Solicitors

A solicitor who admitted owing barristers over £146,000 in unpaid fees has failed to overturn his strike-off at the High Court. He issued “disingenuous and misleading” defences when sued for payment.

The proportion of complaints about poor service successfully resolved in-house by law firms without reference to the Legal Ombudsman has topped 80% for the first time, it has emerged.

A second solicitor who told an undercover television reporter that he would help them apply for a visa on the back of a bogus marriage has been struck off – but is also appealing the decision.

It is wrong to suggest that ‘Chinese walls’ set up by small law firms to prevent confidentiality breaches will “never be effective” – although there is a higher risk of them failing – a judge has ruled.

The government-funded Legal Access Challenge has received more than 85 expressions of interests in applying for funding, the Solicitors Regulation Authority said yesterday.

The new breed of freelance solicitor – or what will officially be called an ‘independent solicitor’ – could join forces with others in a chambers-style arrangement, the SRA has suggested.

A solicitor who took the “extraordinary approach” of trying to settle his debts of over £115,000 with promissory notes has been struck off. He also used client monies to pay office expenditure.

The Law Society recorded a deficit of £11.5m on a budget of £116m in the last financial year, compared to a surplus of £6.7m in the previous 12 months, its annual report has revealed.

A defendant personal injury lawyer who inaccurately recorded a telephone conversation with the other side in an attendance note – which led to the court being misled – has been fined.

Four in ten law firms are doing more professional training following the end of the hours-based approach, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found.