What is a Legal Disciplinary Practice?

A Legal Disciplinary Practice (LDP) was a type of structure introduced on 31 March 2009 which allowed other ‘authorised persons’ (e.g. Chartered Legal Executives, Licensed Conveyancers and Barristers) and also non-lawyers, to become managers of a firm. They were a type of Alternative Business Structure (ABS) introduced by the Legal Services Act 2007, prior to the full ABS regulatory regime, which was introduced in October 2011.

LDPs were regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). The composition, restrictions and services provided by an LDP were dependent on which of these organisations regulated the LDP. LDPs regulated by the SRA required at least one solicitor, and up to 25% managers could be non-lawyers provided the remaining 75% of managers were regulated lawyers. LDPs regulated by the CLC were referred to as Recognised Bodies. In a CLC Recognised Body the only restriction was that at least one of the managers had to be a licensed conveyancer.

LDPs will all transfer to become ABS and can no longer be created.

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