Latest news
Judge slams “disordered and chaotic” state of family case
An exasperated Family Court judge has adjourned a final hearing, saying the case was in such a “disordered and chaotic state that it is simply impossible to proceed in a fair way”.
Litigators urged to start preparing for costs budgeting pilots
Litigators need to start preparing for a new era of costs budgeting, with three-year simplified pilots set to start in April, the Association of Costs Lawyers has said.
Separating couples “know about mediation but go to lawyers”
Awareness of family mediation as an alternative to legal advice is not matched by action, with nearly half of people saying their first professional port of call in a divorce would be a lawyer.
MPs back Arbitration Bill as corruption concerns linger
The Arbitration Bill sailed through its second reading in the House of Commons this week, with the government saying the legislation did not need to address arbitral corruption.
SRA under fire for not taking action on “textbook” SLAPP
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has come under fire for closing a complaint about a law firm that represented a Russian warlord without any further action.
AI users in justice system should be under duty to act responsibly
Those who use AI in the justice system should be under a duty to “act responsibly”, campaign group JUSTICE has argued in a report trying to secure the benefits of the technology.
National Accident Helpline generating far fewer PI cases
Law firm consolidation and changes in Google’s search algorithms hit the number of personal injury cases that listed business NAHL passed to both its panel and own law firm last year.
Direct access barrister defeats claim for three quadrillion pounds
The High Court has struck out “abusive, wasteful and meritless litigation” targeted at a direct access barrister, her clerk and her insurer – where the damages claimed ran into 27 figures.
Anglo-Scottish firm under close SRA scrutiny over McClure files
The collapse of an Anglo-Scottish law firm in 2021 continues to have significant reverberations, with the firm that took on its business now under close scrutiny from the SRA.
Are AML breaches misconduct? High Court hears SRA appeal
A significant appeal that should decide whether a breach of the Money Laundering Regulations is also a breach of the SRA code of conduct starts in the High Court today.
Blog
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
