A Law Society survey has found that solicitors are less likely to speak positively of the Solicitors Regulation Authority than they were a year ago.
It was not all bad news with poor results also decreasing to the lowest level since the survey started in 2009.
Firms were less likely to give good ratings for the regulator in setting standards of behaviour, promoting and securing standards, protecting consumers and upholding the rule of law.
86% of respondents felt that regulatory burdens were too great, up from 77% in 2011.
47% of firms felt the internal costs of compliance were excessive, an increase on the 39% in 2011.
58% of firms reported that the SRA had not made it clear how outcomes-focused regulation (OFR) works in practice, up on the 51% of firms in 2011.
In his response to the survey, SRA chief executive Antony Townsend said complaints about regulatory burden and the cost of regulation could be attributed largely to one-off costs and the extra administration required by recent changes to its approach.
Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said: “Our members are clear that the current regime places too great a burden on firms.
“The cost of compliance is a major concern. We are listening, and will do all we can to help ease the burden.”
