Law firms are soon to be judged on how they would deal with emergencies and need to be prepared for the changes, a senior Shropshire solicitor has said.

Business continuity is an important theme in a new solicitors’ code of conduct due to come into force on July 1 and policed by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority.

John Burrowes, senior partner at Shrewsbury-based PCB Solicitors, said the rule change would affect all firms but could have particular impact on smaller practices.

“Larger firms are more likely to have contingencies in place to ensure the continuation of their business in an emergency or other adverse conditions.

However, smaller firms may not have had to confront such issues before and may have quite a bit of work to do to meet the Law Society requirements by the beginning of July,” Mr Burrowes said.

Under the new rules all law firms in England and Wales must have plans in place to ensure their business can carry on their work in the event of emergencies or loss of key staff or even premises.

The code of conduct will force firms to examine risks of all kinds in all areas of their businesses. They must also have a plan to revisit their risk assessment on a regular basis to ensure it is still adequate and relevant.

PCB Solicitors, which has its headquarters on Shrewsbury Business Park as well as offices in Telford, Church Stretton, Ludlow and Knighton, is managing the business continuity process as part of moves towards Lexcel accreditation – the Law Society’s national quality standard.

Mr Burrowes explained: “Getting this process right is not only now required but very important to all businesses. A nasty surprise of any kind can massively disrupt any organisation.

“These rule changes will mean that the risks can be identified in advance and actions put in place to deal with them.”