Conveyancing section aims to build self-financing role

Services: probate and law management given 2004 deadline.A conveyancing section is next on the agenda at the Law Society after the two existing sections - probate and law management - were given a 2004 deadline to become self-financing.However, the Society's Council said that any new section will itself have to be self-financing within three years.Creation of the conveyancing section will be subject to market research.Nicola Manning, chairwoman of the law management section, said the vote came as no surprise as the section was set up with the understanding that it would become self-financing.'Provided we are given the support of the resources and facilities to provide and deliver our services, we can become self-funding and look forward to doing so,' she added.An original proposal that other Law Society groups - such as the Association of Women Solicitors and Commerce & Industry Group - should be self-financing from 2005 was delayed pending a full review of the Society's support for diversity issues and pastoral care.However, the council decided that a generic framework of principles and a funding code for working with the groups should be developed.Angus Andrew, chairman of the sections and specialisation task force, said the council will now work with a representative board of 26 specialist groups.

'This will be the starting point, and we will work from there to develop a framework which will provide a better focus,' he said.The cost of running Law Society groups in the 2001 financial year was 545,249.Paula Rohan