SRA Standards and Regulations

Police Station Representative Accreditation Scheme assessment providers

Only an organisation approved by the SRA may provide assessments for the Police Station Representative Accreditation Scheme. An organisation may apply to the SRA in such manner as may be prescribed to be approved to provide such assessments. The SRA may, in relation to an application for approval: grant the application, subject to such conditions as it considers appropriate; or refuse the...

Operation of a client's own account

If, in the course of practice, you operate a client's own account as signatory, Part 2 of these rules does not apply save for: rule 8.2 - statements from banks, building societies and other financial institutions; rule 8.3 - reconciliations; rule 8.4 - bills and notifications of costs.

Third party managed accounts

You may enter into arrangements with a client to use a third party managed account for the purpose of receiving payments from or on behalf of, or making payments to or on behalf of, the client in respect of regulated services delivered by you to the client, only if: use of the account does not result in you receiving or holding the client's money; and you take reasonable steps to ensure,...

Residual balances

The SRA may use any funds which remain in a statutory trust account following the distribution to beneficiaries under rule 7 to reimburse any costs, charges, or other expenses, which it has incurred in establishing the beneficial entitlements to the statutory trust monies and in distributing the monies accordingly. If funds remain in a statutory trust account after payment to beneficiaries and...

Loss of eligibility

If the last remaining legally qualified manager of an authorised body whose role ensures the body's compliance with the eligibility requirements for its authorisation under rule 1: is sentenced to imprisonment; becomes unable to carry on their role because of incapacity; abandons the business; is made subject to a restriction, condition or other regulatory decision by the SRA or another...

Annex 2: Professional services

The professional services referred to in rule 6.1(b) are: Alternative dispute resolution. Financial services. Estate agency. Management consultancy. Company secretarial services. Other professional and specialist business support services including human resources, recruitment, systems support, outsourcing, transcription and translating. Acting as a parliamentary agent. Practising as a lawyer...

Management, control, and supervision

Subject to rules 9.2 and 9.3, an authorised body must ensure that the SRA has approved any manager or owner of the authorised body under Part 4. A sole principal whose practice has been authorised as a recognised sole practice is not required to be approved separately as a manager of that practice. If the SRA is satisfied that a manager of an authorised body is not involved in any of the...

Temporary emergency authorisation or approval

An application for temporary emergency authorisation may be made: within seven days of any change in the management or control of an authorised body which brings into being a new unauthorised body or practice; within 28 days of the death or incapacity of a sole practitioner by a solicitor or an REL who is: the sole practitioner's executor, personal representative, attorney under a lasting...

Service and competence

You only act for clients on instructions from the client, or from someone properly authorised to provide instructions on their behalf. If you have reason to suspect that the instructions do not represent your client's wishes, you do not act unless you have satisfied yourself that they do. However, in circumstances where you have legal authority to act notwithstanding that it is not possible to...

Confidentiality and disclosure

You keep the affairs of current and former clients confidential unless disclosure is required or permitted by law or the client consents. Where you are acting for a client on a matter, you make the client aware of all information material to the matter of which you have knowledge, except when: the disclosure of the information is prohibited by legal restrictions imposed in the interests of...