Sarah Chambers, Chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel, said: “It remains worrying that seven out of 10 consumers do not buy from the legal services market.” This must change if the vision of empowered consumers driving competition is to be realized. Whether we like it or not, the panel`s research also shows that price is the most important factor for consumers who choose to transfer ownership (82%). [iii] But, perhaps reassuringly, research shows that consumer satisfaction with the transfer is high[iv], with over 90% satisfied with the outcome and over 80% satisfied with the service. But do these results tell the whole story? For example, were more than 90% satisfied with the outcome simply because they managed to buy their dream home or avoided buying a house that collapsed? Were more than 80% satisfied with their respondent`s service but dissatisfied with the process of buying their home? Isn`t one in five dissatisfied people actually poor enough? Read More – It`s time to invest in legal services and courts The Legal Services Board is a regulatory body and the spearhead of the legal services regulatory system in England and Wales. It provides regulatory oversight for the eight “authorized regulatory bodies” under the Legal Services Act, 2007 (ICA 2007) and two other regulatory bodies that have been added since the Act received Royal Approval. As an organization, it is important that we have the necessary mechanisms in place to ensure consistency and challenge in our approach to consumer issues, and one of our first priorities has been to set up our consumer panel. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn`t bother to waste time addressing the Asian chatter that regularly emanates from the panel of consumers of legal services, but the latest article in the Law Society Gazette (August 1, 2018) simply cannot happen without comment. What for? For the panel`s latest statement goes far beyond a frightening lack of understanding and extends into the realm of the vicious and self-serving culture of dissent where none currently exists. To put it bluntly, trouble in hell.
On November 11, 2009, the LSB launched Consumer Legal Services. [18] The Committee operates independently of the BCA and represents the interests of private and commercial consumers in the LSB`s work to oversee the regulation of lawyers. The establishment of this body was a legal requirement of the Legal Services Act 2007. The members of the body are appointed by the LSB with the consent of the Lord Chancellor. The Committee examines issues of importance to consumers of legal services, advises the BCA on its oversight of front-line regulators, and issues these recommendations. If the LSB does not agree with this recommendation, it is required to publish a written justification. [ref. Marlene Winfield OBE has spent her career giving a voice to utility users, including over the past six years as a member of the Legal Services Consumer Panel, where she has made a huge contribution through her expertise in consumer engagement, understanding what has worked (and hasn`t) worked in other sectors. Our role is to independently advise the Commission des services juridiques on the interests of consumers of legal services.
The introductory paragraph of the article begins with “. Efforts to persuade consumers of legal services to seek their lawyer appear to be making little progress. The Legal Services Consumer Group reports today that the proportion of consumers comparing legal service providers is unchanged from the previous year at 27%. This proportion is even lower in some areas of law, such as estates (16%) and personal injury (14%). Hayter said: “For the regulation of lawyers to meet the needs of clients, the interests of consumers must be heard at the heart of the regulator: the LSB. This is the role that the Consumer Panel will play in assessing proposals from the perspective of users of legal services and influencing the Committee accordingly. Just as lawyers have a vested interest in good and effective regulation, so do clients, but without panels, they have no formal or organized way to make their voices heard. Desirable criteria • knowledge of the law and/or market for legal services; • An appreciation of the unique contribution that legal services make to society as a whole.
Those who follow the legal press are familiar with recent stories of the decline of legal aid, “advice deserts” that are developing, and specialized lawyers that are becoming scarce. The Department of Justice`s figures illustrate the problem in only one area. In 2012/13, 82,554 social security cases received legal aid, compared to only 443 in 2017/18. The consumer panel will play an important role in ensuring that consumer views and interests are taken into account in our plans. The board is independent of the board and has considerable leeway to advise and influence the LSB from a consumer perspective. For more information on the position, including a complete recruitment file, please visit: www.wig.co.uk/career/chair–legal-services-consumer-panel—legal-services-board.html And to advance the panel`s objectives, the enormous pressure over the past two years to expand the regulatory system to include price publishing in pursuit of the panel`s goal of vigorously encouraging consumers to shop, will soon bear fruit and will be waiting for us. The Legal Services Council has unveiled its eight-member consumer organisation to represent the interests of individuals and businesses in England and Wales. The consumer panel, chaired by Dr Dianne Hayter, former chair of the Consumer Council of the Law Society`s Standards Council, will top the agenda for the first time later this month with the issue of intermediate fees. However, the consumer panel says these websites remain “largely unused or opaque” and that the need for more radical changes, identified by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2016, is greater than ever. And all this despite the fact that “. Nearly nine in 10 consumers of legal services were satisfied with the outcome of their business and 84% were satisfied with their legal services.
The LSB said the independent panel will help develop “greater attention” to consumer interests in the legal services sector and improve access to justice. The Consumer Panel on Legal Services has its own website containing information on its current projects, as well as copies of its publications, responses to consultations and minutes of Committee meetings. The Consumer Panel website can be found at www.legalservicesconsumerpanel.org.uk. As many of the comments added at the end of the Gazette article note, there may be another explanation, and that is that Sarah Chambers and her panel are looking for a solution to a problem that does not exist. Last Christmas: Last year, we faced the specter of a significant reduction in protections for those who use the services of lawyers, with proposed SRA reforms to their PII rules. We were also frustrated with the slow pace at which the CMA`s transparency reforms were being implemented. A closer look at the panel`s research leads to conclusions that may not come as a surprise. For example, she notes that the most commonly used legal service is transfer of ownership, at 36%.
It seems that even in a very difficult property market, the UK`s attachment to its own housing remains strong. Most importantly, in April 2018, the government released a response to its consultation on “Improving the Home Buying and Selling Process”[xi]. It started with the minister`s very direct assessment: “We all know that the current process of buying and selling homes in England is not fit for purpose.