Private Client
Solicitor convicted of defrauding cancer charity in wills scam
A solicitor who defrauded Cancer Research UK out of £4,800 by submitting false claims for will-writing services has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Peers pressure government over electronic wills inaction
Solicitors have backed peers in questioning the government’s lack of action on modernising wills, particularly introducing electronic wills.
Private client market report: More revenue, fewer firms
The private client market continues to grow, hitting £3.2bn this year, despite the number of law firms in it falling by 12% over the past five years, according to new research.
Fraudster turned will writer “should not have certified LPAs”
The Court of Protection has cancelled six lasting powers of attorney because the certificate provider, though a member of the Society of Will Writers, was a convicted fraudster.
Elderly client “did not understand” change solicitor made to will
A judge has criticised a solicitor who failed to ensure that an elderly testator with Parkinson’s disease understood a change made to his instructions.
Solicitor fails in appeal against rebuke for estate administration delays
A solicitor rebuked by the SRA for “substantial and unexplained delay” in the administration of an estate has failed in an appeal to the SDT.
Solicitor transforms firm into “probate unblocking” service
A private client solicitor has transformed his law firm into a specialist fixed-fee service which aims to unblock stalled probate matters.
Rebuke for solicitor “who relied on memory, not records”
A law firm owner who acted “based on her recollections as opposed to checking facts” has been rebuked after letting administration of an estate drift for six years.
Suspension for solicitor who let work as deputy drift for 16 years
A solicitor who acted as a deputy for 16 years and did little to protect her client’s interests in that time has been suspended from practice for six months.
Solicitor rebuked for continuing to act when clients were in dispute
A solicitor who continued to act for both executors of an estate after a dispute arose between them has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Blog
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.
Is Google becoming pay-to-play for law firms?
For years, law firms have been told that SEO is the long-term alternative to paying for every click. That principle hasn’t disappeared but search results have changed significantly.
Material information and the case for intelligent client onboarding
Upfront information means work traditionally undertaken after an offer is accepted will need to happen earlier. And that fundamentally changes the role of client onboarding.
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