Property
Call to tackle low-cost conveyancing as part of home-buying reform
Stronger regulation of the “high-volume, low-value conveyancing sector”, as well as a review of fee structures, is needed as part of home-buying reform, the government has been told.
Suspended suspension for “manifestly incompetent” solicitor
A “manifestly incompetent” solicitor who facilitated one fraudulent and three potentially fraudulent property transactions has been given a suspended suspension.
Fast-growing conveyancing firm bought by private equity
A conveyancing law firm only set up in May 2021 has been bought by private equity in a deal that values it at £25m.
Vos eyes machine-made decisions for property disputes
Many property disputes “could be amenable to machine-made decision-making” in the future, the Master of the Rolls has predicted.
Land Registry data puts spotlight on law firm errors
Most of the HM Land Registry customers will avoidable requisition rates of 20% or more are law firms, new figures have revealed.
Estate agency praised for dropping referral fee demands
An estate agency has been praised for publicly disavowing future demands for referral fees, describing them as “the quiet scandal” in the industry.
Digital property pack wins government data prize
A digital property pack which combines multiple sources of data into a “single source of truth” for conveyancers and others has won a government prize worth £50,000.
Conveyancers starting to cut down on ‘avoidable’ requisitions
Efforts to reduce the number of avoidable requisitions that the HM Land Registry has to make are working, new figures have shown.
CLC launches accelerated ‘experience’ route to qualification
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has launched an accelerated route to qualification for fee-earners who have been working for at least four years in conveyancing or probate.
Conveyancer cleared after exchanging contracts on day of instruction
A solicitor has been cleared of misconduct when acting on the exchange of contracts for an elderly client’s property on the same day he was instructed.
Blog
Strong AML controls are meaningless with incomplete data
One expectation as the FCA takes control of anti-money laundering oversight is a move towards more supervision rather than simply writing new rules.
Navigating the legal AI productivity-profitability paradox
Firms are achieving efficiencies through AI, especially in the practice of law. Yet many are struggling to see that reflected in their financial outcomes
Regulation, growth and access to justice: why legal services need a reset
Well-intentioned consumer protections embedded in the regulation of legal services increasingly act as barriers to innovation, competition and access to justice.
