the Legal Services Act 2007 and became fully active on 1 January 2010.

Its mandate is to ensure the interests of consumers are placed at the heart of the legal system.

The LSB provides cross-sector oversight regulation of the eight separate bodies named as approved regulators in the Legal Services Act 2007. These bodies directly regulate the circa 120,000 lawyers practising in England and Wales. These include: Law Society, Bar Council, Master of the Faculties,Institute of Legal Executives,Council for Licensed Conveyancers,Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys and the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen.

The Board will also oversee the Office for Legal Complaints, the new organisation being established to handle consumer complaints about lawyers.

Chairman of the Legal Services Board, David Edmonds, said:

People’s contact with lawyers tends to be at the most sensitive and vulnerable times of their lives. This research shows that consumers do not have the information or, sometimes, the skills to choose a lawyer based on their own assessment of quality or cost.

The reforms to be brought about by the new regulatory framework have the potential to change the relationship between lawyers and the public. Our goal is to enhance the interests of consumers through effective competition and more innovative ways of delivering legal services.

Posted 04.01.10