Regulation
Barrister who failed to pass on fees to colleague suspended
A public access barrister who failed to pass on fees payable to a colleague has been suspended by a disciplinary tribunal. She was given a further suspension for not telling a client about a court order.
LSB rules “could stop Law Society from criticising SRA”
The Law Society has said it is “deeply concerned” that new rules proposed by the Legal Services Board could largely prevent it from either lobbying or criticising the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Panel questions future of underperforming regulator
The position of the smaller legal regulators has been thrust into the spotlight, with the chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel suggesting that one may be at risk of losing its right to regulate.
Regulators “must be pressured” to publish lawyers’ disciplinary records
The Legal Services Board is not putting enough pressure on the frontline regulators to publish details of lawyers’ disciplinary records on their online registers, it has been claimed.
Solicitor who took £1m from clients jailed
A solicitor who took almost £1m from the estates of dead clients has been jailed for six years. He charged hugely inflated fees to deal with probate, in one case charging 50 times the estimated fee.
Female barristers highlight clash between work and family
Research led by female barristers has highlighted the stark choices faced by women trying to balance working in private practice with looking after children.
Mini-pupillages could “indirectly discriminate”, BSB review finds
Unpaid mini-pupillages could “indirectly discriminate” against would-be barristers from poorer backgrounds, a review by the Bar Standards Board has found.
Immigration chief hits out as “abuse” by lawyers
The appeal system for failed asylum-seekers has been “heavily abused by some lawyers”, the former Home Office director-general of immigration enforcement has claimed.
Struck-off solicitor turned claims manager cannot return to roll
A struck-off solicitor who became a claims manager, and was fined £220,000 for cold calling, cannot return to the profession, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has decided.
Struck-off solicitor disbarred over legal aid fraud
A dual-qualified solicitor and barrister who was struck off after being convicted of conspiracy to defraud the Legal Aid Agency has now been disbarred. He was given a two-year suspended sentence.
Blog
Why later-life divorce requires a distinct professional framework
Later-life divorce, often described as ‘silver splitter’ or ‘grey divorce’ cases, is no longer a marginal feature of family law practice. It challenges long-standing assumptions about how divorce work is done.
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
