SRA Standards and Regulations

Retention

If you are a solicitor and you do not hold a practising certificate the SRA will write to you once a year at the last notified version of your postal or email address to ask you whether you wish your name to remain on the roll. If, following an enquiry under regulation 5.4, you wish your name to remain on the roll, you shall be required to pay a fee of £20.

General information to be provided

In good time before the conclusion of a contract of insurance, you must disclose the following information to clients: whether you provide a personal recommendation about the insurance products offered; the procedures allowing clients and other interested parties to register complaints about you and information about the out-of-court complaint and redress procedures available for the...

Duration of authorisation

A body's authorisation takes effect from the date the certificate of authorisation is issued to it by the SRA. A body's authorisation shall cease to have effect: subject to Part 5, if the body ceases to exist; or if the body is a licensed body and is issued with a licence by another approved regulator. The SRA may revoke or suspend a body's authorisation, if: it is satisfied that the...

Means of communication to clients

Rule 18 applies to all information required to be provided to a client in this Part. You must communicate information to the client on paper or using any of the following means: a durable medium other than paper where the following conditions are satisfied: the use of a durable medium other than paper is appropriate in the context of the business conducted between the firm and the client; and...

Monitoring and inspection

In order to protect and promote the standards of legal education and training, the SRA may: monitor the relevant programmes of study provided by an approved education provider and an authorised education provider, the training provided by an authorised training provider or the assessments provided by an assessment provider approved under regulation 6; visit the provider's premises, at such...

Remuneration disclosure

In good time before the conclusion of the initial contract of insurance and if necessary, on its amendment or renewal, you must provide the client with information: on the nature of the remuneration received in relation to the contract of insurance; about whether in relation to the contract you work on the basis of: a fee, that is remuneration paid directly by the client; a commission of any...

Apportionment and multi-party issues

Where the loss has been sustained as a result of the act or omission of more than one party, the SRA will consider the role of each party in contributing to the applicant's loss in deciding whether to make a grant and, if so, the amount of any grant. In the case of a defaulting licensed body, the SRA will consider the extent to which the loss is attributable to an act or omission which falls...

Fee disclosure: additional requirements

Where a fee is payable, you must inform the client of the amount of the fee before the client incurs liability to pay the fee, or before conclusion of the contract of insurance, whichever is earlier. To the extent that it is not possible for the amount in rule 17.1 to be given, you must give the client the basis for its calculation. This rule applies to all such fees that may be charged during...

Refusal of an application

If the SRA refuses to make a grant of either the whole or part of the amount applied for, the applicant will be informed in writing of the reasons for the decision. The fact that an application has been rejected does not prevent a further application being submitted provided that material new relevant evidence or information is produced in support of the new application.

Consumer credit guidance

Where you undertake credit-related regulated financial services activities, you must have regard to any guidance issued by the SRA from time to time relating to such activities.