Compliance & Regulation
Family misfortunes – Acting for relatives lands solicitors in hot water
Two solicitors have found themselves in regulatory bother because of the involvement of family in the matters they were dealing with, one a property purchase and the other a will.
SRA’s respect rule “will fill gap” exposed by Beckwith ruling
The SRA’s proposed new rule requiring solicitors to treat colleagues with respect is in part aimed at filling a hole exposed by the prosecution of Ryan Beckwith, it was claimed yesterday.
Government seeks new LSB chair to help “reshape legal services”
The government has begun recruiting the fourth chair of the Legal Services Board, with the Lord Chancellor saying they would play a key role in “reshaping legal services”.
Solicitor removed restriction without beneficiary’s consent
A solicitor who amended a deed of trust to remove a beneficial interest has been rebuked for doing so without checking that the beneficiary had consented.
Long way to go – SRA unveils “unacceptable” ethnicity profile
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has a “long way to go” to improve the diversity of its senior management, it said as it published its ethnicity pay gap for the first time.
PII: Legal Services Board targets “balance” between public and profession
The Legal Services Board this week approved projects to improve the way regulators approach financial protection for consumers, as well as discipline and enforcement.
Legislate to help legal regulators deal with sanctions busters, Raab told
The Legal Services Board has told the government that “there is a strong case for legislating” to ensure legal regulators have the powers to stop lawyers breaking sanctions imposed by the UK.
Legal regulators “need to do more” in dealing with SLAPPs
Legal regulators need to do more to deal with SLAPPs – strategic lawsuits against public participation – because they are undermining the profession’s reputation, a report has argued.
“Ground down” veteran barrister fined for direct access offences
A veteran barrister has been fined £4,250 by a Bar disciplinary tribunal for carrying out litigation without authorisation and handling client money on behalf of a direct access client.
Conveyancing firms “must apply” for PII two months before deadline
Firms of licensed conveyancers will have to apply for professional indemnity insurance two months ahead of the renewal deadline and in return will receive a response within four weeks.
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.
Reports
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