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Litigation funding supports the public interest, major research finds
Litigation funding supports the public interest and access to justice but will remain niche in aiding consumers, according to major research which identified 44 cases in the last five years.
Use of solicitors for wills falls but firms get better at cross-selling
The proportion of people using a solicitor for their will has continued to fall and is now down to 50%, five percentage points lower than in 2019, a report has found.
“We bit off more than we could chew” with court reforms, minister admits
Justice minister Mike Freer has admitted to MPs that the government “bit off more than we could chew” with its £1.3bn court modernisation programme.
Public happy to see law firms staying out of Russia
The public continues to support law firms not operating in Russia, according to research that also shows how the Commercial Court has weathered a big drop-off in Russians litigating here.
ASA upbraids unregulated employment firm over marketing
The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint about marketing material sent by an employment law business that looked like it was from a public body.
Family legal aid “loss-making for half of providers”
Family legal aid is loss-making for almost half of providers, research has found, with those handling private, rather than public, law matters struggling the most.
Big fine for firm that failed to replace client money wrongly paid out
A Norwich law firm has been fined £121,000 for failing for eight years to replace client money which it had wrongly paid out to beneficiaries of an estate.
Barristers “do not want remote hearings rolled back”
Barristers do not want to see “progress on remote hearings rolled back” and almost half would like the number to be increased, a report by the Bar Council has found.
Firm found guilty of multiple failures in financial mis-selling claims
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has decided not to enforce at £65,000 fine it has issued against a financial mis-selling law firm because it is in liquidation.
Smaller law firms to prioritise spending on recruitment and AI
Smaller law firms have recovered their confidence in the future, with hiring more lawyers their joint top spending priority the next 12-18 months.
Blog
Regulate sole practices on evidence, not turnover
For a sole practice, the SRA’s plan that I cannot hold a compliance role if my firm has more than £600,000 of turnover is not a measure of risk. It is a ceiling on growth.
Is Google becoming pay-to-play for law firms?
For years, law firms have been told that SEO is the long-term alternative to paying for every click. That principle hasn’t disappeared but search results have changed significantly.
Material information and the case for intelligent client onboarding
Upfront information means work traditionally undertaken after an offer is accepted will need to happen earlier. And that fundamentally changes the role of client onboarding.
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