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This is fantastic news! At last the SRA did the right thing to bring our profession in line with other European and world wide legal professions.
Most comments on here are from people who are slaves in their thinking. They are used to being shackled, regulated to death, disciplined in every turn and on top of that, paying extortionate sums of money. SRA regulates the profession in the most draconian way that has ever existed in the whole world.
Many European lawyers,once qualified, they simply commence practising. No requirement for authorised bodies. Truly self employed or in partnership, truly free profession.
Clients of solicitors have long enjoyed layers of protection over and beyond what any other consumer of other businesses do not have. No need. The court system is sufficient to address problems between a consumer and the business, providing services or selling goods.
I see these unexpected changes as only positive for the profession. Clients will also benefit from lower fees, surely. I'd rather go to a mechanic, plumber, doctor and now - solicitor, who know what their doing than to their colleagues who have PII, regulated and stressed to death, spending 3/4 of their time on regulatory requirements and pay twice over in fees.
Think experienced indie garage and franchised car dealer.
Solicitors will now be a bit like direct access barristers.