Latest news
Litigation funding agreements are DBAs, Supreme Court rules
Agreements with third-party litigation funders are damages-based agreements, the Supreme Court said today in a ruling likely to invalidate almost all existing arrangements.
Sunak “undermining trust in lawyers”, says Bar Council
The Bar Council has accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of undermining trust in the profession by claiming that a “subset of lawyers” are exploiting illegal migrants for profit.
National Lottery provides £30m “essential funding” for advice agencies
The National Lottery is to give £30m over five years to advice agencies as they face “unprecedented demand” for social welfare law services as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
Leading law firm working capital provider goes into administration
Leading law firm funding business VFS Legal has gone into administration, with its founder telling Legal Futures that a change in its wholesale funder was the cause.
Government to introduce compulsory mediation for small claims
The Ministry of Justice is to introduce compulsory mediation for small claims valued up to £10,000, starting with specified money claims.
CMA launches investigation into unregulated legal services
The Competition & Markets Authority has returned to the legal market and launched an investigation into unregulated will-writing, online divorce and pre-paid probate services.
Law Society presses lenders for more Building Safety Act changes
The Law Society is pushing for more changes to the building safety provisions in the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook after one was made last week.
MPs and their staff “need training on legal issues”
MPs and their caseworkers need training on legal issues, a LawWorks report has argued, after research found that three-quarters of issues raised by constituents have a legal element.
Dentons to face disciplinary tribunal over AML “failures”
The world’s largest law firm is to be prosecuted before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over alleged breaches of anti-money laundering rules.
MoJ increasing new fixed costs to reflect high rate of inflation
The Ministry of Justice is to increase the new fixed recoverable costs coming into force on 1 October to take account of the high rate of inflation, and is consulting on other changes.
It is also consulting on a range of further changes to the regime
Blog
The profession can play a greater role in improving access to justice
In this, the third blog of my series, I focus on what lawyers in the UK can do to improve access to justice through greater professional stewardship.
Does AI work for conveyancers? We asked those on the front line
What is the view on AI from conveyancers themselves? Based on a Dye & Durham’s roundtable discussion on AI, the answer is: it depends.
Is the legal profession ready for agentic AI?
An AI agent is difficult to supervise. By design, it works in the background. It means a solicitor can be held responsible for work they had no real means to oversee.
Reports
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