Compliance & Regulation
Regulatory reform “will help legal sector” enter next growth phase
The legal sector of the future “may look very different to the one we know today”, with further regulatory reform needed, a report for the Ministry of Justice has said.
Subpostmasters “pressured by their lawyers” into pleading guilty
Many subpostmaster victims of the Post Office scandal felt “bullied by the inevitability of pleading guilty as their lawyers advised”, a report has found.
High Court grants rights to audience to struck-off solicitor
The High Court has given a struck-off solicitor rights of audience to represent companies of which he was only made a director for that purpose.
Judge blames law firm not solicitor for fake AI cases
A judge has decided against referring a solicitor to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for citing two fake cases generated by artificial intelligence.
Peers say lawyers need stronger ethical training
The House of Lords constitution committee has called for the ethical training of lawyers to be “reviewed and strengthened” and given throughout their careers.
Conveyancer cleared after exchanging contracts on day of instruction
A solicitor has been cleared of misconduct when acting on the exchange of contracts for an elderly client’s property on the same day he was instructed.
SDT’s cost to the profession set to fall next year
The Legal Services Board has approved a reduced budget for the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal of just over £3m for 2026, a drop of 2.5% from this year.
CILEX applies to appeal Mazur ruling
CILEX has applied for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the Mazur judgment, even though it was not a party to the original case, it announced today.
Solicitor struck off for misconduct as company director
A solicitor who provided false information to a loan company in his capacity as a company director has been struck off, as his actions crossed into professional misconduct.
Partners give SRA undertakings over clearing residual balances
A law firm that continued to allow residual balances to accrue on dozens of files for nearly a decade, even after being warned by the SRA, has been rebuked.
Blog
The importance of benchmarking reports – and lessons on profitability
Regional firms reported the largest revenue growth this year (12%), outpacing their City counterparts. Yet many are not converting that growth into profitability.
Fixed recoverable costs: Sacrificing justice for predictability?
The extended fixed recoverable costs regime is failing to achieve its stated objectives. Instead of promoting fairness and efficiency, the rules are creating anomalies that undermine justice.
Expectations keep rising, so prioritise client experience
Law firms are facing growing pressure to place greater focus on client experience or risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive legal market.
