Questions
Plain-English articles on using AI properly in a professional firm. Every figure has its source.
In August 2026 the SRA published a warning notice on the misuse of AI. It applies the Codes you already follow, and a small firm can meet it with a few weeks' work.
The FCA has said it won't write extra rules for AI. For an advice firm, that puts the weight on the Consumer Duty and the senior managers regime.
Most clients expect to be told. Most practices think they don't. ICAEW asks for transparency, and one sentence in the engagement letter settles it.
Two pages is enough. Here's what each section says, what ICAEW is looking for, and the mistakes that make a policy unusable.
Every AI vendor has a good demo. Before client data goes in, get written answers to six questions. If they won't answer, that's your answer.
The SRA's position is one sentence long. If a client is dealing with AI, they should know. Here's where that happens in a high-street firm and what to say.
The SRA expects the COLP to own compliance when new technology comes in. For AI, that's five responsibilities, and none of them needs a committee.
A note-taker that writes up client meetings is the most useful AI tool in an advice firm, and the one most likely to be switched on without anyone checking it. Five things to settle first.
An assistant that answers enquiries at nine on a Sunday evening wins instructions. Set up carelessly, it also invents viewing slots and quotes the wrong rent. What to decide before it goes live.
Agency quotes for a first version run from £10,000 to £35,000, and a customer portal from £30,000 up. Here's where those numbers come from, what drives them, and how I price the same work.
