This question is inherently tied up with the question of the services provided by those organisations impinging on the work of the profession and at a growing rate. The march of the accountancy profession into legal practice around the world has been inexorable. Arthur Andersen have associated legal practices owned by the firm in 17 countries. Arthur Andersen in the US have announced an intention to move into litigation. Over the last 40 years, accountants have moved with considerable success into areas formerly practised only by lawyers.
Accountants now have the right to brief barristers directly.
On the other hand, efforts by the Society to help its members become business-like and undertake proper practice management have enjoyed little apparent success with the exception of a small minority of firms. No doubt future efforts to encourage solicitors to expand the areas of practice into other than the non-traditional areas, may be doomed to the same fate. For example, the Council at its 1995 Planning Conference resolved to set up Professional Development Legal Education which was designed to provide a high level of training in new areas of law outside the traditional areas. Accountants appear to be generally better organised and more disciplined than lawyers when it comes to expanding their businesses. They are much more conscious of providing service and provide it with considerably greater success.