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Articles / Regulation

SRA Transparency Rules: a website checklist for small firms

Price pages, a complaints procedure, the SRA digital badge and your regulatory details: what each one is, where it usually sits on a small firm's site, and the gaps the SRA keeps finding.

By Hassaan Mallick · 6 min read · 12 October 2026

Este artículo está disponible solo en inglés.

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The SRA Transparency Rules set much of what a solicitor firm's website has to show: prices and service details for certain work, how a client can complain, the SRA's digital badge and your SRA number. None of it is hard to publish. The trouble is that it goes stale when fees change, staff leave or the site is rebuilt. This checklist shows each requirement, where it usually sits on a small firm's site, and the gaps the SRA keeps finding.

This is a summary, not legal advice. The rules quoted are the version in force from 11 April 2025, so check the current SRA rules and guidance before you rely on any of it.

1. SRA price transparency: which services need price information

Rule 1 applies when a firm "publishes as part of its usual business" that it offers one of nine listed services. If your website says you do the work, it needs price information.

Which services need published price informationNine tiles light up in turn. For individuals: residential conveyancing, uncontested probate, immigration applications, immigration appeals at the First-tier Tribunal, summary road traffic offences, and Employment Tribunal claims for employees. For businesses: defending Employment Tribunal claims, debt recovery up to one hundred thousand pounds, and licensing applications for business premises.FOR INDIVIDUALSFOR BUSINESSESResidential conveyancingsales, purchases, mortgagesUncontested probateUK assets, not contestedImmigration applicationsexcluding asylumImmigration appealsFirst-tier Tribunal, not asylumRoad traffic offencessummary only, magistrates' courtEmployment Tribunalunfair dismissal, for employeesEmployment Tribunaldefending, for employersDebt recoveryup to one hundred thousand poundsLicensing applicationsfor business premisesApplies where the firm publishes that it offers the service. Publicly funded work is excluded.Which services need published price informationNine tiles light up in turn. For individuals: residential conveyancing, uncontested probate, immigration applications, immigration appeals at the First-tier Tribunal, summary road traffic offences, and Employment Tribunal claims for employees. For businesses: defending Employment Tribunal claims, debt recovery up to one hundred thousand pounds, and licensing applications for business premises.FOR INDIVIDUALSResidential conveyancingsales, purchases, mortgagesUncontested probateUK assets, not contestedImmigration applicationsexcluding asylumImmigration appealsFirst-tier Tribunal, not asylumRoad traffic offencessummary only, magistrates' courtEmployment Tribunalunfair dismissal, for employeesFOR BUSINESSESEmployment Tribunaldefending, for employersDebt recoveryup to one hundred thousand poundsLicensing applicationsfor business premisesApplies where the firm publishes that itoffers the service. Publicly funded workis excluded.
The nine services in rule 1. Price information is needed for each one the firm publishes that it offers.

The SRA's case studies say a one-off piece of work for an existing client that you do not advertise does not trigger the rule. Two items are easy to miss: immigration appeals at the First-tier Tribunal, which an older immigration price page may not cover, and the business services, which catch consumer practices whose sites mention debt recovery or premises licences.

2. What each price page has to show

Rule 1.5 lists seven things for each service. Rule 1.6 says the information must be "clear and accessible and in a prominent place" on your website.

Anatomy of a price pageA schematic conveyancing fees page. Seven parts are highlighted in turn: the total cost or a range, the basis of charges, disbursements, VAT, what is and is not included, key stages and timescales, and who does and supervises the work.yourfirm.co.uk/conveyancing-feesRESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCINGFees for buying a homeLegal fee (fixed fee)[amount]Disbursements: searches, Land Registry[amount]VAT on fees and disbursements[amount]Estimated total[amount]WHAT'S INCLUDEDIncluded: [the work covered]Not included: [anything extra]KEY STAGES AND TIMESCALESStage 1[x] weeksStage 2[x] weeksStage 3[x] weeksStage 4[x] weeksWHO DOES THE WORK[Name], solicitor, [x] years qualifiedSupervised by [Name], partner1234567WHAT RULE 1.5 ASKS FOR1Total cost, or an average or range2Basis of charges (fixed fee, hourly)3Disbursements, described and costed4Whether VAT applies, and the amount5What is included, and what is not6Key stages and likely timescales7Who does the work, and supervises itAnatomy of a price pageA schematic conveyancing fees page. Seven parts are highlighted in turn: the total cost or a range, the basis of charges, disbursements, VAT, what is and is not included, key stages and timescales, and who does and supervises the work.yourfirm.co.uk/conveyancing-feesRESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCINGFees for buying a homeLegal fee (fixed fee)[amount]Disbursements: searches, Land Registry[amount]VAT on fees and disbursements[amount]Estimated total[amount]WHAT'S INCLUDEDIncluded: [the work covered]Not included: [anything extra]KEY STAGES AND TIMESCALESStage 1[x] weeksStage 2[x] weeksStage 3[x] weeksStage 4[x] weeksWHO DOES THE WORK[Name], solicitor, [x] years qualifiedSupervised by [Name], partner1234567WHAT RULE 1.5 ASKS FOR1Total cost, or an average or range2Basis of charges (fixed fee, hourly)3Disbursements, described and costed4Whether VAT applies, and the amount5What is included, and what is not6Key stages and likely timescales7Who does the work, and supervises it
A schematic conveyancing price page showing the seven items in rule 1.5. Bracketed text is placeholder.

The SRA's guidance fills in the detail:

  • You can publish the typical cost rather than a mathematical average. If you give a range, explain what decides where a client lands in it.
  • Experience and qualifications can be a team description on a separate page.
  • Explain words like "disbursement" in plain English. A firm that is not VAT-registered should say so.
  • If you use conditional fee or damages-based agreements, say when a client might have to pay you, including from damages.
  • A conveyancing quote calculator is acceptable if it gives a quote without the visitor having to make further contact. A form that promises to email a quote later is not the same thing.

The SRA runs an example website for a fictional firm, Legal & Co, with model conveyancing and probate pages. The usual layout is one price page per listed service, linked near the top of that service's page. A single PDF in a downloads area is harder for a client to find and harder for you to keep current.

Common gaps: the SRA's 2019 web sweep found missing VAT amounts, missing key stages or timescales, and disbursements missing or listed without costs. Also check for prices that no longer match what you charge and team details naming people who have left. The guidance ties price information to the Code of Conduct rule that publicity must be accurate and not misleading.

3. Complaints procedure and Legal Ombudsman details

Rule 2.1 applies to every authorised firm, whatever work it does. Your website must set out your complaints procedure, including how and when a client can complain to the Legal Ombudsman and to the SRA.

Legal Ombudsman time limitsA timeline draws itself. A complaint is made to the firm. The firm has up to eight weeks to respond. From the firm's final response, the client has six months to take the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, which is free. Separately, the complaint must be within one year of the problem, or of finding out about it.Complaint madeto the firmup to eight weeksfor the firm to respondFinal responseor eight weeks passsix months from the final responseto take it to the Legal OmbudsmanLegal Ombudsmanfree for the clientOuter limit: within one year of the problem, or of finding out about itOutside these limits the Ombudsman may not investigate. Not to scale.Legal Ombudsman time limitsA timeline draws itself. A complaint is made to the firm. The firm has up to eight weeks to respond. From the firm's final response, the client has six months to take the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, which is free. Separately, the complaint must be within one year of the problem, or of finding out about it.Complaint made to the firmup to eight weeksfor the firm to respondFinal responseor eight weeks passsix months from the finalresponse to take it tothe Legal OmbudsmanLegal Ombudsmanfree for the clientOuter limit: within one year of theproblem, or of finding out about itOutside these limits the Ombudsman maynot investigate. Not to scale.
Legal Ombudsman time limits in force since 1 April 2023, from its own guidance.

The SRA publishes suggested wording that firms may adapt. It runs in order: raise the concern with the person handling the matter, then the firm's procedure; if still unhappy, the Legal Ombudsman, with the time limits and a link; and the SRA for worries about the firm's behaviour, such as dishonesty or how money has been handled.

Common gaps: pages written before 1 April 2023 that still quote the old, longer time limits, and Ombudsman contact details typed in once and never checked again. Linking to the Ombudsman's own contact page avoids the second.

Most firms give the procedure its own page, linked from every footer. The SRA has consulted on making complaints information more prominent, and in 2026 on complaint timelines and progress updates. These are proposals until the Legal Services Board approves them, so check where they have got to. The Code of Conduct also requires complaints information in writing at the start of a matter, so your client care letter and your website should say the same thing.

4. The SRA digital badge and your regulatory details

Rule 4.1 says a firm must show its SRA number and the SRA's digital badge "in a prominent place" on its website. The badge, which the SRA now calls its clickable logo, has been mandatory since 25 November 2019. A visitor who clicks it reaches an SRA-hosted page confirming, by name, that the firm is regulated.

How the SRA digital badge worksA schematic website footer with the regulated wording and SRA number. The live badge appears, a cursor clicks it, and an SRA-hosted page opens confirming by name that the firm is regulated. Three notes follow: it is code, not an image; the domain must be in mySRA first; and it is for websites only. Schematic, not the real logo.[Firm name] is authorised and regulated by theSolicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number [number].ComplaintsPricesPrivacySRARegulated bythe SRA[live date]SRA-HOSTED PAGE[Firm name]Regulated by the SRAConfirms, by name, that thefirm is regulatedCode, not an imageDomain in mySRA firstWebsite onlyHow the SRA digital badge worksA schematic website footer with the regulated wording and SRA number. The live badge appears, a cursor clicks it, and an SRA-hosted page opens confirming by name that the firm is regulated. Three notes follow: it is code, not an image; the domain must be in mySRA first; and it is for websites only. Schematic, not the real logo.[Firm name] is authorised and regulatedby the Solicitors Regulation Authority,SRA number [number].ComplaintsPricesSRARegulated bythe SRA[live date]SRA-HOSTED PAGE[Firm name]Regulated by the SRAConfirms, by name, that thefirm is regulatedCode, not an imageDomain in mySRA firstWebsite only
Clicking the live badge opens an SRA-hosted page about the firm. Schematic, not the real logo.
  • It is code, not an image. It comes from Yoshki, the SRA's technology partner, at yoshki.com/sra, as a short snippet for your site. A screenshot does not work: the live badge checks the site and shows a current date.
  • Your domain must be in mySRA. The badge only displays on sites recorded against your firm. Allow up to five working days after adding a new domain.
  • Website only. The SRA says it cannot be used on printed material or emails.
  • Free, and not a replacement. It comes in three colour variations and in English and Welsh, and the regulated wording is still required.

Rule 4.2 says letterhead and emails must show your SRA number and the words "authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority". Most firms repeat that in the website footer: "[Firm name] is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number [number]." If your firm is a company, the 2015 trading disclosures regulations also require its website to show where it is registered, its registered number and its registered office address.

Common gaps: a new site or domain launched before the domain was added to mySRA, so the badge is blank on launch day; an SRA number that does not match the register; and email signatures set up without the regulated wording.

5. Where everything goes on your site

For a small firm, nearly everything lives in two places: the footer of every page and the page for each listed service. The complaints page and the team page carry the rest.

Where each item goes on a small firm's websiteThree page wireframes: home, a service page and the complaints page. In turn, the SRA badge, the SRA number with the regulated wording, and complaints and price links drop into every footer; a price page link drops near the top of the service page; and the Legal Ombudsman time limits and link drop into the complaints page.HOME PAGESRAbadgeSRA no. [number]Authorised and regulatedby the SRAComplaintsPricesSERVICE PAGEConveyancingSee our feesSRAbadgeSRA no. [number]Authorised and regulatedby the SRAComplaintsPricesCOMPLAINTS PAGEComplaintsLegal Ombudsman:time limits and linkSRAbadgeSRA no. [number]Authorised and regulatedby the SRAComplaintsPrices1SRA digital badge: every page footer2SRA number and regulated wording: footer3Complaints and price links: footer4Price page link: top of each service page5Ombudsman time limits and link: complaints pageWhere each item goes on a small firm's websiteThree page wireframes: home, a service page and the complaints page. In turn, the SRA badge, the SRA number with the regulated wording, and complaints and price links drop into every footer; a price page link drops near the top of the service page; and the Legal Ombudsman time limits and link drop into the complaints page.HOME PAGESRAbadgeSRA no. [number]Authorised and regulatedby the SRAComplaintsPricesSERVICE PAGEConveyancingSee our feesSRAbadgeSRA no. [number]Authorised and regulatedby the SRAComplaintsPricesCOMPLAINTS PAGEComplaintsLegal Ombudsman:time limits and linkSRAbadgeSRA no. [number]Authorised and regulatedby the SRAComplaintsPrices1SRA digital badge: every page footer2SRA number and regulated wording: footer3Complaints and price links: footer4Price page link: top of each service page5Ombudsman time limits and link: complaints page
Where each item usually sits. The footer items repeat on every page of the site.

Check it on a phone too. Footers are often squeezed on small screens, so make sure the badge, the SRA number and the links still show.

Self-check: nine questions for your website

Work through these with your site open on a phone. Every "no" or "not sure" is worth checking against the current rules.

  • Does every rule 1 service we mention, including debt recovery, licensing and immigration appeals, have price information?
  • Can a visitor reach it from that service's page without hunting?
  • Does each price page show a total, average or range, our basis of charges, disbursements and VAT?
  • Does it set out key stages, timescales, what is not included and who does the work?
  • Do the prices and team details match what we charge and who works here today?
  • Is our complaints procedure linked from every page, with the current Legal Ombudsman time limits?
  • Does the live SRA badge show on every page, on mobile as well as desktop?
  • Is every domain we use recorded in mySRA?
  • Do the footer, letterhead and every email signature show our SRA number and the regulated wording?

If your site needs more than a few fixes, it is often easier to rebuild it around these items than to patch them in. Our solicitor website design page shows how we lay them out, and the website redesign page covers moving an existing site without losing its address or search listings. Once the regulatory basics are in place, SEO for solicitors covers how clients find the pages in the first place.

Sources

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Questions

Common questions.

Does every solicitor firm have to publish its prices?

No. Price and service information is required for the services listed in rule 1 of the SRA Transparency Rules, such as residential conveyancing, uncontested probate and immigration applications, and only where the firm publishes that it offers them. Every authorised firm with a website must still publish its complaints procedure, its SRA number and the SRA digital badge.

Where do we get the SRA digital badge?

From Yoshki, the SRA's technology partner, at yoshki.com/sra. Your website address has to be recorded in mySRA first. The badge is a piece of code rather than an image, and the SRA says it is free for regulated firms.

Can we put the SRA badge in our emails or on social media?

The SRA says the logo can only be used on your website, where its checking technology works. Letterhead and emails instead have to show your SRA number and the words 'authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority'.

What if our firm does not have a website?

Rule 3 of the Transparency Rules says a firm without a website must make its price and complaints information available on request. The digital badge rule applies to websites.

Does the complaints procedure need its own page?

The rules require the procedure to be published on your website but do not say where. Many firms give it its own page and link it from every page footer. The SRA has consulted on making complaints information more prominent, so check the current rules.

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