Comparison websites: Transparency push
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has sanctioned 475 law firms over failures to comply with its transparency rules.
It has also suggested that law firms are better off not suing for libel over comments left on online review websites.
The regulator has issued 439 official warnings and 36 fixed penalty fines since the rules were implemented in December 2018, it revealed yesterday, as it sought to impress its commitment to ensuring that the public have more access to information when choosing law firms.
The announcement, along with publication of new and updated resources to support the profession, follows the Legal Services Board’s publication a statement of policy on empowering consumers in April 2022.
This gave regulators a deadline of 30 September 2024 to provide assurance about how they are meeting the expectations it sets out.
Among the new resources include pricing templates that are compliant with the SRA’s requirements.
“Our research along with findings from others has consistently found that the easier the public find it to access key information on the services law firms offer, including on costs and the customer experiences of others, the more likely they are to seek professional support when they have a legal need,” the regulator said.
While price and service information has been a requirement for firms offering certain services for more than five years, so-called quality indicators have proven a harder nut to crack – but all the legal regulators are under pressure to do more on this.
The SRA, Council for Licensed Conveyancers and CILEx Regulation ran a joint pilot on quality indicators and comparison websites that reported last year. The voluntary code for comparison websites used in the pilot has been put on a permanent footing.
ReviewSolicitors, reallymoving, The Law Superstore and Trustpilot have signed up to it so far, which means that, among other commitments, they promise to offer “a transparent process for legal service providers to challenge reviews they believe are not from their clients or prospective clients”, as well as a clear complaints process.
The SRA has also updated its guidance to law firms on dealing with customer reviews generally, and review websites specifically.
It said that, rather than pursue legal action over libellous comments, “you might consider whether you can achieve a better outcome for your firm by taking a different approach”.
The guidance went on: “Potential clients may be deterred from instructing your firm if they feel you have been heavy handed with a dissatisfied client. It may therefore be more beneficial to encourage other clients to leave reviews on the same website, to give potential clients a more balanced picture.
“You can also contact the website operator to explain your position and enquire about procedures available to remove the review, and you can of course also respond to the review as you would any other negative review.
“If you do decide to pursue legal action you must continue to behave professionally and in accordance with your regulatory obligations.”
SRA chief executive Paul Philip commented: “Transparency is a key aspect of trust in legal services. By providing clear, accessible pricing information, firms not only comply with regulations but also empower consumers to make informed choices.”
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