The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is under mounting pressure as new data reveals a significant rise in reports about solicitors, up 27% on the previous year, leading to missed performance targets and rising case backlogs. 

In its latest performance update, the regulator confirmed that it is now completing just 36% of initial case assessments within two months, well short of its 80% target. This marks a notable decline from the same time last year, when the SRA was consistently meeting its benchmark. 

The slowdown comes despite an increase in output from the SRA’s assessment and early resolution team, which is now completing 15% more assessments per month on average. The team has launched an internal “improvements project” aimed at accelerating decision-making and improving efficiency. 

Record Volumes Straining the System 

Since the beginning of its financial year in November 2024, the SRA has received an average of 1303 reports per month, peaking at a record high of 1513 in June. Although the authority managed to close a record 1562 matters in the same month, the gap between incoming reports and resolved cases continues to widen. 

This has led to a sharp rise in cases referred for full investigation, now up to 43% year-on-year. On average, 236 matters are being passed on each month, while the investigation team is closing around 197 cases monthly, a 24% increases compared to last year. 

Despite these improvements, the regulator is struggling to keep pace. The report warned: 

“The increase in closure level is not matching the increase in volumes, which is leading to an increase in our overall work in progress.” 

Backlogs Begin to Build 

While the SRA has generally stayed on track with its broader performance goals, completing 93% of investigations within 12 months, 95% within 18 months, and 98% within 24 months, officials are now preparing for a dip in performance as the volume of cases grows. 

Recent progress in reducing long-term backlogs may be at risk. As of June, there were 46 cases that had been open for more than two years, up from 41 in May.  

This trend threatens to reverse a two-year push that had reduced the number of aged cases from more than 200 to just 162 by July 2023. 

No Single Cause Identified 

SRA chief executive Paul Philip said the regulator is still trying to identify the cause of the surge in reports: 

“We are continuing to try to understand the reason behind the increase, but as yet, we have not been able to identify any single issue,” he said. 

Initial analysis suggests a possible link to increased website traffic and click-throughs from Google’s generative AI search functionality. 

“Further work is ongoing to better understand the increases,” he added. 

Operational Change is Imminent 

To manage the strain, the SRA has already introduced a series of short-term operational changes and is bringing in additional temporary and permanent staff. However, Philip acknowledged that “receipts are continuing to exceed closure rates,” which is creating “operational pressures and capacity challenges.” 

Looking ahead, the SRA is launching a new improvement programme aimed at more medium- and long-term solutions. This includes exploring how technology and automation can streamline processes and improve the user experience.