The Law Society of England and Wales has warned that the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) approach to competition with regards to the regulation of will writing and estate administration activities may lead to an undesirable reduction in the consumer protection available.
Responding to the LSB’s latest consultation on will writing, probate and estate administration activities in England and Wales, the Society welcomed the LSB’s agreement with its campaigning priority – that will writers should be regulated – but was concerned that its preferred approach might still lead to problems for consumers and may risk a diminution of standards.
The Society is urging the LSB to ensure that universal minimum protections apply to all those who undertake reserved activities to ensure that consumers are fully protected. It believes that the protections offered by solicitors achieve this and that a two tier system would be confusing to consumers.
