The Solicitors' Code of Conduct 2007
The introduction of the Code of Conduct in July 2007 was the most significant change in solicitor regulation since the passing of the Solicitors Act 1974. It is important to note that it contains most, but not all, of the professional rules that solicitors and their staff must follow – the Solicitors’ Accounts Rules and the Indemnity Insurance Rules remain outside the Code, for example.
The aim of the new Code was to make solicitor regulation simpler, fairer and more relevant to the modern era. It was intended to be a codifying and consolidating measure, necessary because new rules had been added piecemeal over the years. One of the other objectives was to recognise the much more commercial relationship that many firms now have with their clients.
The split of the Law Society's dual role of regulator and representative body, with the creation of SRA in early 2007 has unfortunately served to complicate this process. The Code was intended to be a more conceptual set or provisions than the previous Guide to Professional Conduct, but whereas this had been intended to free solicitors to deal more commercially with their clients it has arguably served to make the job of the regulator easier by allowing them a free hand to interpret the less literal rules as they wish.
We offer expert training on all elements of the Code of Conduct, including high level workshops on conflicts and confidentiality (rules 3 and 4). For more information on rule 6 (Equality and Diversity) please see the separate information under that heading.
Our highly successful Guide to the Code of Conduct is a download which provides 11,000 words of expert guidance on the Code. It can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Posting on your firm's intranet for fee earner reference and guidance
- Use in your in-house training sessions on the new regime
- Editing into your firm's staff induction training materials
Originally priced by the size of firm this is now available for a flat fee of £50.
We are also pleased to provide our free download Comparisons Table between the Code's provisions and the former Guide to Professional Conduct. This comparison is not contained on the SRA or Law Society websites as the Code was seen as a distinct set of provisions without reference to earlier regulations. It does remain important to be able to compare the current regulatory position with previous rules, however, in disciplinary matters that pre-date the implementation of the Code in July 2007. There are also many instances of the Code omitting provisions that did formerly appear in the Guide. This download table, as will all downloads from this website, is © Web4Law and is licensed for use in your firm only, acknowledging our copyright.