Compliance & Regulation
Vulnerable clients struggle in face of “cold, clinical and chaotic” lawyers
Vulnerable clients are being disadvantaged by the “cold, clinical and chaotic manner” in which they are treated by some lawyers, a report for the Legal Services Board has found.
Barrister failed to justify direct access client’s £420,000 bill
A direct access barrister who failed to justify fees for herself and a colleague of £420,000 plus VAT for a divorce hearing has been fined £5,000 by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.
Barrister suspended for telling jury that judge was talking “rubbish”
A barrister who described a judge’s summary of a witness’s evidence as “absolute rubbish” and asked if the judge was giving evidence has been suspended for four months.
SRA should be able to fine much more than £25,000, LSB tells Raab
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s fining powers should go “considerably beyond” the proposed increase to £25,000, the Legal Services Board has told the Lord Chancellor.
Fine for male trainee who told female colleague: “I roofied your drink”
A trainee solicitor who subjected two female colleagues to “harassing and abusive behaviour” at a work Christmas party – groping them and telling one he had “roofied” her drink – has been fined.
Sibling partners embrace employee ownership to maintain team spirit
The sister and brother partners of an Essex law firm have rejected acquisition offers from larger firms and decided to transfer their shares to an employee ownership trust.
Accountancy body can finally exit legal services regulation
The Legal Services Board has granted permission for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants to formally pull out of probate regulation, having refused it in January.
Unregulated providers growing share of consumer and SME markets
The unregulated sector may account for up to 9% of the total market for individuals’ legal needs and up to 39% for small businesses, Legal Services Board research has indicated.
Call to beef up rules on discrimination and harassment by barristers
The rules against discrimination and harassment by barristers need to be strengthened by removing the requirement that the actions be unlawful, two QCs have argued.
Axiom Law enters regulation for first time with US ABS
Leading alternative legal services provider Axiom Law has moved into regulated services for the first time after being granted an ABS licence in the US state of Arizona.
Judge calls for guidance on rights of unqualified agency advocates
County court judges would benefit from “more authoritative guidance” from the higher courts on whether unqualified solicitor’s agents have rights of audience, a circuit judge has said.
Partner fined after charitable trusts used client account as bank
A charity law specialist who allowed two charitable trusts to use his firm’s client account as a banking facility has been fined £2,000 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Regulators must tackle “out-of-date” lawyers, LSB says
Regulators must take action to ensure that lawyers are not operating with “out-of-date” skills or knowledge, the Legal Services Board has said.
FCA toughens up new claims management company ‘phoenixing’ ban
The Financial Conduct Authority is going ahead with a tougher version of a ban on ‘phoenixing’ by financial services claims management companies, which will come into force next month.
Oversight regulator “very concerned” about ethics of commercial lawyers
The LSB has expressed “very significant concerns” about the professional ethics of in-house and commercial lawyers in the wake of a series of incidents which raised “difficult ethical questions”.
Blog
Our vision for 2026: A shared approach to AML
We want to see law firms start taking AML compliance as seriously as it deserves. This means treating it not as a tick-box exercise or a procedural necessity, but as a serious part of company culture.
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.
