Practising Requirements

Steering a way through the myriad of rules relating to entitlement to practise and the form in which it is done is part of our regular workload.   Typical questions we advise on include –

• Can we run a separate business without SRA regulation?
• Do we need SRA authorisation for our overseas office?
• I am a Registered European Lawyer (REL) and want to become a solicitor, but I’m not sure I meet the criteria as I have not been continuously registered for three years as an REL even though I have worked here on and off for longer.
• How do we transfer clients to another firm when we close down?
• I work in-house – can I provide advice to the company’s customers?
• I work in a law firm but I don’t advise clients – do I need a practising certificate?
• Should we set up a trust corporation?
• Can we transfer to the Bar Standards Board/Council for Licensed Conveyancers?
• Can we practise through an unregulated entity?
• Are we doing ‘reserved legal activities’?