Private Client
MPs launch inquiry into lengthening probate delays
MPs have launched an inquiry into probate in the wake of mounting concern about how long the process is taking, with HM Courts & Tribunals Service admitting to rising levels of complaints.
Solicitor who practised unauthorised for son’s business is suspended
A solicitor who practised unauthorised and handled reserved probate work for a company owned by her non-solicitor son after her firm closed has been suspended for three months.
Online probate process “taking longer than paper”
Private client lawyers believe the new online probate process is taking longer than the old paper-based system, with family solicitors and civil litigators also unhappy with digital processes.
Solicitor attorneys fined £22k for home insurance failure
Two solicitors who failed in their duties as attorneys under a lasting power of attorney have each been fined £11,250 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
New legislation could introduce electronic wills “immediately”
A new Wills Act could permit electronic wills to be introduced “immediately”, rather than enabling the Lord Chancellor to introduce them in the future, the Law Commission says today.
Law firms “failing to respond” to consumer enquiries
Law firms are losing business by failing to get back to potential clients, with as many as one in five enquiries going unanswered, new research shows.
“Catalogue of mistakes” – STEP makes case for will-writing regulation
Nearly half of consumers who have a will either wrote their own or obtained it through a cheap online service, with hardly any checking the credentials of the provider.
Solicitor failed to spot conflict in property deals for vulnerable client
A solicitor failed to spot a conflict of interest when a vulnerable client’s attorneys bought five properties using her money but gave themselves a 50% ownership stake in each.
SRA to toughen up on compliance with continuing competence rules
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to step up efforts to ensure compliance with continuing competence obligations, particularly among conveyancers and probate specialists.
SRA happy with standards of law firms handling LPAs and deputyships
Law firms are maintaining a good standard of service despite increased demand for lasting powers of attorney and deputyship work, an SRA review has found.
Blog
The new leaders of law
Where once many law firm owners remained technology sceptics, a growing number are now shaped by leaders who are digitally fluent and commercially oriented.
Managing lock-up, cash flow and billing inefficiencies better
If law firms view lock-up, cash flow and billing processes as key indicators of financial performance – and therefore risk – they can identify problems early.
Ethical standards to protect the public
The recent BBC Panorama episode on solicitors acting for the Post Office highlighted how some lawyers can lose sight of their role to uphold the rule of law and the public interest.
