Open all hours?

The so-called “Big Bang” impact on the legal profession that the Legal Services Act 2006 is expected to cause has been labelled in some quarters as bad news for small- and mid-sized firms. While it is fair to say the legal services landscape will change, the outlook need not be bleak. Small high street law firms and mid-sized firms have the power themselves to adapt to new developments and ensure theirs is a thriving business.

There has been talk of the new legal disciplinary practices (LDPs) creating problems for many smaller law firms, but they create just as many opportunities. It should not have taken LDPs and the onset of alternative business structures (ABSs) to make some parts of the profession realise change is needed. The provision of high-quality legal services to individual consumers is not tied to any particular business model and the Act gives an opportunity to explore new ways of meeting clients’ needs