Practice development for solicitors

The SIFA Professional practice development initiative for solicitors was launched with a series of 8 regional roadshows in England and Scotland concluding in September 2009. These are now being followed by individual workshops arranged by financial adviser firms listed in the SIFA Directory for the law firms with which they work. These are free of charge and are valid for Law Society CPD. They focus on the following topics:

1. The Legal Services Act and the forms of relationship and business structures through which solicitors can interact with fee-based financial advisers. These issues are usually presented by SIFA’s Legal affairs Director, Stuart Bushell, who was previously Chair of the Law Society’s Board of Transition.

2. The ways in which solicitors can enhance their client offerings by providing access to financial advice on topics which impact their legal work, such as trust investment, pensions and divorce, Court of Protection work, Personal Injury Trusts and advice to older clients.

3. How solicitors can improve the profitability of their businesses by pursuing the quality systems advocated by the Financial Services Authority, including improved client factfinding, database management, client segmentation, value-based remuneration structures, analysis of management information and client communications. Ian Cockerill, SIFA’s Compliance Director, who was previously head of financial services compliance at the Law Society, is available to present and is an Accredited Lexcel Consultant.

To arrange an event for your own firm contact your local SIFA Directory financial adviser or click here to contact SIFA.

The 2010 SIFA Conference will be held at Wokefield Park, Reading, on 13 and 14 May 2010.