The Law Society has moved closer to opening its doors to non-solicitors after 63% of council members voted in favour of creating a new ‘affiliate’ category.

The introduction of ‘affiliate’ status is part of the Society’s plan to become a more commercially minded outfit.

At last week’s Law Society Council meeting, 49 members voted in favour of redefining the non-solicitor ‘affiliate’ category, with 27 against and two abstaining. The final decision rests with a postal ballot of Society members.

Affiliate status would be open to six categories of individuals working in the legal services market both in the UK and overseas. These include ‘authorised persons as defined by the Legal Services Act 2007’.

Affiliates would play no role in the governance structure of the Society and would not be allowed to stand for council elections, vote in council, or attend general meetings. Applicants would be subject to vetting and be charged between £200 and £250 a year.

Kevin Martin, Coventry and Warwickshire representative and past President of the Society, told the meeting that the Society needs to increase its income. ‘This is not about letting in the barbarians at the gates. There will be safeguards. The brand will not be watered down,’ he said.

Keith Etherington, Young Solicitors Group representative, urged colleagues to support the move: ‘People say to us that they want to spend money with the Society.’

However, in a lively debate, some warned that affiliates might eventually want voting rights and the opportunity to stand for council. Fraser Whitehead, council member for Holborn, said that a ‘huge’ number of people would become eligible. ‘It will not be in the hundreds of thousands but tens of hundreds of thousands.’

Norfolk representative Richard Barr supported enhancing the Society’s income but described the move as ‘a bit dangerous’.

Sue Carter, representing sole practitioners, said affiliate status was ‘an absolute disgrace’ and ‘a backward step’.

The deadline for postal votes is 24 October with results expected at the end of the month (see Letters).