Why the SRA Is Auditing Law Firm Websites in 2025 – And Common Regulatory Breaches

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) continues its pursuit of firms that breach the Transparency Rules, which came into force in 2018–2019, aimed to enhance openness in the legal sector by requiring firms to disclose specific fee and service information. Firms were also required to provide a signed declaration of compliance in 2020.

However, ongoing compliance failures by firms to follow these rules accurately have triggered a renewed wave of remote audits throughout 2025. Importantly, the SRA does not have to alert you as to when it will be looking at your website. If the SRA finds that your website does not meet the requirements, including providing accurate and up-to-date information within your complaint procedure, your firm will receive a letter notifying you of the breach.

These letters contain a warning of a fine of £750, which will be reported on the SRA website and could, in turn, be published on The Law Society Gazette.

Firms are typically given 30 days to address any issues, but if these warnings are ignored or if the website continues to breach the transparency rules, penalties can escalate up to £1500.00. Firms that persist in breaching the rules after being warned by the SRA could be referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

The SRA provides several easy-to-access guidance notes on the transparency requirements and has issued several warning notices regarding the ongoing issues it has encountered.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes Law Firms Are Making?

As the SRA continues its commitment to scrutiny and improvement, firms are urged to address compliance gaps to avoid penalties. We have recently seen a steady influx of firms contacted by the SRA with warnings on areas lacking full compliance with fee transparency and complaints procedures. Do not allow your firm to be one of those caught out! Below, we list some of the most common things firms miss that are likely to cause an update requirement from the SRA.

1. Failing to confirm the current VAT rate (20%) or showing what the value will be.
2. Incomplete fee information, such as capping pricing ranges up to a certain property value, but not providing information on fees above this. Not displaying a more comprehensive range of typical costs and only up to a certain value is not compliant with the rules.
3. Failing to list all disbursements, with the most common of these being for costs related to third party experts such as barristers, expert witnesses, and interpreters.
4. Failing to confirm what is included in standard fees, i.e. the work you do and the stages of a case.
5. Failing to provide typical timescales for an average case.
6. Not confirming the fee earners or team who may work on certain matter types by name, experience, and supervisor.
7. Failing to put a figure for fees and disbursements net and gross of VAT i.e. £20 + VAT (£24 inc. VAT).
8. Incorrect Legal Ombudsman details in the complaint procedure. Typically, out-of-date address details and missing the correct limitation period information.
9. Launching a new service and not remembering to add the transparency information
10. Firms that offer CFA/DBA but fail to confirm when the clients may need to make payments, including for case assessments, or the likely timescales of reviewing the viability of a case before accepting it.

What Are the Areas That Require Fee Transparency Information?

• Conveyancing (residential) (be sure to include sale, purchase, and re-mortgage – on both leasehold and freehold if different)
• Probate (uncontested)
• Motoring offences (summary offences)
• Immigration (excluding asylum)
• Employment tribunals (unfair/wrongful dismissal)
• Debt recovery (up to £100,000)
• Licensing applications (business premises)

Getting this right is essential. Not having the price information on your website (and other requirements) indicates a firm’s ability to comply. An enquiry about this may lead to a broader compliance audit and more questions from the SRA.

Is Your Website Compliant?

At FireTap Legal, we offer a comprehensive solution to ensure your law firm complies with the SRA’s Transparency Rules. Our SRA Transparency Audit and Compliance Service ensures your website meets all regulatory standards, allowing you to focus on delivering excellent legal services without the burden of compliance concerns.

Click here to request a website transparency review and audit report.

Check my Website Transparency

How much does a Transparency Review Cost?

Our initial top-level review is completely free!

We will provide you with an overview of our findings and advise if you have gaps in your transparency in line with the most up-to-date SRA guidance.

If you require us to rewrite, upload or amend any of your transparency documents for you, we will advise you on our costings within our initial review, dependent on the amount of work you require.

For more information, or to speak to one of the team, call 020 3911 9715 or email hello@firetap.co.uk.