Solicitors
LSB hits out at “jumble” of disciplinary regimes, but admits it can do little to improve them
The sanctions and appeals regimes of the frontline regulators are an inconsistent “jumble” of different powers that may protect lawyers rather than consumers, according to the Legal Services Board.
Advertising watchdog raps PI firm over offer of £2,000 up-front payment
A law firm which offers personal injury claimants a £2,000 up-front payment has been told to make it clear to potential clients that the offer is subject to significant qualifications, after a complaint about one of its television adverts was upheld.
From the Russian mafia to the Arab Spring – SRA records big rise in money laundering reports
The number of law firms suspected of involvement in money laundering trebled last year, with some solicitors mixed up with the Russian mafia as well as “inappropriate transactions” following the Arab Spring, the Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed yesterday.
LSB presses on with statutory guidance forcing regulators to liberalise education and training
Statutory guidance that requires legal regulators to move away from assuming would-be lawyers have to spend a certain amount of time training before they qualify was published yesterday by the Legal Services Board.
Second phase of apprenticeships scheme opens door to solicitor and conveyancer qualification
Key players in the legal profession have welcomed the second phase of a government-backed scheme that will create apprenticeships which for the first time will lead to qualification as a solicitor, while a new apprenticeship in conveyancing will also be developed.
Huge rise in number of criminals using bogus law firms
The number of reported attempts trying to defraud the public by using bogus law firms soared by 57% last year, the Solicitors Regulation Authority revealed yesterday as it brought forward publication of a cybercrime guide.
Solicitor appeals against OFT sanction
A solicitor who faces the unusual sanction from the Office of Fair Trading of being excluded from the group consumer credit licence held by the Law Society is appealing against the decision.
Solicitors put on phishing alert over bogus SRA e-mail, as new cash converter scam also emerges
Solicitors have been warned about a new e-mail ‘phishing’ scam containing a computer virus that is targeted at the profession and purportedly sent by the SRA. Meanwhile, the regulator has reported a new scam involving cash converter type stores.
LSB and Law Society on new collision course over SRA appointments
The Legal Services Board is heading for another confrontation with the Law Society after proposing to take away its responsibility for appointing the chairman and board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
LSB to impose controversial lay chair requirement on regulators
The frontline regulators will be required to have lay chairs in future after the Legal Services Board (LSB) pressed ahead with its controversial change to the internal governance rules.
Tribunal rejects SRA appeal against sex discrimination ruling
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has lost its appeal against an employment tribunal decision that it discriminated against a female employee after revoking her part-time working agreement.
QASA claimants bid to fight on to Court of Appeal
The legal challenge to the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) is not yet dead after it emerged that the claimants have gone to the Court of Appeal to seek permission to appeal.
From bad debts to bad mergers – SRA study pinpoints key features of firms in financial difficulty
A failure to pay debts – and the increasing willingness of creditors to pursue solicitors for their money – is the most common feature of law firms in financial difficulty, Solicitors Regulation Authority research has found.
SRA: interventions due to dishonesty on the rise
The Solicitors Regulation Authority recorded a sharp rise in the number of interventions last year that involved suspected dishonesty, new figures have revealed. It also highlighted growing delays in cases going through the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
Solicitor struck off for practising while suspended
A Birmingham solicitor has been struck off for practising while suspended, including appearing in court. Peter Chahal was removed from the roll of solicitors by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal last week.
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.
