All Legislation
Evidence & Procedure
c. 29
England & Wales
Legal Services Act 2007
View on legislation.gov.ukThis page mainly applies to England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland may have different rules — check the jurisdiction before relying on this information.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Summary
The Legal Services Act 2007 reformed regulation of legal services in England and Wales. It created the Legal Services Board as oversight regulator, allowed Alternative Business Structures (ABS) enabling non-lawyers to own law firms, and defined reserved legal activities.
Key Points
- Legal Services Board (LSB) established as oversight regulator
- Regulatory objectives including protecting consumers and promoting competition
- Reserved legal activities: exercise of rights of audience, conduct of litigation, reserved instrument activities, probate, notarial, and oath administration
- Alternative Business Structures (ABS) — non-lawyers can own and invest in law firms
- Office for Legal Complaints — established the Legal Ombudsman
- Approved regulators — SRA, BSB, CILEx Regulation, etc. regulated by LSB