Latest news
FCA steps up campaign to warn consumers off law firms and CMCs
The Financial Conduct Authority has launched a £1m campaign to tell motor finance customers that they do not need to use a claims management company or law firm.
High Court orders will writers to take part in mediation
The High Court has consolidated a negligence claim against a will-writing company with a dispute over the will it drafted, and ordered the company to engage in mediation.
High-profile ABS owner cleared of wrongdoing over payments
The man who founded now-defunct Stobart Barristers and then bought two well-known criminal law firms, has been cleared of any wrongdoing around his business’s insolvency.
Conveyancers sign industry charter to speed up property process
Instructing a conveyancer when a property is listed is number one of an eight-point plan issued by a group of 23 leading organisations to speed up the home-buying process.
Family justice system “letting children and families down”
There are “unacceptably long delays” in the family justice system and the government is showing no urgency to deal with them, MPs have said.
Costs budgeting ‘lite’ pilots “may not save time or money”
The new costs budgeting ‘lite’ pilots may not save solicitors time or money, it has been claimed – but the deputy head of civil justice insisted that ways to reduce costs have to be tried out.
Acquisition and US ABS first for Lawhive after footballers invest
Consumer law platform Lawhive has said it will be looking for similar targets after buying fee-share law firm Woodstock Legal Services and setting up an ABS in the US.
High Court takes axe again to claimants’ Dieselgate budgets
The High Court has again taken an axe to the claimants’ costs budgets in the ‘Dieselgate’ group litigation, saying the lawyers have not fully learned the lessons from when it happened last year.
SDT makes order against Spanish lawyer after jurisdiction challenge
A former Spanish partner of City firm Ashurst has failed in a challenge to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s jurisdiction in assessing his inappropriate conduct towards two female colleagues.
Burford invests in consultancy as it eyes stakes in large law firms
Burford Capital has made a clear statement of intent to ramp up its investing beyond litigation by taking a minority stake in a UK consultancy that launches and helps manage law firms.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
