Price: Support for greater transparency
Most people have trust and confidence in legal services, but would like the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to do more on their cost, major new research has found.
The study provides more evidence to support the idea of extending the current requirements for price transparency to other areas of practice.
It also showed that lawyers’ use of new technology makes consumers and SMEs feel more confident of the services provided.
The regulator’s purpose, according to its corporate strategy, is to drive confidence and trust in the sector, and it commissioned independent research agency Thinks Insight and Strategy to understand current levels of trust and confidence, the key components and how best to increase them.
Confidence arises from the technical proficiency and quality of service, while trust is more associated with qualities like integrity.
Thinks surveyed 521 legal professionals, 250 ‘opinion leaders’, 2,129 consumers, 400 SMEs, 88 MPs, and 11 Welsh Senedd members (MSs) for its report.
Most respondents were positive about the sector, with 79% of legal professionals, 78% of SMEs and 75% of consumers saying they have both trust and confidence in legal services.
The figures were much higher for those who had sought legal advice – 97% of SMEs who engaged with a solicitor when using legal services indicated they trusted them, as did 93% of consumers.
Fewer than half (47%) of legal professionals agreed that the SRA’s actions improved trust and confidence, and 25% disagreed, rising to 33% among solicitors specifically – some felt the SRA was not proportionate in its enforcement action and too punitive towards minor infractions. Others thought the SRA’s enforcement was too “reactive”.
In all, 62% of legal professionals thought legal services were well regulated, and 21% disagreed, while 56% had a positive view of the SRA, compared to 26% with a negative view.
MPs and MSs had surprisingly low awareness of the SRA – only 54% knew of it – and were more likely to be neutral in their responses. For instance, only 54% said they had confidence in legal services, with 49% believing them well regulated (it was around 75% for consumers and SMEs).
The research recorded high satisfaction levels – 95% of SMEs and 91% of consumers who used a solicitor were satisfied with what they received, although the figures fell to 84% in conveyancing and 78% in probate.
In all, 86% of SMEs and consumers said they would recommend their legal services provider.
There was widespread agreement too with the perception that solicitors are a well-respected profession.
The research identified nine key drivers of confidence and trust in legal services. The most important were high standards, high-quality training and qualifications of providers, and transparent cost structures.
The SRA paused its work on transparency in the last year because of other priorities but, in light of this research, said earlier this month that it would restart. This could include whether to extend costs transparency rules into other areas of the law.
The Thinks report said: “Consumers and SMEs feel transparent cost structures across the board would allow them to judge whether the price of the legal services they choose is fair, proportionate and in turn, good value for money.”
It said consumers would also welcome guidance on an appropriate and fair cost for legal services and suggested that the SRA “may wish to play a role in setting the expectation for all consumers on what is a fair price to pay for legal services”.
The SRA is unlikely to go as far as advising on what costs should be, believing this to be for the market to decide.
In fact, despite general concerns among consumers about affordability, 80% of consumers and 81% of SMEs who have used legal services agreed they were good value for money.
Legal professionals said the SRA would be over-reaching if it dictated the price of services, and would have “more impact in pushing for transparency and advocating for access to justice”.
Looking to the future, the need to embrace and stay up-to-date with technological advancements, and artificial intelligence specifically, was the big priority for legal professionals.
Consumers and SMEs appreciated the positive potential of technology, with 64% and 71% respectively agreeing that “legal providers use of technological advancements makes me feel more confident of the services provided”.
However, other groups were “more likely to be concerned about the risks technology and AI pose for consumers, than using it to improve consumer experience”.
SRA chair Anna Bradley said: “It is good to see that generally people’s priorities chime with our strategy, where high qualification and professional standards are central. The research does, however, identify areas where we need to do more. We are already using the results to shape our work.”
Carol McNaughton Nicholls, managing partner at Thinks Insight and Strategy, added: “For consumers, the mere existence of legal regulators enforces trust and confidence, though many are not aware of the SRA or that all legal services aren’t regulated.
“Overall, most people – from the profession to small businesses – believe legal services are well regulated.”
The SRA will repeat the full research exercise again when its current strategy finishes in 2026 to find out whether and how its work and that of others has changed levels of trust and confidence.
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