Property
High Court: Solicitor “turned blind eye” to money laundering concerns
A partner at a London law firm “dishonestly assisted” in misappropriating a company’s funds by turning a blind eye to money laundering issues raised by property transactions, the High Court has ruled.
“Tough winter ahead for conveyancers,” research warns
Conveyancers are set to experience a “sharp decline” in transaction volumes this year amid further consolidation in the market, new research has shown.
Judge heavily criticises solicitor whose client “did not exist”
A tribunal has heavily criticised a solicitor who acted for a woman the judge decided did not actually exist, in a bid to stop a property sale, in a case he described as “quite extraordinary”.
Centralised property data system needed to improve moving process
The government needs to ensure better up-front information and create a centralised property data system to improve the home-buying process, Santander argued yesterday.
Conveyancers sign industry charter to speed up property process
Instructing a conveyancer when a property is listed is number one of an eight-point plan issued by a group of 23 leading organisations to speed up the home-buying process.
Conveyancing fees maintain record high after stamp duty rush
Conveyancing fees have not fallen back after reaching an all-time high in the rush to get transactions completed before stamp duty increased on 31 March.
Conveyancers need reform of Building Safety Act “minefield”
Reform of building safety regulations may encourage professional indemnity insurers to remove their block on conveyancers advising on certain transactions, CILEX has told the government.
SDT rejects managing partner’s bid to blame junior solicitor for errors
A managing partner has failed to convince the SDT to blame the one-year qualified solicitor he was supervising for failures on a conveyancing transaction at an undervalue.
Land Registry needs to ditch “quasi-legal” culture, review finds
HM Land Registry needs to shift from a “quasi-legal” culture to one that is more consumer friendly given the changing nature of the home-buying process, according to a review.
Report backs “targeted approach” to upfront property information
A report for the Digital Property Market Steering Group has outlined a “more targeted approach” to upfront property information, focused on reducing late-stage transaction failures.
Blog
Firms need to move faster on AI pricing
Law firms are trying to rethink pricing while still operating on business models fundamentally built around time.
The overlooked hate crime reform in Crime & Policing Act
Reforms introduced by the Crime and Policing Act 2026 mark a significant development in hate crime law in England and Wales, recognising hostility related to sex as an aggravated offence.
The SRA’s strict liability gamble has failed. Good
The Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in Dentons v SRA on 27 April, and the profession is right to welcome it. It is the second time in short succession that the court has corrected the SRA.
