Increasing market transparency for consumers


We want to ensure that consumers are better able to understand and engage with the legal services market. This includes providing them with the necessary information and tools so that they can make effective choices about their legal services provider.

We consider that our work in this area contributes to the regulatory objectives including: protecting and promoting the interests of consumers; and promoting competition in the provision of legal services.

We have recently issued a statement of policy on how regulators can contribute to empowering consumers. This follows a consultation on a draft statement.

We chair the Market Transparency Co-ordination and Oversight Group (MTCOG), which is attended by the regulators. This group is used to co-ordinate regulators’ activities on this agenda and facilitate opportunities for collaboration.


Quality Indicators

The statement of policy was informed by our work on quality indicators. In February 2021, we published a discussion paper on how to improve transparency of quality in the legal services market and in July 2021 we published our response. Alongside the paper, we published new research with our public panel into quality indicators which has informed our work here.


CMA progress review – December 2020

On 17 December 2020, the CMA published the findings of its review of the progress made on improving competition and transparency in the legal services sector since its 2016 market study.

We welcomed the CMA’s latest findings from its progress review. We took account of the CMA’s recommendations in preparing the statement of policy.


Research

When forming our policy, we are informed by our wealth of research, including on the prices of legal services commonly purchased by individual consumers based in England and Wales, on legal capability, and on quality indicators.