Latest news
Tribunal strikes off solicitor jailed for property fraud
A solicitor jailed for conspiracy to commit property frauds has now been struck off, while issuing a statement from prison that he would maintain his innocence “until my demise”.
Research: Family law market grows as number of firms falls
The family law market grew by 4.1% in 2021 and the rate of growth should increase in the coming years, but the number of law firms in the field is falling, a new report has found.
Entrepreneur found in contempt over unpaid legal fees fails in appeal
The Court of Appeal has dismissed a high-profile entrepreneur’s appeal against a suspended jail sentence for contempt over unpaid legal fees, saying it could have been longer.
DBA client admits allegations against law firm were to get out of paying
A client who went to the Court of Appeal to challenge the damages-based agreement she signed has admitted she alleged impropriety against her solicitors purely to escape payment.
Shakespeare Martineau unveils merger as ‘house of brands’ strategy ramps up
The next step in the growth of legal professional services group Ampa has seen its main law firm member, Shakespeare Martineau, move into Bristol by merging with GL Law.
“Reprehensible” clients ordered to pay ex-solicitors indemnity costs
The Court of Appeal has awarded indemnity costs against a couple who owe their former solicitors over £3m in outstanding legal fees and were committed to prison last year.
Courts send different messages to lawyers over witness statements
The strengthened rules on witness statements should not be used as a “weapon with which to fillet” essentially insignificant failures to comply, a High Court judge has said.
Whiplash reforms “a cautious success”, MoJ chief says
The government considers the Official Injury Claim portal – about to celebrate its first birthday – to be a “cautious success”, a senior official at the Ministry of Justice said yesterday.
“Long haul to recover” – BSB counts cost of cyber-attack
A malicious cyber-attack on the Bar Standards Board a month ago – for the fourth time in a year – has proved “catastrophic” for the regulator, a meeting of its governing board heard yesterday.
Supreme Court maintains SRA costs protection for failed prosecutions
The Supreme Court has upheld the principle that costs should only be awarded against the Solicitors Regulation Authority in unsuccessful prosecutions where there is good reason to do so.
Blog
What is tech bloat and why is it a problem for law firms?
Too many law firms are adopting shiny new tech without first retiring their legacy systems, causing duplication and unnecessary costs.
The civil courts and the digital divide
Despite the government’s decision to increase Ministry of Justice funding, its budget for 2025-26 is still 14% lower in real terms than in 2007-08.
The Decent Homes Standard scandal
It is well established that the UK has the highest proportion of inadequate housing in all of Europe. But what if the heart of the problem is even worse than we think?
