Compliance & Regulation
Solicitor struck off after 40-year career – for the sake of £100
An experienced conveyancer has been struck off for falsifying the completion date of a transaction in a report to tax authorities in order to avoid a late registration penalty of £100.
Solicitor wrote cheque to himself from client account
A solicitor who was cautioned by the police for fraud after writing a cheque for £2,000 from client account to himself has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Solicitors caught in dubious schemes “fail in due diligence”
Solicitors generally fail to carry out due diligence exercises on the people behind what turn out to be dubious investment schemes, a review by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found.
Solicitor under-declared sale prices to pocket stamp duty
A solicitor who falsified returns to HM Revenue & Customs so as to underpay stamp duty land tax and pocket the difference in a bid to keep his firm afloat has been struck off.
City solicitor suspended after second police cocaine caution
A City solicitor who received a second police caution for possessing cocaine – but failed to report it out of fear of losing his job and marriage – has been banned from practice for a year.
LSB demands greater transparency on practising fees
Legal regulators will have to explain more clearly how they spend their practising certificate fees under revised rules proposed by the Legal Services Board.
67% of solicitors tell Law Society PC fee is not value for money
Two-thirds of solicitors do not consider the practising certificate fee value for money, with many expressing concern at the level being charged given the impact of Covid-19.
SRA shuts down 16-office law firm consolidator
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has today shut down a 16-office law firm consolidator with 180 staff across the country. It is highly unusual for the regulator to intervene in such a large practice.
LeO: Simplest complaints could take over a year to conclude
The Legal Ombudsman has warned that if its poor performance over the last few months continues, it could take more than a year to process even the simplest complaints.
Accountancy body withdraws from legal services regulation
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has decided to withdraw from legal services regulation and contract it out to CILEx Regulation, in the first move of its kind.
Blog
Is your Google Ads budget funding your competitors’ AI visibility?
If your cost-per-click has crept up again this year, you’ve probably assumed the market simply got more expensive. That’s the wrong way to read what’s happening.
Containing the spread of unapproved AI
Nearly 60% of fee-earners admit to using unapproved tools (like free versions of ChatGPT). Yet 68% of firm leaders are confident there is zero risk of unapproved AI being used for client work.
When AI adoption goes wrong, costs add up fast
City AM recently reported that London is fighting to claim the title of ‘global capital of legal AI’. However, it’s crucial we remember that adoption alone does not create value.
