The SRA Handbook is no longer in effect. It was replaced by the SRA Standards and Regulations on 25 November 2019.

SRA Handbook

Preamble

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Version 2 of the Handbook was published on 23/12/2011. For more information, please click 'History' Above

Preamble

Authority: made by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Board under sections 32, 33A, 34, 37, 79 and 80 of the Solicitors Act 1974, section 9 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985, sections 83(5)(h) and 93 of, and paragraph 20 of Schedule 11 to, the Legal Services Act 2007 with the approval of the Legal Services Board;

date: 6 October 2011;

replacing: the Solicitors' Accounts Rules 1998;

regulating: the accounts of solicitors and their employees, registered European lawyers and their employees, registered foreign lawyers, recognised bodies and their managers and employees, and licensed bodies and their managers and employees, in respect of practice in England and Wales; and

regulating: the accounts of solicitors, lawyer-controlled bodies and their managers, lawyers of England and Wales who are managers of overseas law firms controlled by lawyers of England and Wales, solicitors who are named trustees, and managers of a lawyer-controlled body who are named trustees, in respect of practice outside the UK; and

regulating: the accounts of solicitors and registered European lawyers, lawyer-controlled and registered European lawyer-controlled bodies and their managers, lawyer of England and Wales and registered European lawyer managers of overseas law firms controlled by lawyers of England and Wales and/or registered European lawyers, solicitors and registered European lawyers who are named trustees, and managers of a lawyer-controlled body or a registered European lawyer-controlled body who are named trustees, in respect of practice from Scotland or Northern Ireland.

For the definition of words in italics in Parts 1-6 and 8, see rule 2 - Interpretation. For the definition of words in italics in Part 7 see rule 48 - Application and Interpretation (overseas provisions).