The Changing Face of the Legal Profession - ABS Introduction on 6 October 2011
From 6 October 2011, non-lawyers will be able to apply for licences to become alternative business structures (ABS), opening up the doors for companies such as Tesco and WH Smith to expand their legal services and substantially widen the legal market.
The intention of these reforms is to revamp the legal profession and the way in which services are offered, with particular focus on accessibility and the variety of legal services on offer.
Lord Hunt was commissioned by the Law Society to carry out an independent review of the way legal services are regulated. He commented “Successful ABS’s will not be those firms that look and behave least like traditional law firms; they will be those that demonstrate the most admirable qualities of current practises."
The successful law firms, following these reforms, will be those who keep at their core their knowledge and expertise but at the same time evolve to offer more flexible services.