Latest news

Legal Beagles, a consumer rights forum, has launched a comparison website using its own research on fixed fees to decide which law firms are listed. Kate Briscoe, chief executive of Legal Beagles, said only around 500 firms published fixed fees on their websites.

LV= has become the latest major insurer to enter the legal services market after forming a joint venture with Bristol-based Lyons Davidson. LV= Legal Services is offering fixed-fee advice for wills, powers of attorney, probate, conveyancing, personal injury and employment law.

Southport law firm Barnetts was a business in “dire straits” and other solicitors “would feel ashamed” at the actions of its senior partner in trying to keep it afloat, which included misusing and not repaying a £4.86m loan, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has ruled.

The first female president of the Law Society, the former senior partner of City giant Allen & Overy, a former chairman of the Bar Council, and a media lawyer personally rewarded by the Queen, are among those from the legal world recognised in this year’s New Year’s honours.

Leading insurers have committed to giving customers 100% of the savings made from the proposed personal injury reforms, the government announced today – but did not explain if or how this pledge would be monitored and enforced.

A lack of clear online information is a critical barrier to ordinary people knowing how to resolve their civil justice problems, Ministry of Justice research has found. The report said not-for-profit advice sector advice agencies “need to be supported”.

A barrister who told a direct access client he had “all the same freedoms” as a solicitor to conduct litigation, when he did not, has lost a High Court appeal against his three-month suspension. Garnham J described Oliver White’s misconduct as “serious”.

Slater & Gordon (S&G) has remained tight-lipped as two Australian law firms invite shareholders in S&G to register for potential group actions against it. One of the firms, Maurice Blackburn, said concerns centred on the “timing and accuracy” of information released by S&G.

Appeal judges have ruled that part-time judges who are working as barristers do not have to reveal details of “every ongoing piece of litigation” they are dealing with to ward off accusations of bias.

Lawyers will have to wait patiently for another chance to complain to the government about the Legal Services Board (LSB) as it emerged that the board’s second ‘triennial review’, due this year, has been scrapped.