SRA transparency rules for law firm websites
The SRA Transparency Rules set out what every regulated firm has to publish on its website. Missing items are a common finding in SRA sweeps, and the fixes are mostly a morning's work.
Quick answer
SRA-regulated firms must display, on their website, their SRA number, the SRA digital badge, complaints information including how to complain to the Legal Ombudsman, prices and what those prices include for the services covered by the rules, and the qualifications and experience of the people doing the work. Failure to comply may result in a penalty from the SRA.
Step-by-step
- 1
Publish your SRA number
Your firm's SRA number must appear on the website. Convention is the footer, so it is on every page, alongside the firm's registered name and office address. If the trading name differs from the registered name, show both, because a client checking the register needs to be able to match them.
- 2
Display the SRA digital badge
The clickable logo, called the digital badge in the rules, became a mandatory requirement on 25 November 2019. It is served by the SRA so that only regulated firms can display it, and it links visitors to information about the protections regulation provides. It cannot be replaced by a static image of the logo.
- 3
Publish complaints information
The site must explain how a client complains, what happens next, and their right to take the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, including the Ombudsman's contact details and time limits. Include the right to complain to the SRA about behaviour that breaches its principles. A single Complaints page linked from the footer is the usual pattern.
- 4
Publish prices for the services the rules cover
Price transparency applies to specified services, which for most firms means residential conveyancing, probate, motoring offences, employment tribunal claims, immigration, and debt recovery, and differs between individuals and businesses. State the total cost or the basis of the charge, whether VAT is included, and what disbursements apply.
- 5
Say what the price does and does not include
A number alone is not compliance. Set out the service the price covers, the key stages, and the likely timescales, plus what would make it cost more. This is the item firms most often get partially wrong: prices published, but with no scope, so a client cannot tell what they are buying.
- 6
Name who does the work and their qualifications
The rules require information about the experience and qualifications of the people carrying out the work and of anyone supervising them. Solo practitioners often skip this because it feels redundant, but the requirement applies regardless of firm size.
- 7
Review it when anything changes
Prices change, staff leave, and the Ombudsman's details get updated. Put a recurring reminder against the pages so the published figures still match what you actually charge. Out-of-date published prices are worse than none, because they are a representation a client relied on.
Tips & best practices
- Keep the SRA number, badge, and complaints link in the site footer so they appear on every page rather than one.
- Publish price ranges with the assumptions stated if fixed fees do not fit your work. The rules allow a basis of charging.
- Say clearly whether figures include VAT. Ambiguity here is the single most common complaint about published legal pricing.
- If you do not offer any of the specified services, the pricing rules do not bite, but the badge, SRA number, and complaints requirements still do.
Common questions
What happens if my website is not compliant?
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Failure to comply with the transparency rules may result in a penalty from the SRA. The regulator has run periodic sweeps of firm websites and published findings on compliance levels, so this is enforced by inspection rather than only on complaint.
Do these rules apply to a sole practitioner?
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Yes. The transparency rules apply to SRA-regulated firms regardless of size, so a sole practitioner with a one-page website still needs the SRA number, the digital badge, complaints information, and, if they offer any of the specified services, the price information.
Do I need prices if I only do commercial work?
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The pricing requirement is tied to specified services and differs for individuals and businesses, so a firm doing only work outside that list has no prices to publish under the rules. The badge, SRA number, and complaints requirements are not conditional on the type of work.