Members of the Law Society of England and Wales 100-strong governing council will be paid directly for the first time if solicitors ratify a motion to be heard at the representative body’s October AGM.

The council members also stand to receive one-off payments totalling thousands of pounds in back pay, the England and Wales Gazette reports.

The payments were recommended by a council working group set up last year following the removal of a tax break by revenue authorities

Expense allowance

Until February 2023, council members could claim an annual expense allowance (AEA) which latterly totalled about £1,640, plus additional out-of-pocket expenses on top.

The AEA was seen as a useful, tax-free means of enabling Law Society council members to recoup spending on items essential to the role, such as laptops and broadband.

From March 2023, the AEA was discontinued. Since then, payments to council members have been limited to expenses alone.