Property
Rebuke for law firm that failed to perform undertaking for years
A South London law firm that failed to perform an undertaking given during a property transaction for nearly two and a half years has been rebuked by the SRA.
Government pledges to “simplify” conveyancing
The government has promised to “simplify” conveyancing as part of its home-buying reforms, recognising that the role of conveyancers has “expanded significantly”.
Sales packs on way as government commits to home-buying reform
The government is pressing ahead with reforms to the home-buying process, which it says will cut transaction times by around four weeks.
CLC warns of “regulatory blind spots” on referral fees
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has warned of the risk of “regulatory blind spots” after a review of referral fees revealed shortcomings in firms documenting arrangements.
HMRC finally explains when conveyancers should register as tax advisers
HM Revenue & Customs has finally issued detailed guidance on when conveyancers need to register with it as tax advisers.
CLC practices offer good but busy workplaces, research finds
There are good levels of job satisfaction across the conveyancing and probate communities regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers – but workloads are high.
LeO directs law firm to pay £49k in latest public interest decisions
The Legal Ombudsman directed London law firm Laytons to pay £49,000 in compensation to a client for failing to register her lease extension in the latest batch of public interest decisions.
MPs set out demands to improve home-buying process
Mandatory upfront information, conditional sale contracts and regulation of estate agents would all help improve the home buying process, MPs have said.
Partner struck off for ‘witnessing’ unsigned leases
A partner who witnessed two leases as having been signed in his presence when they had not has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Solicitor’s failure to redeem charges “a warning to profession”
The case of a solicitor who wrongly thought charges on a property had been removed is “a warning that even experienced professionals could make serious errors in judgment under extreme stress”.
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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