Law Society rebuffs RTA portal extension

Published: 14/06/2012

The Law Society is refusing to support the Ministry of Justice’s proposal for an extension to the RTA Portal, at least until there are major structural changes.

The announcement was made in response the MoJ’s call for evidence on personal injury claims, with the Law Society expressing concerns regarding the capability of the portal in handling an increased case load.

The Government is planning to raise the RTA limit from £10,000 to £25,000 as well as allowing employer and public liability claims to be made through it.

A spokesperson for the Law Society said:

“There can be no assurances that the portal will cope with an additional major increase in use if employer’s liability and public liability claims have to be made through it.

“The existing structure was put together in a rush and, although its performance has improved considerably, we would not wish the same rush and risk occurring again.”

In addition to the limit increase and new case types, the extension could also see a cut to the maximum £1200 solicitor’s case fee, prompting further concerns from the Law Society.

A recent survey conducted by the Law Society of PI firms revealed margins are already fairly small, suggesting any kind of cut could see firms struggle to break even.

The MoJ has confirmed it will respond later this summer.

Content correct at time of publication