Latest news
National firm backs trend to offer single lawyer divorce service
National law firm Simpson Millar has launched a single lawyer divorce service for couples committed to an “amicable solution”, following a prediction by Resolution last year that this was the future.
Vos issues stern warning to chambers and law firms about embargoes
The Court of Appeal has issued a stern warning about breaking embargoes on judgments after a leading chambers accidentally issued a press release a day before the ruling was handed down.
SDT’s ‘miscarriage of justice’ concern over higher SRA fining power
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has called for any new internal fining powers for the Solicitors Regulation Authority to be limited to £7,000, rather than the proposed £25,000.
Gender make-up of legal profession to change more quickly
The change in demographics of the legal profession is only set to speed up, with men now making up just 31% of applicants for undergraduate law courses, according to figures from UCAS.
Barristers plan ground-breaking transparency over income and caseloads
One of the country’s largest chambers is planning to be the first to publish details of barristers’ incomes and caseloads, which would enable comparisons to be made based on gender and ethnicity.
Law Society and consumer panel join forces to oppose SIF closure
The Law Society and Legal Services Consumer Panel have joined forces to oppose the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s plan to close the Solicitors Indemnity Fund.
Electronic signatures “largest area of change” for property industry
The use of electronic signatures has been the “single largest area of change” in technology for the property industry over the past 18 months, a survey has found.
Returning instructions a “last resort”, Bar Council tells criminal barristers
Criminal defence barristers should recognise that returning instructions where they are not under a professional duty to do so “should always be a last resort”, the Bar Council has said.
Green law firm pledges 10% of fees to environmental causes
A new specialist tree damage claims law firm will donate 10% of the fees on a matter to a carbon or biodiversity credit scheme so as to offset the carbon produced in handling it.
MoJ bids to help consumers better understand whiplash portal
The Ministry of Justice has published a simplified guide to using the Official Injury Claim portal in the wake of a low take-up by litigants in person. But there are still big obstacles.
Blog
Beyond the PII premium – rethinking risk
Professional indemnity insurance renewal is often treated as an annual pricing exercise. But it is also a chance to show how effectively you identify, manage and mitigate risk.
The AI governance gap in law firms and why it matters now
A third of law firms are already using AI tools with no formal policy in place to govern how AI gets used, what data goes into it, or who’s accountable when something goes wrong.
Information isn’t oversight – lessons from the PM Law review
The PM Law review’s real findings perhaps point to a failure mode applying to any organisation sitting on scattered risk information.
Reports
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