News In Brief
The profession ethics helpline that offers guidance to solicitors is being extended to run from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. The service, which handles about 4,000 calls a month, previously ran from 11am until 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. It is being expanded by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in response to demand from solicitors. The most common queries to the helpline are about conflicts of interest and confidentiality and disclosure matters. Other topics in the top five are accounts rules, referral arrangements and retainer and relationship with client issues.