The provision of legal services in Scotland is being debated at a conference today, it has been reported.
Delegates at the National Galleries are discussing whether legal services could be made available to consumers from other providers, such as supermarkets or banks.
Also being discussed is whether rules governing how law firms operate should be relaxed to allow them to take advantage of alternative business structures.
President of the law society of Scotland Richard Henderson commented: "This is one of the most important issues to arise in the history of the Scottish legal profession and could result in far-reaching changes for the profession, the society and the public."
He added that the society is working on a new policy for the education and training of solicitors to ensure that legal services in Scotland continue to improve.
The Law Society of Scotland is the governing body for solicitors in the country and promotes the interests of the public in relation to the profession.