Ministers also intend to make it easier for businesses such as estate agents and supermarkets to offer legal services such as litigation, conveyancing and probate. However, the Law Society warned that the setting of standards and rules for legal services must be independent of government, saying that any perception that this independence is under threat will damage the reputation of England and Wales as a 'jurisdiction of choice'. 

Reforming the act

The proposals would effectively reform parts of the Legal Services Act, which paved the way for alternative business structures - so-called 'Tesco law' - and created the current regulatory arrangements. The government plans to consult by spring 2016, pre-empting justice secretary Michael Gove's plans for a review before 2020. Source: The Law Society Gazette