Property
Test shows ChatGPT still falling short in key areas, says conveyancer
The latest version of ChatGPT provides first-time buyers with better answers than it did two years ago but still falls short in crucial ways, conveyancing solicitors have warned.
Government awards £1.75m to conveyancing data projects
Two projects that aim to speed up the home-buying process have received £1.75m in government backing from the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund.
Reforms “will push conveyancing fees down by over 20%”
Conveyancing fees should fall by over 20% as a result of a streamlined process and other changes to the home-buying regime announced yesterday, the government has claimed.
Government unveils major home-buying reform plan
The government has unveiled a blueprint to reform the home-buying and selling system, including mandatory upfront property information and digitisation.
Solicitor fined for letting down clients over off-plan investments
A solicitor who failed to advise clients on the risks of off-plan, buyer-led investment schemes has been fined £17,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Conveyancing fees “vary by 150% for the same service”
Conveyancing fees vary by 150% or more for “essentially the same service”, according to new research, with just 5% of firms offering different service levels.
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.
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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