The main advantage of the Scheme for consumers is the opportunity to save legal costs by avoiding the incurrence of solicitor's professional fees.
However, removing solicitors from running a legal case often requires that clients themselves perform a considerable amount of document management, filing, and other related activities in the context of conducting litigation.
[2] Therefore, in complicated cases barristers must recommend to clients that they obtain external support from a solicitor or a PALS provider.
Since the expense of employing a solicitor in the context of the Public Access Scheme (or 'Direct Access') defeats the 'cost-saving' purpose of the Scheme, consumers can turn to a PALS provider, which offers a range of support facilities at a significantly lower cost in comparison to the professional services of a solicitor, thereby preserving the purpose of the Public Access Scheme.
[5] Providers of PALS achieve their lower cost position (in comparison to solicitors professional fees) as they do not offer any legal advice and do not have the overhead cost of regulatory compliance nor high-level professional indemnity insurance.