Regulation
Solicitor “preyed” on vulnerable clients who left him legacies
An experienced solicitor who preyed on vulnerable clients has been struck off for writing wills that left him and his family significant legacies without ensuring they had taken independent advice.
Licensed conveyancers set for 30% practice fee cut
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is set to cut its fees for the firms it regulates by 30%, having originally planned a 20% reduction.
Alcoholic solicitor who assaulted paramedics struck off
A male solicitor convicted of sexually assaulting two female paramedics while drunk at 8am has been struck off. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
Law school launches SQE-friendly conversion course
BPP has become the first law school to reveal details of a new conversion course aimed at getting students through the first stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam.
High Court refers law firm to SRA over “bogus claims”
The High Court has referred an immigration law firm to the SRA after complaining about “wholly bogus claims are advanced by firms of solicitors who are either inexpert or incompetent”.
BSB passes regulatory test on advocacy quality
The Legal Services Board has said the Bar Standards Board now meets the standard it set for improving the quality of advocacy – unlike the Solicitors Regulation Authority and CILEx Regulation.
COFA did not know to submit accountants’ reports
A partner and compliance officer of a law firm who told the Solicitors Regulation Authority he did not know about the requirement to send accountants’ reports has been fined £10,000.
NDA advice “must be about more than just the law”
Any solicitor who thinks it is only the law that restricts advice on non-disclosure agreements, ignoring the wider public interest, is “heading for trouble”, experts have warned.
Revealed: BSB pulls plug on funding for Legal Choices
The Bar Standards Board has decided to stop funding Legal Choices, the consumer-facing website which until now has been collectively run and paid for by all the legal regulators.
Solicitors rebuked for settlement agreement clauses
Two solicitors who negotiated settlement agreements that sought to prevent others from making complaints to the Solicitors Regulation Authority have been rebuked.
Blog
SEO is changing: Are you measuring the right things?
AI means firms may see falling organic traffic and wonder if SEO is still working. The more interesting question is whether traffic is still the right measure of success.
Forms are evolving – and more interesting than you might think
I have spent much of my working life thinking about something most people would probably prefer not to think about at all: legal forms.
The questions that determine if the SRA’s client money reforms will work
Both reforms respond to real and well-evidenced gaps in the current framework. The SRA’s changes after consultation feedback shows it’s listening. But structural change on paper is only half the job.
Reports
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