Society announces move to modern offices

The Law Society of Scotland is to move to more modern office premises in central Edinburgh later this year, it was announced today.

Final conclusion of the deal has still to be reached but the Society hopes this will take place in time for members to be informed at the annual general meeting to take place on 28 May.

President Alistair Morris and chief executive Lorna Jack said the existing offices at Drumsheugh Gardens had become increasingly unfit for purpose and expensive to maintain, and that moving was essential in order to ensure the organisation remained relevant and effective.

In a joint statement, they said: "We have been reviewing our long term office location over the last year. Following that review, it is clear that moving to a new office represents the best decision. We looked carefully at reconfiguring our current premises, but planning restrictions and the cost of work severely restricted our options. We also considered out-of-town locations, but we concluded that a central Edinburgh location offers the best overall deal.

“We are now in advanced and still commercially sensitive discussions, both in regards to new premises and the sale of our current offices. We expect these negotiations to be complete in time for us to provide a full report to the Annual General Meeting on 28 May 2015.”

The Society has pledged that the office move can be completed without the need for any direct increase in the practising certificate fee.

All email addresses and telephone numbers will remain the same and the Society anticipates no disruption to its services as a result of the move.

Further announcements will be made on the Society's website at www.lawscot.org.uk/officemove.