Latest news
Fewer than one in ten people with legal problems see a lawyer, major study finds
There is a huge unmet need for legal services among individual consumers, the most detailed ever study of the issue has revealed, with fewer than one in 10 people experiencing a legal problem seeking advice from a lawyer.
Clients charged fixed fees in almost half of all transactions, survey finds
Clients are paying law firms fixed fees in almost half of all transactions, while unbundling is becoming a significant feature of the market place, a survey for the Legal Services Consumer Panel has found.
Consumers need help with decisions on legal services, says LSB research
Frontline regulators need to trial a range of materials to help consumers make better decisions in the wake of the legal aid cuts, academic research commissioned by the Legal Services Board has urged.
“Significant opportunity” for Saga Law expansion
Potential investors in Saga have been told that the over-50s specialist sees a “significant opportunity” to expand the customer base of its alternative business structure, Saga Law.
Training declarations to replace hours-based CPD
Solicitors will be required to make training declarations on their practicing certificate applications following the phasing out of hours-based Continuing Professional Development (CPD), the Solicitors Regulation Authority has decided.
CA upholds negligence ruling in miner’s compensation case
The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling that Yorkshire law firm Raleys was negligent in its handling of a claim under the government compensation scheme for ex-miners suffering from vibration white finger.
Law firm’s medical negligence advert was misleading, ASA rules
An internet banner advertisement by an Essex law firm which showed a woman’s face above the slogan “awarded £40,000 after cosmetic surgery – claim now” was misleading, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.
Legal regulators face having to appoint ‘small business appeals champions’
The Legal Services Board has told the government that if it wants to appoint ‘small business appeals champions’ for legal services, it should appoint them to the boards of the eight front-line regulators rather than the super-regulator.
CMCs continue to deluge Financial Ombudsman with PPI complaints
The message that consumers do not need to use claims management companies to make complaints about mis-sold payment protection insurance is not getting through, the Financial Ombudsman Service admitted yesterday.
SRA set to push ahead with plan to scrap formal CPD scheme
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is pushing ahead with plans to abolish all of the prescriptive requirements around continuing professional development and leave it to solicitors and their firms to decide how best to ensure their continuing competence.
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.
