Instructing third parties

The SRA Codes of Conduct contain various requirements relevant to instructing third parties.

There are separate subtopics for situations where clients are referred to you by third parties—see subtopic: Receiving referrals and sharing your fees, and where you introduce a client to a third party—see subtopic: Introductions to third parties.

SRA regime

The SRA’s core regulatory requirements are found in the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs, RFLs and RSLs (Code for Individuals) and the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms (Code for Firms), which should be read in the context of the SRA Principles.

Difference between instructing and introduction to a third party

Paragraphs 5.1 to 5.3 of the Code for Individuals impose specific obligations in relation to ‘referrals, introductions and separate businesses’. These requirements apply equally to SRA-regulated firms, by virtue of paragraph 7.1 of the Code for Firms.

Although it is not entirely clear, the language of paragraphs 5.1 to 5.3 of the Code for Individuals tends to suggest these obligations apply when referring or introducing your client to external third parties (or receiving referrals from third parties), rather than simply

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