Property
Tribunal: Barristers’ rooms are not individually rateable properties
A leading tax law chambers has failed to convince a tribunal that rooms occupied by barristers are individual properties for the purposes of business rates.
Search providers refused permission to appeal “overcharging” ruling
The High Court has refused 14 search providers permission to appeal a ruling dismissing an overcharging claim against the nine English water companies.
Former conveyancer raises £850,000 for onboarding tool
A former conveyancer has raised almost £850,000 for a new onboarding tool, including a grant of £292,000 from Innovate UK, which went live in July.
AI “could help allocate work to conveyancers”
Artificial intelligence is being developed for “triage and work allocation” in law firms and particularly for conveyancing, a director of the SRA has said.
Full-service law firm relaunched as consultant-led property specialist
FDR Law, a general practice bought by Taylor Rose in 2021, has been relaunched as a specialist property law firm for self-employed consultants.
Conveyancers will be urged to move away from client account
Licensed conveyancers will be encouraged by their regulator to move away from the risks of client account as it becomes more practical, an industry roundtable has heard.
SRA to probe competence of family law and landlord and tenant solicitors
The SRA is to examine how family law and landlord and tenant law specialists maintain their competence amid increasing reports about their practices.
Claim against law firm back on after High Court overturns strike-out
The High Court has overturned a master’s decision to strike out a claim against a London law firm because of a release clause in a previous settlement involving its clients.
TV personalities wade in over agents “forcing” conveyancers on buyers
Estate agents forcing buyers to use their preferred lawyers, or at least charge more if they do not, has come under the spotlight thanks to TV personalities Martin Lewis and Kirstie Allsopp.
Law Society “must become more responsive to members” after SGM
The Law Society “must become much more responsive to its members working at the coalface of legal services”, the head of the Property Lawyers Action Group has said.
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.
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