Authorisation & regulation

Master compliance within legal practice with our in-depth guidance on authorisation and regulation. Delve into clear and actionable advice, ensuring your firm meets statutory requirements, maintains ethical standards, and operates within the boundaries of professional regulations. Elevate your business with insights essential for seamless compliance management.

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Authorisation & approval COLP and COFA Regulatory regime Separate businesses

Latest Practice Compliance News

FCDO announces West Bank sanctions and pauses Israel trade talks

FCDO announces West Bank sanctions and pauses Israel trade talks
UK sanctions regime review lacks detail on beefing up meager enforcement

UK sanctions regime review lacks detail on beefing up meager enforcement

The following Corporate Crime news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on UK sanctions regime review lacks detail on beefing up meager enforcement

OFSI issues two General Licences for wind down and insurance payments

OFSI issues two General Licences for wind down and insurance payments
Cross-governmental review of UK sanctions implementation and enforcement

Cross-governmental review of UK sanctions implementation and enforcement

Featured Practice Compliance content

SRA Code of Conduct for individuals and firms

SRA Code of Conduct for individuals and firms

SRA Code of Conduct for individuals and firmsThis Practice Note provides guidance on the SRA Codes of Conduct, contained in the SRA Standards and...

Duties of confidentiality and disclosure 2019

Duties of confidentiality and disclosure 2019

Duties of confidentiality and disclosure 2019The protection of confidential information is a fundamental feature of the solicitor-client relationship...

Conflicts of interest 2019

Conflicts of interest 2019

Conflicts of interest 2019Conflicts of interest can cause difficult and serious problems for solicitors and law firms, both from a compliance point of...

Working with foreign lawyers—the Registered Foreign Lawyer (RFL) regime

Working with foreign lawyers—the Registered Foreign Lawyer (RFL) regime

Working with foreign lawyers—the Registered Foreign Lawyer (RFL) regimeThe Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) operates a registration regime for...

Practice notes

Undertakings and the court

Undertakings and the courtThis Practice Note explains:•what powers the court has to enforce undertakings•when it is likely to exercise those...
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2nd Mar
Practice notes

Compliance officer for legal practice—COLP—title and duties 2011 [Archived]

Compliance officer for legal practice—COLP—title and duties 2011 [Archived]The compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) sits at the heart of the...
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2nd Mar
Practice notes

Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) practice management standards—Precedents content map

Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) practice management standards—Precedents content mapThe Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is a quality...
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1st Mar
Practice notes

Acting for yourself, friends and family

Acting for yourself, friends and familyThis Practice Note covers considerations where a law firm wishes to act for one of its own partners or...
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1st Mar
Practice notes

Money Laundering Regulations 2017—source of funds and source of wealth

Money Laundering Regulations 2017—source of funds and source of wealthSource of funds and wealth was a key focus of the SRA’s Preventing Money...
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2nd Mar
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Practice notes

Pre-employment checks—law firms

Pre-employment checks—law firmsWhile the application form and interview process will give you some assurances as to a candidate's suitability for a...
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1st Mar
Q&As

What are the ramifications for a solicitor who does not comply with Law Society Formula B undertakings and/or did not hold their client's part of the contract at the point of exchange? If the contract later comes into dispute does an action lie with that solicitor or their firm?

What are the ramifications for a solicitor who does not comply with Law Society Formula B undertakings and/or did not hold their client's part of the...
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2nd Mar
Q&As

When and how can I terminate my retainer?

When and how can I terminate my retainer?This Q&A is intended for law firms. It deals with when you can terminate your retainer. Incorrectly...
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2nd Mar
Practice notes

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Solicitors Regulation AuthorityThe Solicitors Regulation authority (SRA) is the independent regulatory arm of the Law Society. It...
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2nd Mar
Precedents

Risk management policy—law firms

Risk management policy—law firms1Introduction1.1Risk management is central to the regulatory regime under which we operate. [Insert name of firm] is...
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1st Mar
Practice notes

Money laundering compliance officer—law firms

Money laundering compliance officer—law firmsThis Practice Note is intended for law firms that are subject to the Money Laundering, Terrorist...
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2nd Mar
Practice notes

Client conflicts in conveyancing or property matters—when can you act?

Client conflicts in conveyancing or property matters—when can you act?There are two types of conflict: own interest conflicts (sometimes called...
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2nd Mar
Practice notes

Closing a client matter—law firms

Closing a client matter—law firmsClosing a client matter properly is a basic client care, risk management and housekeeping requirement. There are also...
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1st Mar
Practice notes

Dealing with freelance solicitors

Dealing with freelance solicitorsFrom 25 November 2019, the SRA Standards and Regulations introduced a new method of practising: the freelance...
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1st Mar
Q&As

What is the ‘risk-based approach’ in relation to anti-money laundering, and what does it mean to me?

What is the ‘risk-based approach’ in relation to anti-money laundering, and what does it mean to me?The risk-based approach (RBA) is a core concept of...
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2nd Mar
Precedents

Internal suspicious activity report—SAR—form

Internal suspicious activity report—SAR—formThis internal suspicious activity report (SAR) form is intended to make the process of submitting SARs to...
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1st Mar

Popular documents

SRA regulatory regime—from 2019

SRA regulatory regime—from 2019The way the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates the solicitors’ profession has been evolving since its inception—from a prescriptive rules-based regime in the early days of the SRA, via outcomes-focused regulation between 2011 and 2019, to a more

SRA Handbook 2011 [Archived]

SRA Handbook 2011 [Archived]The SRA Handbook 2011 sets out standards and requirements that individual lawyers and firms are expected to achieve and observe:•for the benefit of clients, and•in the general public interestThis Practice Note explains how the SRA Handbook is structured, who is

Working with foreign lawyers—the Registered Foreign Lawyer (RFL) regime

Working with foreign lawyers—the Registered Foreign Lawyer (RFL) regimeThe Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) operates a registration regime for foreign lawyers. Once registered, a registered foreign lawyer (RFL) can become a manager or owner of a law firm with solicitor managers/owners. The SRA

Dealing with freelance solicitors

Dealing with freelance solicitorsFrom 25 November 2019, the SRA Standards and Regulations introduced a new method of practising: the freelance solicitor.This Practice Note explains the regulatory status of freelance solicitors. It also explains the difference between a sole practitioner and a