Latest news
Government to pilot publicly funded early legal advice
Manchester and Middlesbrough are to host pilots to test the benefits of early publicly funded legal advice. The government is also investigating putting legal advice centres in hospitals.
Diversity questions make up 20% of marks in panel tender
Clients are ratcheting up the pressure on law firms to improve their diversity, with applicants for the panel of the Pension Protection Fund the latest to have to prove their credentials.
Leading firm acted for client without obtaining authority
A well-known law firm acted for a client without receiving signed authority from him, having relied on his aunt to provide identification documents, it has emerged.
Government mulls estate agents’ disclosure of referral fees
The government is to sit down with National Trading Standards to consider whether stricter rules are needed to force estate agents to disclose that they have received referral fees from conveyancers.
Aspiring barrister subjected to “extreme discrimination” launches disability group
An organisation aimed at making the Bar more accessible to disabled people and improving the diversity of the judiciary was launched last week.
Family law start-up refused injunction in £22m contract battle
The High Court has refused to grant an injunction to a lawtech start-up so that it can gain immediate access to the software, source code and other documents necessary to complete its divorce service.
“Real challenges” for large law firms in improving diversity, says SRA
The biennial snapshot of the solicitors’ profession shows the “real challenges” for large firms in making progress towards diversity, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.
Electronic signatures “more reliable” than live witnesses
The most sophisticated kind of electronic signatures can be “more reliable” than wet signatures witnessed the traditional way, a government-backed industry working group has said.
Tribunal rejects return to roll for ex-solicitor 30 years after leaving
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has rejected an application for restoration to the roll from an ex-solicitor who it had sanctioned three times and had been convicted of fraud.
Judge excoriates “reckless and quite possibly dishonest” solicitor
The way a solicitor went about preparing a £100m will was “reckless and quite possibly dishonest”, the High Court ruled yesterday.
Blog
Your website is losing clients before they even pick up the phone
Your website visitor is likely already carrying stress before they arrive. If your site adds to it rather than relieves it, you have likely lost a prospective client.
The growing importance of higher limits in personal ATE
While the personal litigation market is undergoing a period of significant change as claims become more complex, much of the ATE insurance market has remained relatively static.
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.
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