If you are an organisation working within the legal profession, external recognition to the Law Society’s Lexcel quality mark is a valuable indicator of your commitment to providing a quality customer service.

To be awarded Lexcel, organisations must be assessed against the Law Society’s Practice Management Standards. These have been developed as a management tool to address the particular business needs of in-house legal departments, local authority law offices and solicitors’ practices. The Standard has gained acceptance as a valuable aid to good business practice and improved customer satisfaction.

How can Lexcel benefit my organisation?

Lexcel enables any size or type of practice to undergo independent assessment to demonstrate they are meeting the requirements of the Lexcel Practice Management Standards.

Lexcel offers a number of key advantages for your business including:

• improved client service levels leading to higher client retention
• an effective risk management tool which in turn may help cut the cost of your indemnity insurance premiums
• the opportunity to be assessed to Lexcel alone or jointly with other standards such as the quality management system standard, ISO 9001.

There are numerous additional benefits reported by Lexcel certified organisations that includes:

• increased profitability
• minimising mistakes
• more effective risk management leading to fewer claims
• meeting legislative requirements
• management efficiency
• improved marketability to prospective clients and competitive advantage

Your next step

LRQA provide a range of assessment and certification services to this standard and ISO 9001 if you opt for certification to both. Call our business advisors on 0800 783 2179 or complete the enquiry form on this website. Our advisors will need to know the number of practices and fee earning partners in your organisation.

You will also need to complete an application form which is available directly from the Law Society (tel: 020 7320 5749 or e-mail: lexcel@lawsociety.org.uk) who will check your indemnity/disciplinary records prior to the assessment visit being able to take place. Our assessments are typically two-stage events, however Stage One: document review is optional for all practices opting for Lexcel. Following the visit, our assessor will issue a report to the Law Society with a recommendation. This will be reviewed and when satisfied that the requirements of the Standard have been met will advise the practice and LRQA of the outcome.

For further information on Lexcel visit:

• www.lawsociety.org.uk The Law Society
  

A member of the Lloyd's Register Group ©LRQA 2010 Page last modified on 13 December 2007