Latest news
Government policy to blame for OIC shortcomings, say claimant lawyers
The problems with the Official Injury Claim portal identified by the justice select committee are “not just operational, but policy driven”, claimant lawyers have argued.
MPs urge government action over problems with whiplash portal
The Ministry of Justice needs to investigate why there is a growing number of unresolved cases in the Official Injury Claim portal, MPs said today.
Counsel’s fees to be excluded from clin neg fixed fees regime
Fees for counsel’s advice in lower-value clinical negligence cases will not be recoverable under the fixed recoverable cost regime unless a child or protected party is involved.
Using the right tech “should be a competence requirement”
Being able to apply the right technology tool to service clients should become a competence requirement for lawyers, the former head of LawtechUK has suggested.
Value of UK class actions up by a third to £106bn
The value of class actions in the UK rose by more than a third to over £106bn last year, while the number of people involved in them almost doubled to over 340m.
CA allows funder to challenge financial remedy consent order
A litigation funder owed up to £1m by the wife in a “bitter and extortionately expensive” divorce battle can remain a party to financial remedy proceedings, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Next stage in upfront property information to begin next month
Rules on the information that must be included in property listings are to be extended next month to cover issues such as restrictive covenants and flood risks, National Trading Standards has said.
“Manifestly incompetent” solicitor did not tell SRA when firm went bust
A solicitor who admitted “manifest incompetence” and that he was “a poor manager”, failing to disclose that his firm was in financial difficulty, has been suspended for 18 months.
High Court judges “failing to send judgments for publication”
One in five judgments by the senior courts and tribunals of England and Wales are not being published, the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting in England and Wales has found.
Litigation funder pays libel damages to celebrity couple
The director of a litigation investment company has paid “substantial” libel damages to broadcaster Gabby Logan and her husband Kenny, a former Scottish rugby international.
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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