Latest news
1,300 law firms face emergency hunt for new indemnity insurer
The 1,300 law firms who have their professional indemnity insurance with Balva face the prospect of having four weeks to find new cover if the winding-up process the Latvian company started yesterday becomes an “insolvency event”, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned.
AG rejects call to cap government-instructed lawyers’ rates at legal aid levels
The Attorney General has rejected a call to cap the pay of lawyers instructed by the state at legal aid rates, arguing that the work of government is “vastly more varied and complex than that for individuals and corporate”.
SRA will consider “fast-tracking” ABS applications aimed at price competitive tendering
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will consider fast-tracking alternative business structure (ABS) applicants who want to bid for the government’s proposed criminal legal aid contracts, Legal Futures can reveal.
Law Society kicks out committee members who failed to undergo E&D training
Eight members of Law Society committees have been kicked off for failing to undergo mandatory equality and diversity training, it has emerged. All members of boards and committees had a 30 April 2013 deadline to undergo the training.
Will-writers face jail as new code of practice scheme goes live
Members of the Institute of Professional Willwriters who fail to comply with its code of practice face fines or even imprisonment, as a new UK-wide scheme to strengthen self-regulation by setting standards for such codes goes live.
Consumers “still see lawyers as too expensive”, says research
Close to half of consumers of legal services are not satisfied with the value for money they received, with probate providing the least satisfaction and will writing the most, according to research. Just 57% considered they received value for money on average.
SDT rulings send out warning to law firms over relationships with debt recovery companies
Law firms must not allow arrangements with debt recovery companies to compromise their independence, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned, after two solicitors were fined heavily for allowing litigation to be carried out in their name.
Legal sector “ripe” for investment
The legal sector is “ripe” for investment and capital should not be an issue with so many investors looking to buy into the profession, lawyers in the north-west were told this week. They were urged to “seize the opportunity” to establish what their clients wanted.
Horwich Farrelly becomes latest north-west ABS to head to London
Manchester-headquartered alternative business structure Horwich Farrelly has headed south to launch an office in the City of London. The specialist insurance litigation law firm estimates that the new office will generate up to £2m of income in its first year.
Only fifth of businesses use external lawyers to cope with consumer rights law
The cost to businesses seeking legal advice to comply with current piecemeal consumer rights legislation is as high as £2,500 a year – but they should see big savings as a result of forthcoming reform, the government has claimed.
Blog
Which legal AI will still matter in 12 months?
Four years ago, when senior partners asked me which legal AI they should buy, I would have walked them through a vendor comparison. Now I tell them the question is wrong.
Supreme Court redraws line between member and employee in LLPs
For anyone advising professional services firms on LLP structuring, and of course for those in LLPs themselves, last week’s Supreme Court ruling is an essential read.
Charting a new course for publicly funded legal services
The current Legal Aid Agency model is inherently flawed and it goes beyond mere data breaches – it cannot innovatively respond to increasing challenges.
