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Survey: Home-buyers “in the dark” over referral fees
Most home-buyers do not know if their conveyancer paid a fee for a recommendation from their estate agent, according to new research from the CLC.
Solicitors’ firms starting to switch regulator
Solicitors’ firms are moving their whole practices or conveyancing departments to the oversight of the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, it has emerged.
Panel blasts ICAEW’s approach to probate prices
The Legal Services Consumer Panel has strongly criticised the “insufficient” plans of the second largest probate regulator to introduce new requirements on publishing prices.
Online quote generators “must give instant results”
Consumers using an online estimate generator should not have to give lawyers their contact details before receiving the figure, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers has said.
CMC owners face an end to ‘phoenixing’
An end to owners of CMCs closing down a distressed firm and opening another – known as ‘phoenixing’ – is on the cards under new proposals from the Financial Conduct Authority.
Bogus lawyer who stole £68,000 from clients jailed
A woman who falsely claimed to be a qualified immigration lawyer, and did not deliver on what clients paid her £68,000 for, has been jailed for five years.
CLC price and service transparency rules approved
Licensed conveyancers will be required to publish price and service information on their websites from December after the Legal Services Board approved their regulator’s new rules.
Big CMCs to be hit hardest as FCA seeks £17m
The big CMCs will be hit hardest by fee increases planned by the Financial Conduct Authority to fund the £17m cost of their new regulatory regime.
Bogus lawyer convicted for second time
A man has pleaded guilty to five counts of providing unqualified immigration advice and services, some 13 years after an identical conviction.
Bogus lawyer jailed for “worse than useless” advice
A man who falsely claimed he fronted a legal business has been sent to prison for charging £12,000 for advice a judge described as “worse than useless”.
Blog
Is your Google Ads budget funding your competitors’ AI visibility?
If your cost-per-click has crept up again this year, you’ve probably assumed the market simply got more expensive. That’s the wrong way to read what’s happening.
Containing the spread of unapproved AI
Nearly 60% of fee-earners admit to using unapproved tools (like free versions of ChatGPT). Yet 68% of firm leaders are confident there is zero risk of unapproved AI being used for client work.
When AI adoption goes wrong, costs add up fast
City AM recently reported that London is fighting to claim the title of ‘global capital of legal AI’. However, it’s crucial we remember that adoption alone does not create value.
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