Solicitors to vote on PC freeze at AGM

The Law Society of Scotland’s governing Council is proposing to freeze solicitors’ practising certificate fee for the eighth consecutive year.

Solicitors will vote on maintaining the current practising certificate fee of £550 at the Law Society’s AGM on Thursday, 25 May 2017.

Lorna Jack, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “We are aware of the costs involved in practising as a solicitor and are determined to work to keep the cost of the practising certificate at its current level. The Society's Council has agreed that the practising certificate fee should be frozen again this year, with members able to vote on that decision at the AGM later this month.

“Although it is very encouraging to see some firms experiencing growth, and in recent years we have seen the number of practising solicitors gradually rise by about two percent annually, uncertainties around the economy remain and we recognise that there are firms, particularly those who carry out legal aid work, that are still facing challenging times. The organisations in which our in-house members work face some of the same economic challenges. This coupled with rising costs elsewhere, including the mandatory SLCC levy increase of 12.5%, has put further pressure on hard-working solicitors. That’s why the Law Society Council, made up of both solicitors and non-solicitors, agreed unanimously to freeze the practising certificate fee once again. This will go some way to helping our members who themselves have to manage tight budgets.

“Just as solicitors need to adapt to a changing economic environment, we too need to continue our drive to increase efficiency, to innovate and be enterprising in our approach to make sure we can add value, without imposing any unnecessary additional costs on our members.

“We are working hard to achieve our ambitions as a professional body, which include improving the regulatory aspects of our work as well as providing high quality services and products which our members can use in their work every day. Our strategy is to boost revenue through new and improved services, partnerships or suitable investment – such as our successful conference suite at our new offices at Atria One – to ensure that we have a sustainable funding model that relies less on membership fees.”

The practising certificate fee, which is compulsory for all practising solicitors, is set by the Law Society Council and voted on by members each year at the Society’s annual general meeting. There are currently 11,500 practising Scottish solicitors.

The Law Society AGM will be held at its Edinburgh offices on Thursday, 25 May 2017.