Law Society welcomes cut in SLCC fees

The budget, which is going before the Scottish Parliament for scrutiny, includes an overall reduction of 2.5 per cent, due to a decrease in both staff and non-staff costs.

This has led to a reduction in the levy of at least 4 per cent for all practitioners, with a greater reduction for those parts of the profession that generate relatively fewer complaints: advocates (6 per cent reduction) and in-house lawyers (10 per cent reduction).

The SLCC has also recognised the complaints levy, charged when a complaint is upheld against a firm or practitioner, as a source of income in calculating the budget for the first time.

Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “We’re very pleased to see the continued efforts which the SLCC is making to deal with complaints effectively and to control its operating costs for the forthcoming year, with the result that solicitors will see a reduction in this year’s levy.

“It is very important that we have a robust complaints system and adequately funded complaints handling body, however we have urged the SLCC in previous years to review its charging model, particularly in light of the difficulties firms have faced in recent years and in-house lawyers who have to work to very limited and in many cases reduced budgets.”

Full details of the SLCC budget and levy are available on the SLCC website.