Poll shows lackluster for LASPO
Only one in five law firms thought their business would benefit from the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO), according to a poll.
LASPO implements Lord Justice Jackson’s reforms to civil litigation, as well as introducing restrictions on legal aid.
Some firms anticipated improvements in cost control (seven per cent) and efficiency (four per cent), and potential reductions in overheads (two per cent), while others welcomed the ban on referral fees (three per cent) and greater transparency (three per cent). A few practices thought there may be some potential to pick up extra business that other firms will no longer handle.
However, two-thirds saw no benefits at all, and one in 10 did not know what the outcome would be, according to the Civil Litigation Costs Review Survey, commissioned by LexisNexis. The 102 survey respondents were selected from purchasers of Cook on Costs, and ranged from sole practitioners to firms with more than 21 partners. Only a few firms expressed concern that they would have to shed staff, or that LASPO would increase their administrative burdens.
Some medium and large practices expressed concern that the Act will help to drive civil litigation overseas. Fewer than half of law practices were actively preparing for the Act, with only five per cent saying they were fully prepared.
Nearly one in 10 firms has changed its business structure, and a quarter of firms have plans to do this. As far as recruitment was concerned, firms indicated there would be more hires than redundancies.
However, the vast majority of lawyers polled believe LASPO will reduce access to justice for the most vulnerable members of society.
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