Confidentiality
The duty of confidentiality starts from the moment that the Scheme member picks up the phone to speak to the solicitor seeking advice under the Scheme.
- The scheme members are independent of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Law Society and the Legal Complaints Service
- Whether or not a formal retainer is entered into, the members are required to respect the confidentiality of the matter being discussed
- The principle of confidentiality is governed by the Solicitors' Code of Conduct 2007. Guidance note 23 to Rule 20 (Requirements of practice) specifically states that, unless required to do so by law, a solicitor does not have to report serious misconduct or serious financial difficulty to the SRA when the confidential or privileged information is received from another lawyer seeking advice from a confidential helpline such as the Solicitors' Assistance Scheme.
- Members are able to discuss any problem or fear which you may have without having to 'whistle blow'
These principles are central to the ethos of the Solicitors' Assistance Scheme