Conflicts of Interest for Law Firms

• 30 Minutes
• For all staff
• UK

Conflicts arise where a solicitor's duties to one client clash with duties owed to another, or where personal interests interfere with professional judgement. This 30-minute course helps staff recognise the different types of conflict, understand the SRA's rules on managing them, identify the situations where they typically arise in practice, and know what the rules require once a conflict is identified.

Conflicts in legal practice can be fatal to a retainer and are a common source of SRA enforcement. They are often spotted late, after work has begun and disengaging is costly. Training fee earners and support staff to check earlier protects the client relationship, the firm's professional indemnity position and the individual's own regulatory record.

What you’ll learn in
this course

• Understand the meaning and importance of the Solicitors Regulation Authority's rules on conflicts of interest
• Identify situations where conflicts of interest may arise in legal practice
• Apply the rules and exceptions to manage conflicts appropriately to ensure you meet your duty to clients and safeguard the firm's interests
• Recognise and avoid conduct that could lead to a conflict of interest, ensuring you act in clients' best interests and protect your professional reputation

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