The jury still seems to be out as to whether the Ministry of Justice are really going to go ahead with banning referral fees (see Neil Rose’s commentary at http://bit.ly/oj8zkL). And there is definitely a question mark over whether the referral fees are directly responsible for the enormous increase in motor insurance premiums (as opposed to, for instance the costs of massive change, increased regulation and rising prices within the industry). Nor, as it happens, is there any explanation as to why referral fees for lawyers are so much worse than, say, for estate agents,or why the Office of Fair Trading is not reminding people that it was pressure on the Law Society in 2004 that led to the ban on referral fees being lifted in the first place. Read More>>