Although the prices of legal services continue to rise, consumers can benefit from more legal services being offered remotely and pricing becoming more transparent, as shown by new research from the Legal Services Board (LSB).
The LSB’s survey of the prices of individual legal services in England and Wales looks at commonly-used legal services – namely, conveyancing, divorce, power of attorney, applying for probate, and estate administration. Based on the feedback of more than 1500 providers across England and Wales, the research revealed:
- Prices have generally risen and, related to that, price ranges have increased. This is primarily due to inflation, as well as a shift in the regional composition of firms surveyed (i.e. more London-based firms contacted than in previous waves of this research).
- Price transparency has significantly improved in conveyancing, where it is mandatory. Other legal services are not subject to the same transparency rules.
- Firms that display prices, especially those using fixed fees, tend to offer more predictable and sometimes lower pricing. For example, the mean fixed price for a standard individual will is £150 cheaper than the mean estimate price; for a joint application for a divorce, it’s £386 cheaper; for the purchase of a leasehold property, £435 cheaper.
- Firms have become more likely to offer these services remotely – a likely outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic. This makes it easier for consumers to access legal services outside of their geographical area and therefore the benefit from lower prices in other regions.
Samuel Omolade, Head of Strategy and Research at the LSB, said,
“The latest wave of our research into the prices of legal services reveals mixed results for consumers. The rise in prices is a concern, though the research demonstrates that there are opportunities for consumers to make informed choices – about accessing services remotely, for example, or how to understand pricing. This will help them to choose the service that’s right for them.
“The LSB will continue to push for greater price transparency across the sector, making it easier for people to shop around, find prices and compare services.”
The full results are available here, alongside an interactive dashboard to explore the data.