I have just looked at the online information available on the Solicitors Regulation Authority website.


I am not Lexcel-accredited, by choice. The information contains the following statement: 'By choosing a solicitor with Lexcel accreditation you can be sure you will get: a timely response to all client communications; regular and accurate cost estimates; information on how charges will be calculated.'



This is wrong, unfair and misleading. It suggests that a client gets a guarantee of a better service from accredited solicitors and that non-accredited solicitors provide a lesser service.



It is not the accreditation that suggests a better quality. It is the system in place - and Lexcel is not the only system.



I consider that this statement by the regulatory branch of the organisation (which I pay to help me and promote my interests) is derogatory and should be removed or amended immediately. The benefits to a sole practitioner (in the traditional sense) of Lexcel accreditation are limited. All solicitors are required to provide the level of service mentioned. How they prefer to do so is a matter for them.



This is an example of the Law Society failing to recognise the important role played by, and the needs of, the sole practitioner.



Trevor Moore, solicitor, Ibstock, Leicestershire