Latest news
Firm’s failure to pay lawyer’s bonus or promote her was unfair
A law firm that tried to change its head of family’s bonus scheme without notice and failed to promote her as agreed fundamentally breached her contract, a tribunal has ruled.
SQE stands up in the era of ChatGPT, says SRA chief
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination holds up well in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, the boss of the Solicitors Regulation Authority says today.
Law firms failing to help general counsel stay up-to-date
Most general counsel spend at least five hours a week keeping up-to-date with legal developments but law firms are not delivering the content they need.
Ex-solicitor “tried to fraudulently extract money” from escrow account
A disgraced struck-off solicitor has made a “concerted effort” to fraudulently obtain judgment from two courts in a bid to extract money to which he is not entitled, a court has ruled.
Judge deprecates LiPs for impugning opposing lawyers’ integrity
The High Court has sharply criticised two litigants in person for making “baseless accusations” that impugned the integrity of their opponent’s legal team.
Profession “gives least support to lawyers caring for relatives”
The legal profession gives least support to lawyers caring for relatives who are not their children, while lawyers without children are also often overlooked, a poll of freelance lawyers has found.
City law firm staff banned after indecent photos convictions
Two support staff at leading City practices have been banned from the profession after being convicted of possessing indecent photographs of children.
Litigators given deadline to issue and avoid new fixed costs
Civil litigators will have until 29 September to issue claims if they want to avoid the new fixed recoverable costs but personal injury lawyers will not face a similar rush.
More than one in 10 salaried judges bullied in last two years
More than one in 10 of salaried judges have been bullied in the two years, double the figure for fee-paid judges, research commissioned by the judiciary has found.
Not-for-profit advice sector heading for £32m deficit
The not-for-profit legal advice sector is heading for a £32m deficit this financial year, according to research that showed how charities are struggling to recruit and retain staff.
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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