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A one-stop shop for SMEs launched this week has set itself the goal of changing both the way legal and financial services are delivered and the way professionals work. By employing a “doubly disruptive philosophy”, it might be possible to break free not only of traditional business models but of traditional labels such as lawyer or accountant, the firm says.

A family-run firm of funeral directors with 36 branches has become the first of its kind to set up an alternative business structure. Lodge Brothers Legal Services, launched last week, offers fixed-fee services for clients wanting wills, probate and powers of attorney.

There is a “climate of renewed vulnerability” among smaller law firms, with the vast majority of lawyers believing there are “still rough times ahead”, a report has found. The report also revealed a huge gulf between lawyer and client perceptions of value.

Law firms should be required by their regulators to publish details of complaints and average prices on their websites, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said. The panel also called for the publication of firms’ litigation outcomes and success rates.

There are positive signs about improving consumer satisfaction with how they find, compare and then use law firms, major research by the Legal Services Consumer Panel has revealed. However, the panel said more vulnerable consumers “are potentially being left behind as those more empowered are able to take advantage of market changes”.