It was good to see proposals this week from the Legal Services Board that will-writing, estate administration and probate should only be carried out by regulated legal professionals.
This move is designed to give greater protection to consumers.
In making the recommendation to the Lord Chancellor, the Legal Services Board is recommending that these become ‘reserved activities’.
This means that only solicitors, barristers and legal executives or others who are regulated by an approved regulator within the meaning of the Legal Services Act 2007 would be able to offer these important services.
A final consultation on the proposals now takes place, which closes on 8th November. The Legal Services Board then expects to make its final recommendations to the Lord Chancellor early next year.
We welcome these proposals and believe that consumers should work with regulated legal professionals, such as solicitors, when they need will-writing and estate administration advice.
There are too many unregulated and sometimes unscrupulous individuals who currently offer these important services, targeting families at what can be a very difficult time, doing a poor job or charging over the odds.
