SRA Standards and Regulations

Duration of authorisation

A body's authorisation takes effect from the date the certificate of authorisation is issued to it by the SRA. A body's authorisation shall cease to have effect: subject to Part 5, if the body ceases to exist; or if the body is a licensed body and is issued with a licence by another approved regulator. The SRA may revoke or suspend a body's authorisation, if: it is satisfied that the...

Effect of authorisation

If you are a recognised body or a recognised sole practice authorised by the SRA you are entitled to carry on: all reserved legal activities except notarial activities; and immigration work. If you are a licensed body you are entitled to carry on the activities set out in rule 5.1, in accordance with the terms of your licence. An authorised body may only carry on a reserved legal activity...

Payment of periodical fees

Every authorised body must pay to the SRA a periodical fee in the amount, and by the date prescribed.

Temporary emergency authorisation or approval

An application for temporary emergency authorisation may be made: within seven days of any change in the management or control of an authorised body which brings into being a new unauthorised body or practice; within 28 days of the death or incapacity of a sole practitioner by a solicitor or an REL who is: the sole practitioner's executor, personal representative, attorney under a lasting...

Annex 2: Professional services

The professional services referred to in rule 6.1(b) are: Alternative dispute resolution. Financial services. Estate agency. Management consultancy. Company secretarial services. Other professional and specialist business support services including human resources, recruitment, systems support, outsourcing, transcription and translating. Acting as a parliamentary agent. Practising as a lawyer...

Grants which may be made from the Fund

A person may apply for a grant out of the Fund, if the loss referred to in rule 3.3 relates to services provided: by the defaulting practitioner for them; or to, or as, a trustee where they are a beneficiary of the estate or trust. A person who is not a client of the defaulting practitioner may apply for a grant out of the Fund if they: were a party on the other side of a legal matter on...

Interest

In respect of any grants made under rules 3, 6 or 7 the SRA may make a supplementary grant by way of a sum in lieu of lost interest on the loss underlying the principal grant. Such interest will be calculated by the SRA in accordance with prescribed rates. Where the application for the principal grant is in respect of a failure to redeem a mortgage, the SRA may also make a grant in respect of...

Maximum grant

Unless the SRA is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances in the public interest that justify a higher sum, the maximum grant that may be made is £2 million. For the purposes of this rule, a single claim is an application, or applications, from an applicant for the loss incurred by them arising from a single event or set of connected underlying circumstances.

Losses outside the remit of the Fund

For the avoidance of doubt, the SRA shall not make a grant in respect of losses that: arise solely by reason of professional negligence by a defaulting practitioner, or the employee or manager of a defaulting practitioner, save as provided for in rule 3.4; are indirect or consequential, save where the SRA exercises its discretion to make a grant: under rule 8; for costs of completing or...

Holding statutory trust monies

The SRA shall place all statutory trust monies in an identifiable statutory trust account. All interest earned on the funds held in any statutory trust account shall be paid into that account.