The ability to sell consumer legal services in both England and Wales is to be extended following the passing of the Legal Services Act into law. The new act means that, for the first time, supermarkets and banks will be able to offer consumer advice due to the new legislation and relaxing of previous laws.

Proponents of the change in the legal system argue that it will essentially open up new markets for law firms and allow them to expand into other areas of legal expertise – this has been tightly regulated beforehand. Furthermore, many believe that it will allow a greater freedom of choice for the consumer and, as such, the quality of legal services and advice should rise accordingly.
Solicitors are not able to contribute in this new legal change until it is reviewed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and barristers could be in for a brighter future as the new legislation means that they could effectively form partnerships themselves as, at the moment, they are currently classified as self-employed. A similar system is in place in Scotland where the Legal Services Bill was passed last year.

However the new change to the legal code has its fair share of critics. The legislation was first announced back in 2009 and has been under sustained attack from some quarters since; many argue that it could spell the end of localised law firms as the big supermarkets and banks will ruin the competition however the likes of Tesco have admitted that they are not currently seeking to enter into the legal business just yet.