Latest news
Ban for PI fee-earner who used Covid as excuse for missing deadlines
A fee-earner at Slater & Gordon who falsely claimed he had missed litigation deadlines because of scanning errors and not being in the office due to the pandemic has been banned from working in law firms.
Lawyers “will walk” if hybrid working demands not met
Lawyers working in large law firms are committed to working remotely from home post-pandemic, with almost half willing to walk away if told they have to attend the office full-time.
Law firms not responding quickly enough to new competitors
Traditional law firms are failing to adapt quickly enough to respond to new competitors, or to differentiate their services by offering alternative approaches, research for listed law firm DWF has found.
Judge condemns “trench warfare” over witness statements
The rules on witness statements should not be seen as encouragement to identify “as many instances of non-compliance as possible for use in trench warfare”, the High Court has said.
Solicitor told trainee to draft misleading defence to barrister’s fee claim
A solicitor who told a trainee to draft an “incorrect and misleading” defence to an unpaid fees claim from a barrister – which ignored his firm’s liability for the money – has been fined £7,500.
Websites of top-100 law firms “slow and full of broken links”
A study of top 100 law firm websites has rated only one as ‘excellent’ in terms of speed and only 13% as having no broken links, with many riddled with basic SEO errors.
More NHS claims settling pre-issue but legal costs continue to rise
NHS Resolution concluded a record 77% of claims without court proceedings in the last year but both claimant and defendant legal costs rose, its annual report has revealed.
MoJ considers £5,000 costs cap to protect defendants against SLAPPs
The Ministry of Justice has suggested that people defending themselves from strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) could be protected by a £5,000 costs cap.
Solicitors at incorporated firms should not give personal undertakings
Lawyers at incorporated law firms should not give personal undertakings even though the corporate undertakings are not enforceable, the Law Society has said.
Estate agents need “more respect” from conveyancers
Nearly four in ten estate agents (39%) believe that greater “mutual respect” would most improve their relationship with conveyancers, but lawyers would prefer to see a focus on better collaboration.
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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