Archive Consultations

Recovering from Covid 19 – Calling for Yorkshire Solicitors Feedback

Summary

Covid 19 and the path out – seeking your views to inform Law Society Policy It can be difficult to sometimes now remember our world before we had Covid 19 and it is certainly the case that the human cost […]

dangerous coronavirus Covid-19 virus in a laboratory – infection of 2019-nCoV virus. Global pandemic risk due to coronavirus outbreak

Covid 19 and the path out - seeking your views to inform Law Society Policy

It can be difficult to sometimes now remember our world before we had Covid 19 and it is certainly the case that the human cost to us all of this pandemic is incalcuable .

In our professional worlds we have also seen virtually everything change in the way in which we work and deliver justice . Our firms are different as are the relaitonships with the people we work with .

The Pandemic ( which is still with us ) is of course only half the story because we are now writing the next chapter in seeking to come out of it .

How do we recover ?

It is within that context that the Law Society Council will very shortly have a policy discusison on where we now our with the recovery and what as a profession our priorities should be going forward , not only within our our own firms but also with respect to the delivery of justice and protecting the rule of law . This will be ongoign work for the Society and so your input going forward would be very valuable .

Questions that arise ( but you will have others )

As Council Members we are keen to hear the views of Yorkshire Solicitors as to :

  • What they consider the priorities should be ?
  • What support their firms need ?
  • What individual support is required ?

And what of future Government Ideas to come out of the pandemic and move forward ?

  • What do you make of the proposed levelling up Bill and what do we want to see in Yorkshire ?
  • What support is required to legal firms to be able to compete in the new enviroment including government incentives and reliefs ?
  • What about the Criminal Justice System and the funding crisis for legal aid ( we are expecting the report of Sir Christopher Bellamy in Criminal Legal Aid in the Autumn )
  • Is there a place for more flexible Court arrangements and hours - or would such a proposal cross a red line ?
  • Having endured a challenging time with SDLT , how do conveyancing solicitors need to be supported , is CQS fit for purpose and what changes are needed going forward ?
  • How should the Government tackle the difficulties faced by the family Courts and access to family justice ?
  • Where does the proposed reforer of LPA's and the ongoing changes to Probate Fees and work leave practitioners ?

What are your ideas and policy objectives ?

  • What is required to sustain and grow your firms going forward ?
  • How can we deliver diviersity and inclusion across all of our work ?
  • How do we meet the challenges faced by small firms and not just big business ?
  • What more can we do to protect the rule of law and justice including access to public funding in an era of strict financial pressures ?
  • How do we empower firms to be able to recruit and retain the young solicitors of tomorrow ?
  • What should our regulation of tomorrow look like ?

This is a small snapshot of a myriad of questions that come to mind but any input you have would be welcomed by the Yorkshire Council Members

You may also find these links of interest in your consideration

https://communities.lawsociety.org.uk/law-management-news/financial-benchmarking-survey-2021-report/6001781.article

https://communities.lawsociety.org.uk/law-management-news/quarterly-pulse-survey-report-april-to-june-2021/6001954.article

Email directly [email protected] and I will circulate to my Fellow Council Members