'Change to survive'

Solicitors are facing the biggest challenge in the profession's history and considerable change is needed to survive, according to Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva.

She was speaking last week in Newcastle at the first of the Society's regional seminars to discuss the government's recently published consultation paper In the public interest.

'At the moment, there is a real opportunity for the profession to shape up and modernise its public image, whilst retaining its core values of ethics and professionalism,' she told an audience of local practitioners.

The consultation paper - the deadline for which is November 22 - was produced as a response to last year's Office of Fair Trading report on competition in the profession.

It focuses on the possibility of extending the provision of legal services by employed solicitors; allowing conveyancing and probate work to be carried out by non-solicitors; the extension of legal privilege to non-lawyers; multi-disciplinary partnerships, and possible changes to the Queen's Counsel system.

Local private practice solicitors expressed concern about the dangers their firms faced if other organisations entered the market, particularly accountants who may compete in the high-street probate market.

Ms Paraskeva assured them that their views would be noted in the Society's response to the paper.

Other Society roadshows are scheduled for Leeds on 3 October, Taunton on 8 October, Cardiff on 9 October, London on 15 October, Cambridge on 29 October and Leicester on 6 November.

Victoria MacCallum