The Law Society's annual general meeting is to vote next month on whether there should be a ballot of the whole profession on the decision to lift the ban on paying referral fees, it emerged this week.

A motion signed by 45 members deplores the decisions taken by the Society's Council earlier this year to sanction the payment of referral fees and calls for a postal ballot 'to test the profession's acceptance of these decisions'.

It was co-ordinated by Tim Readman, council member for sole practitioners.

Law Society President Peter Williamson said: 'The new rules on referral fees offer increased protection for the public and greater clarity for the profession.

They have been determined after full consultation and were agreed by the Master of the Rolls [in March].

The council has, however, undertaken to review the situation after 12 months, so any request for a ballot would amount to unnecessary expenditure of the profession's money.'

Postal ballots cost the Law Society around 50,000.

The results are not binding on the council, but are persuasive.

By Neil Rose