Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Solicitors Regulation Authority definition

What does Solicitors Regulation Authority mean? The Solicitors Regulation Authority is the independent regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales. In practice, it authorises individuals and firms, issues practising certificates, sets and enforces the SRA Standards and Regulations (including the Codes of Conduct and SRA Accounts Rules on client money), supervises anti-money laundering compliance, and takes enforcement action to protect clients and the public interest. Enforcement includes investigations, fines and rebukes, conditions on practice, interventions into firms, and prosecution before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal; it also administers the SRA Compensation Fund. Although “SRA” is not a statutory term, its regulatory remit and powers flow...

Improving profitability in family law firms: SRA obligations, cash flow, pricing, time recording, leads, technology and outsourcing (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

All family practitioners ought to approach their work with a commercially minded approach to practice. Partners must ensure the firm as a whole turns a healthy profit, heads of department must deliver a profitable team, and each individual must be profitable to safeguard their business, their team or their role. Although making major changes to systems can be culturally or personally difficult, smaller, incremental actions that lift profit margins are usually far more attainable for virtually any practice. This Practice Note sets out practical suggestions designed to strengthen performance at both personal and firm-wide scale.

Professional obligations

The SRA Standards and Regulations apply. The key requirements set out within the SRA Standards and Regulations comprise the following:

Principles
Code of conduct for Solicitors, registered European lawyers (RELs), registered foreign lawyers (RFLs) and registered Swiss lawyers (RSLs)
Code of Conduct for Firms
Accounts Rules
Glossary

The SRA Accounts Rules set out how firms should keep clients’ money safe and are contained within the SRA Standards and Regulations. For more detail, see Practice Note: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regime for family lawyers...

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Ursula Rice

Family First Solicitors Ltd

Ursula Rice is a solicitor and solicitor'advocate, practising in the field of family law. She is the owner and manager of Family First Solicitors Limited, a start- up firm specialising in family work. She was an early adopter of unbundled services, successfully marketing this innovative method of retaining and developing business since 2011. She has written and lectured on the business of family law for Resolution, SJ Live, the Law Society Gazette and various other publications and local radio. Ursula lectures for the University of West of England on the Legal Practice Course and takes a particular interest in the mentoring and development of young lawyers. Ursula is the press officer for the Oxfordshire regional branch of Resolution and the founder of the Family Duty Clinic, an Oxford Court based Law Works Pro Bono clinic and winner of the inaugural national Pro Bono Centre award...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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