Practice Management
Workload and disciplinary problems top table for stressed lawyers
Workload and disciplinary problems have topped the table of reasons why lawyers contacted mental health charity LawCare last year, between them accounting for nearly half of all calls.
CMCs which break the rules face huge fines
Claims management companies (CMCs) which break the rules this year face potentially huge fines – of up to 20% for those with an annual turnover of more than £500,000. Smaller CMCs can be fined up to £100,000.
Failure to undertake CPD will be “aggravating factor” in investigations, SRA warns
Failure to undertake continuous professional development will be an “aggravating factor” when enforcement decisions are made against those guilty of incompetence, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.
Big law firms hiring poor-performing barristers, analysts claim
A group of US-based entrepreneurs claim to have carried out pioneering research which has shown that big commercial firms in the UK are “routinely rehiring poor performing barristers while ignoring the best performers”.
Hodge Jones & Allen pioneers fixed-fee divorce arbitration service
London firm Hodge Jones & Allen has launched a fixed-fee arbitration service for divorcing couples in the wake of judicial support for such a move to keep costs down. The firm is encouraging more law firms to get on board.
Exclusive: “We will be biggest brand in UK,” says LegalZoom
US company LegalZoom today makes plain its ambitions for the UK market by saying there is “no question” that it will become the best-known legal brand on this side of the Atlantic.
Solicitors From Hell founder wins surprise High Court victory
He has been sued 18 times in relation to the website he founded, and lost each time, but now Rick Kordowski, the man behind SolicitorsFromHell.co.uk, has recorded an unexpected High Court win.
Do clients actually need face-to-face advice? Legal aid research suggests they often don’t
Users of the civil legal aid telephone gateway who sought face-to-face advice “often did so out of preference as opposed to need”, a review has suggested.
BSB turns to CILEx to train non-legal staff
The Bar Standards Board has turned to the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives to provide training to members of staff without legal qualifications. Meanwhile, ILEX Professional Standards – CILEx’s regulatory arm – is on the hunt for a new chief executive.
SRA rejects Law Society bid to extend indemnity run-off period by three years
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has rejected a proposal by the Law Society to extend the additional indemnity run-off cover provided by the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) for a further three years until 2023.
Blog
Why good governance matters when managing Law Society forms
Everyday legal transactions rely on Law Society forms. But they are often treated as static templates rather than what they really are: living documents that change over time.
A letter from the SRA? Your first reaction matters
An email from the SRA has a way of rearranging a working day. It arrives in the same inbox as everything else, often in the same measured tone, yet it carries a different weight.
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.
Reports
Associates
