Two law firms have joined forces to launch a new support service for solicitors experiencing regulatory, conduct, practice or business problems.

The Lawyers Defence Group (LDG) has been set up by national firm Richard ­Nelson and London firm Murdochs to provide all lawyers – solicitors, barristers, legal executives – and support staff with advice and online information on the issues they may encounter in legal practice.

The two firms are backed up by a panel of other solicitors, barristers and consultants.

By registering on the website, users can receive newsletters, regulatory bulletins and precedent documents dealing with policy and practice management.

Duncan Finlyson, a solicitor at the Birmingham office of Richard Nelson and manager of the LDG, said: ‘We have seen an increase in the degree of regulation, an increase in the severity of penalties imposed and an increase in the uncertainty within the profession about what the rules are.’

He said there is a general lack of understanding among solicitors of the processes of the most frequent regulatory activities of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

‘There’s a degree to which people feel the rules are being made behind closed doors,’ Finlyson said. ‘They are unaware of the impact of any rule changes and do not have the time to find out because they are busy trying to run a practice.

‘Our aim is to become the first port of call for all lawyers with practice-related, regulatory or employment problems.’