Latest news
ABI joins critics of lower indemnity insurance limit
The Association of British Insurers has joined the chorus of criticism of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s decision to cut the minimum level of professional indemnity insurance to £500,000. SRA consultees were opposed by nearly 3:1, it has also emerged.
Solicitor struck off over misconduct
A solicitor best known for his involvement in the failed Axiom Legal Financing Fund, which caused some law firms major financial problems, has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Law Society signs joint venture deal to create conveyancing portal
The Law Society has teamed up with software company Mastek UK Limited to deliver its conveyancing portal, which aims to speed up the home-buying process. The pair have set up a joint venture company called Legal Practice Technologies Ltd.
Slater & Gordon will send out work to Linked to Law members
Slater & Gordon’s (S&G) new Linked to Law network will see cases going both ways between the alternative business structure and member firms, it has emerged.
Naked Legal offers stripped-down advice service
A stripped-down telephone advice service for a single pre-payment fee of £45 was launched this week by legal entrepreneur Brad Askew. Naked Legal does not offer formal legal advice, nor does it refer clients who need that advice to lawyers.
MPs demand SRA crackdown on personal injury lawyers “playing the system”
MPs have called on the government to put pressure on the Solicitors Regulation Authority to stop personal injury lawyers “playing the system” by commissioning unnecessary medical reports on psychological injuries.
SRA goes ahead with £500,000 PII limit but postpones other reforms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has decided to go ahead with cutting the minimum compulsory cover for indemnity insurance from £2m to £500,000, despite strong opposition from the Law Society.
Smaller law firms “face battle to keep junior partners” as HMRC deadline looms
Smaller law firms are struggling to retain their junior partners in advance of tough new capital requirements set out by HM Revenue & Customs in its crackdown on fixed-share partners avoiding PAYE tax, an executive search firm has claimed.
Newly acquired ABS hits the acquisition trail as promised
Simpson Millar – the law firm acquired last month by AIM-listed Fairpoint Group – has begun making good on its promise to go on the acquisition trail by snapping up Bristol-based family law firm Foster & Partners.
Lack of parliamentary time set to delay independent practice rights for legal executives
There may be a delay in giving the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) the power to grant the rights to conduct reserved probate and conveyancing work, it has emerged.
Blog
Reorientation in the AI era must begin with the client
Much of the discussion about AI in the legal industry focuses on technology: which tools to adopt and which tasks might get automated. But this misses the deeper story.
Awaab’s Law phase 2: New hazards council tenants can now claim for
The conversation on housing disrepair is moving beyond damp and mould alone. With the rollout of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, the scope of issues covered is expanding significantly,
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
