Compliance & Regulation
Partner rebuked for backdating documents used in divorce case
A solicitor who followed a client’s instructions to backdate a loan agreement and then did not disclose it as part of divorce proceedings has been rebuked for her “error of judgment”.
Axiom Ince stops taking new instructions as break-up looms
The end appears nigh for Axiom Ince, with the law firm admitting that it has stopped taking new instructions and will “likely be unable to continue in its current format”.
Partner lied to new firm about drink-driving convictions
A solicitor who lied to Keystone Law about drink-drive convictions as well as investigations into his conduct when he joined the listed law firm has been struck off.
Solicitor failed to spot conflict in property deals for vulnerable client
A solicitor failed to spot a conflict of interest when a vulnerable client’s attorneys bought five properties using her money but gave themselves a 50% ownership stake in each.
SRA “must look at how regulation can promote access to justice”
The SRA must explore how its work “can be used to enhance and promote access to justice”, such as by ensuring there are enough social welfare lawyers, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said.
Suspended solicitor points finger at SRA over “administrative error”
A solicitor suspended for practising without insurance has blamed an admitted “administrative error” by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for triggering the events which led to it.
Law firm fined for paying proceeds of sale to third party
A law firm which failed to follow its internal processes and transferred the proceeds of a property sale to a third party has been fined for misconduct.
Solicitor who sent £147,500 cheque with resignation letter struck off
A solicitor who enclosed a cheque for £147,500 with his resignation letter, so he could leave a national law firm with a “clear conscience”, has been struck off.
Legal Choices portal “best way forward” for single register of lawyers
An improved version of the Legal Choices ‘Can you trust your legal adviser?’ portal could be “the best way forward” for a single digital register of all regulated lawyers, the LSB has said.
One in four complaints to Legal Ombudsman outside new time limits
More than a quarter (27%) of complaints made to the Legal Ombudsman are outside the new time limits introduced at the beginning of April, it has emerged.
Solicitor redacted witness statements to cover up mistakes
A solicitor has been struck off after redacting witness statements to cover up actions he had taken, including agreeing that his client would pay costs, without her knowledge.
LSB questions ‘one size fits all’ approach to indemnity insurance
The diversity of the legal services sector means the one-size-fits-all approach to professional indemnity insurance adopted by its regulators “may not be the most appropriate”.
ICO reprimands law firm over data breach that saw money stolen
The Information Commissioner’s Office has reprimanded a law firm after a cyber-attack led to a data breach and four fraudulent payments being made on a probate matter.
Solicitor struck off for taking loan from client and trying to conceal it
A veteran solicitor who borrowed £25,000 from a client to help prop up his firm and then tried to hide it from the Solicitors Regulation Authority as fees paid on account has been struck off.
SRA intervenes into practice of Axiom Ince boss
The boss of Axiom Ince, the law firm that recently bought both Ince & Co and Plexus Legal out of administration, is under investigation by the SRA for possible dishonesty.
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.
