Passed Jan 2024 SQE 1 first try (1st Quintile) using these notes. Summarises everything you need to know for the Legal Services aspect of the SQE 1 exam, including the rules and obligations of the SRA and Funding Options for Legal Services.
Carefully curated summary notes, aligned precisely with S...
Legal Services
Table of Contents
The regulatory role of the SRA:.................................................................................................................1
Principles and Risk-Based Regulation....................................................................................................................1
Overriding Legal Obligations..................................................................................................................................2
Funding options for legal services:............................................................................................................5
Private Retainer.....................................................................................................................................................5
Conditional Fee Arrangements..............................................................................................................................5
Damages Based Agreements.................................................................................................................................6
Fixed Fees..............................................................................................................................................................6
Eligibility for Criminal and Civil Legal Aid...............................................................................................................6
Third Party Funding...............................................................................................................................................7
Legal Expenses Insurance (After the Event Insurance – ATE)..................................................................................7
The regulatory role of the SRA:
Principles and Risk-Based Regulation
- The SRA are 1 of 7 regulators operating under the Legal Services Board:
o SRA (regulates solicitors and law firms and non-lawyers who are employees, and registered
foreign and EU lawyers)
o Bar Standards Board
o CLIEX
o Intellectual Property Regulation Board (regulated trademark attorneys)
o Council of Licences Conveyancers (regulates firms and individuals specialising in property and
probate)
o Costs Lawyer Standards Board (regulates lawyers specialising in preparing bills and costs
schedules)
o Master of Faculties (regulates notaries)
Reserved Legal Activities
- Can only be carried out by those authorised by a regulatory body
- Include:
o Rights of audience
o Conduct litigation
o Reserved instrument activities
o Probate activities
o Notarial activities
o Administration of oaths
Professional Indemnity Insurance
- All firms must have adequate and appropriate professional indemnity insurance
- Freeland solicitors do not need authorisation or indemnity insurance unless they carry out reserved
legal activities
- Freelance solicitors carrying out reserved legal activities must have minimum 3 years PQE, cannot hold
client money and must take and maintain adequate and appropriate insurance
, - Solicitors in non-profits, independent trade unions and community interest companies must ensure the
body takes out and maintains adequate and appropriate indemnity insurance
Overriding Legal Obligations
Equality Act 2010
- Protected characteristics:
o Age
o Disability
o Gender reassignment
o Marriage
o Pregnancy and maternity
o Race
o Religion
o Sex
o Sexual orientation
- Direct discrimination cannot generally be justified except in the case of age or disability where it may
be justified if it can be shown as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim
- Indirect discrimination is permitted if the discriminator can show it is a proportionate means of
achieving a legitimate aim
- Firms must make reasonable adjustments for disabled clients and employees so they are not placed at
a substantial disadvantage
Money Laundering
Stages
1. Placement (money is put into the financial system)
2. Layering (lose the audit trail)
3. Integration (provide legitimacy to criminal funds)
- Solicitors will usually be involved in the layering or integration stages
- It is also an offence to conspire or attempt to launder, or to counsel, aid, abet or procure money
laundering
- Maximum penalty is 14 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine
Direct Offences
- Concealment
o Offender must subjectively know or suspect the property is criminal
o Defence: if the person makes an authorised disclosure before the prohibited act occurs, if
disclosed after the act, there must be a good reason, if it is made during the act it will be a
defence if:
They had no relevant knowledge or suspicion when the act began
Disclosure was made as soon as practicable/known
Disclosure was made on the person’s own initiative
o Solicitors need not disclose if legal professional privilege applies, unfounded suspicions will
result in privilege
- Arrangement
o Arrangements which the solicitor knew or suspected facilitated the acquisition, retention, use or
control of criminal property on behalf of another person
o Offence does not affect the ordinary conduct of litigation but sham litigations created to launder
money will constitute an offence
o Defences are the same as for concealment
- Acquisition, Use or Possession
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