You are reading current version in effect from 1 December 2023

Guidance

Guidance

Preparing to become a sole practitioner or an SRA-regulated freelance solicitor - Guidance

Guidance: To help solicitors understand how to set up a business trading on their own account providing legal services to the public.

Glossary terms

solicitor

means a person who has been admitted as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales and whose name is on the roll.

REL

means a European lawyer registered in the register of European lawyers

sole practitioner

means a solicitor or a REL who is the sole principal in a practice (other than an incorporated practice)

recognised sole practice

means the practice of a sole solicitor or REL which is recognised by the SRA under section 9 of the AJA

reserved legal activities

has the meaning given in section 12 of the LSA

authorised body

means:

  1. a body that has been authorised by the SRA to practise as a licensed body or a recognised body; or
  2. a sole practitioner's practice that has been authorised by the SRA as a recognised sole practice
authorised non-SRA firm

means a firm which is authorised to carry on legal activities as defined in section 12 of the LSA by an approved regulator other than the SRA

client

means the person for whom you act and, where the context permits, includes prospective and former clients

in the SRA Financial Services (Scope) Rules, in relation to any regulated financial services activities carried on by an authorised body for a trust or the estate of a deceased person (including a controlled trust), means the trustees or personal representatives in their capacity as such and not any person who is a beneficiary under the trust or interested in the estate

fees

means your own charges or profit costs (including any VAT element)

UK

means United Kingdom, made up of: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

client money

has the meaning given in rule 2.1 of the SRA Accounts Rules

disbursements

means any costs or expenses paid or to be paid to a third party on behalf of the client or trust (including any VAT element) save for office expenses such as postage and courier fees