The Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) are planning to cap practising certificate fees at their 2018/2019 level of £278 for the coming year.
They state that they have been able to preserve the same level as last year as a result of the increase in the number of solicitors on the roll paying a practising certificate fee and as a consequence of efficiency savings.
They report that it is not only the third successive year the individual fee has remained the same but also that since 2014, the fee has actually gone down by 28%.
The sums raised from the practising certificate fee supports not only the SRA and the Law Society but also the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, the Legal Services Board, the Financial Conduct Authority (to focus on money laundering activity), and the Legal Ombudsman. The Law Society and SRA agree each year as to how it is split between regulation, public interest and representation as part of their annual reporting and planning.
A consultation has been published jointly by the SEA and the law Society entitled “Managing the costs of regulatory, public interest and representative work” which explains the different roles, highlights areas of achievement for the previous year and provides details of the draft budget and financial plans for 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020, and seeks views.
A short survey is also available until 28 June.