PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

Raising standards

THE LAW SOCIETY'S CLIENT CHARTER AIMS TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SOLICITORS.

CAROLYN KIRBY SETS OUT ITS KEY POINTS AND EMPHASISES THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMMUNICATION

On 17 March, the Law Society published the client's charter.

Sent to every solicitors' practice in England and Wales, the charter explains, in simple terms, what clients can expect from their solicitors.

There will be mixed views about the charter and some solicitors will ask why the Society - their representative body - is using the profession's funds in this way.

In fact, the charter does no more than set out the standards that solicitors are obliged to follow under the rules of professional conduct, in a way that makes it easier for clients to understand.

The vast majority of solicitors' firms already work to these standards.

The clients' charter is also a powerful marketing tool because it emphasises to the public the reasons why they should choose solicitors as their legal services providers - high standards and good consumer protection.

The charter demonstrates how the interests of the public and of our profession run in tandem.

It is clearly in the public's interest to promote and encourage better solicitor-client communication, and a greater understanding of what solicitors can provide leads to more realistic expectations.

These factors work in the interests of our profession, too.

It is clear to me that there is an increasing need for solicitors' firms of all sizes and specialities to embrace a more businesslike approach to the delivery of legal services.

Hand in hand with growing business awareness comes a greater recognition and consideration of clients' needs and expectations.

Matters such as explaining things clearly, responding to letters and telephone calls, managing expectations and providing a clear bill simply make good business sense.

Despite the fact that individually we probably all consider ourselves to be able and effective communicators, Society research reveals that the most consistent feature of complaints about solicitors' service is poor communication.

While it is somewhat reassuring that there are fewer complaints about solicitors' knowledge and legal expertise, there is no room for complacency.

In terms of the items set out in the charter, none of them is rocket science but it is imperative to appreciate their importance and to understand how much these things mean to clients.

It is in the wider and longer-term interests of the profession to show our commitment to improving the service we provide.

Competition is growing in the field of legal services provision.

The Lord Chancellor's Department consultation, 'In the Public Interest?', brought the whole issue of alternative legal services providers to the fore and opened the possibility that people other than qualified solicitors will enter the market.

The Society concluded that whatever services entrants are permitted to provide, the vehicle through which they are provided should be an incorporated solicitors' practice, regulated by the Society.

The rationale behind this conclusion is that any new legal service providers must offer equivalent protections to those already guaranteed by the solicitor's profession.

As a profession, we are the best choice for anyone who requires legal services - our core values of independence, integrity and acting in our clients' best interests are not matched by any prospective newcomers to this market.

However, it is not enough for us to know this - we must consistently prove it to be the case.

Initiatives such as the clients' charter show the Society's determination to promote solicitors as the best providers in the legal services marketplace, no matter who or what may join us there.

All solicitors need to work hard to show that self-regulation is the best option for the public and for our profession.

We are individually and collectively responsible for standards and service - the traditional hallmark of a profession.

However, if we want to retain self-regulation, we must build on the progress we have already made on better client care and providing swift redress when things go wrong.

We have already come a long way and the clients' charter will help us to progress even further.

We may initially see a rise in the number of complaints after the publication of this charter.

However, now is the time to focus on medium and long-term strategies.

In the long run, this opportunity to embrace a mutually clearer understanding of what solicitors can provide, will lead to a significant reduction in the number of complaints.

With the Lord Chancellor promising a review of the regulation of legal services later this year, there is no better time to raise our collective game.

For us to succeed, we must all truly appreciate what is at stake.

We cannot afford simply to pay lip service to the notion of improving client satisfaction.

I believe solicitors genuinely want to provide the best service they can for their clients.

This approach is also most likely to ensure the future of our profession, no matter how the legal landscape should change.

The clients' charter aims to improve clients' awareness of the benefits of choosing a solicitor.

I urge all solicitors to show it to their clients and, above all, to live up to its standards.

Carolyn Kirby is President of the Law Society