Legal Services Act
Legal Ombudsman delays creep up again
The waiting time for the Legal Ombudsman simply to start considering a complaint has nearly halved over the past year but it was still 90 days before the pandemic struck.
Vodafone offers business customers access to legal help
Mobile telephone giant Vodafone is now offering access to legal services to its 500,000 business customers after signing a partnership with unregulated legal business Sparqa Legal.
Fewer than half of employment tribunal claimants use lawyers
Fewer than half of employment tribunal claimants use a lawyer, with most of those unrepresented at hearings saying it was because they could not afford one, according to government research.
Barristers plead with peers for government Covid support
Criminal defence barristers have made a desperate plea to peers for government support to survive the Covid-19 crisis, with solicitors agreeing that the profession was in dire straits.
Listed law firms post bullish trading updates
Two listed law firms yesterday issued bullish trading updates, with DWF announcing rising revenues alongside cuts, and Rosenblatt a 38% rise in revenues for the first six months of the year. DWF, the world’s largest listed law firm, has been… Read More
SRA to review regime for checking solicitors’ competence
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to launch a review of its approach to solicitors’ continuing competence, amid calls for spot checks or accreditation schemes to reassure consumers.
Covid-19 will hamper ombudsman turn-around, says new chair
The coronavirus crisis will impede much-needed efforts to turn around the performance of the Legal Ombudsman, its new chair has warned in an interview with Legal Futures.
Censored or offensive? CrowdJustice trans row rumbles on
A barrister suing her chambers and Stonewall has accused CrowdJustice of trying to censor her, but it has stood by its decision to remove her “unnecessarily inflammatory and offensive” language.
Bar faces “existential crisis” with chambers set to fold
Three in 10 chambers do not think they will survive more than six months as Covid-19 continues to hammer them, with pupils also set to be badly affected, Bar Council research has warned.
Chambers offers workspace for freelance solicitors
A set of chambers in Birmingham, post Covid-19, is using unused floors in its offices to create a supported workspace for freelance solicitors, Legal Futures can reveal.
Blog
Why this is the year for law firms to embrace generative AI
After more than a year of pilots, proofs of value and early experimentation, firms are increasingly embedding AI into day-to-day workflows.
Client account interest is not spare change
The proposed Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts scheme is being framed as a sensible, international, “tried and tested” way for the profession to help fund a justice system under strain.
The formula for finance-enabled business development
Client concentration or over-dependence now counts as a top strategic risk for 26% of firms. Cross-selling is an antidote – a way to bolster revenue resilience without relying on client acquisition.
