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Much of what the SRA does is predicated on the idea that legal services are readily commoditisable - that we are selling widgets. That was the assumption of all these complacent ABS firms, who thought they were onto a winner and are now licking their wounds. As usual, it will not be properly thought through.

Let's say they insist on everyone publishing a price for a "simple" will. OK, it will usually possible to fix a price for a "simple will", but each firm will have a different view as to what "simple" involves, and the prospective client will have a different understanding again (complicated scenarios can allow for simple wills and straigtforward ones can require complicated wills).

So the diktat could require mere 'box ticking', each firm required to come up with its own view of what "simple" means and disclose that price - so that the client is none the wiser as to what they are comparing - or a prescriptive definition of an example of a "simple will" which will leave the x% of clients who do not sit squarely within the defined example none the wiser either.

The outcome? More compliance burden for us, no clear benefit for prosepctive clients, and probably an increase in prices when those who have been undercharging relative to the local market for years work out what others have been getting away with - openness of sensitive commercial information cuts both ways, after all.