PSU visit preparation

Tackling the unknown

The Solicitors Regulation Authority regulates solicitors in England and Wales, as well as registered European lawyers and registered foreign lawyers.

As part of their role, the SRA’s Practice Standards Unit undertakes a programme of monitoring visits to check compliance by firms with the practice rules with a view to raising standards.  The reality of such a visit in earnest can be a challenging experience.

More than 4,000 firms have been visited since 2001.

Legal Risk LLP specialise in advising firms on compliance with the Code of Conduct, including dealing directly with the SRA on a multitude of regulatory and practice issues. We have gathered a detailed insight into the way these visits are conducted.

We have assisted a number of firms with their preparations by carrying out a dry run SRA type visit with debrief interview and findings mirroring the way the SRA have traditionally conducted them.

This includes:

•   Review of existing risk management strategy, systems, policies and procedures.

•   Review of compliance with the Code of Conduct and other regulatory requirements/statutory information.

•   Interviews with key personnel

•   Debrief interview

•   Written ‘findings’.

Contact us for further details: sue.mawdsley@legalrisk.co.uk