Referral fees

Des Hudson, the chief executive of the Law Society, has welcomed the news that the Legal Services Board’s consumer panel has indicated it will look at referral fees as a priority ‘because it has been a matter of controversy for some time and was central to consumer interests. It raises questions of transparency and choice and choice is important to make the market work. It is an example of something where debate has gone on between professionals without asking consumers what they think.’ This follows the surprise decision of the Law Society’s Council that the Society should argue that referral fees do not have a place in markets for legal services and that payment of referral fees by all providers of legal services should be banned.