Blog
Security for costs and ATE insurance – threats and co-operation
When a claimant is insolvent or close to being insolvent, whether on a balance sheet or cash flow basis, you can expect the defendant’s solicitors to make an application for security for costs.
Blame over. The future of divorce law
The long-awaited arrival of no-fault divorce law in the spring has revolutionised family law as we know it. Few could quite believe the immediate effect it would have on clients and lawyers alike.
Instilling a customer-focused culture in law – still some way to go
Law firms have got better at engaging with both prospective and existing clients. Switched-on and savvy firms have understood how marketing is changing and are reaping the rewards.
The troubling first use of the SRA’s new fining power
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has used its increased fining powers for the first time, fining a solicitor £15,000 for failing to properly manage the affairs of three clients subject to deputyship orders.
How to make the most of your legal software investment
Now, more than ever, SME law firms must take a cost-conscious approach to their legal operations, which includes ensuring their legal software is helping them achieve their goals.
Legaltech lessons from the smartphone boom
When the first smartphone came to market, it blew the competition away and, like so many, I jumped in and bought one. I remember experiencing, for the first time, the power of a computer in my pocket.
Fixed costs and more: a fix that doesn’t fix what needs fixing – part 2
There is still no word from the government as to if, why and how fixed recoverable costs are going to happen. The October deadline for implementation was scrapped and we are now looking at April 2023.
The O’Connors’ law firm leaders survey – the results are in
More than three-quarters of those responding to our law firm leaders survey said their most pressing business concern was recruiting staff, with over a third having difficulties retaining staff.
The drivers of increased matter mobility
Firms can no longer expect clients to stay long term, and so should be ready to transfer clients out and onboard new ones continually. Simultaneously, the war for talent is hotting up.
Have you established a firm-wide third-party referral process?
Many of the financial planning firms we work with have assisted the COLPs of the firms they work with to look at what is important in a selected partner.
Blog
The new metrics for success in conveyancing
While technology has made much of the conveyancing process faster, there remains a practical limit to how many matters anyone can manage while still keeping standards intact.
The UK legal market is polarising – and the middle is disappearing
Consolidation and the boutique boom are not contradictory. They are the same market stretching apart at both ends – and it changes what your firm is worth, and to whom.
Conveyancing’s consistency problem is about pressure, not skills
When I qualified, a conveyancer had perhaps 10 or 12 plates to keep spinning. Today’s conveyancers have 20 or 30, and almost none of the room for error I had starting out.
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