HMCTS: Public prefers remote hearings but professionals see declining respect
Public users of the courts generally prefer remote to in-person hearings, but they have led to declining levels of respect, formality and concentration, according to government research.
Partner and law firm fined for breaching multiple undertakings
A partner and his law firm have each been fined after failing to deliver on 32 undertakings and confirmations within the agreed timescale – with six still outstanding five years after the transaction concluded.
City firms “must weigh cost of losing female talent” in reward strategy
Big City law firms should take into account in their balance sheet the cost of losing good people ‘by the back door’ by focusing so heavily on earnings ‘through the front door’ such as billable hours.
Fixed costs extension set to happen in less than a year
The Ministry of Justice wants the extension of fixed recoverable costs across the fast-track and in most money cases worth up to £100,000 to take effect from October 2022, it has emerged.
Gender pay gap in law remains wide, Law Society report finds
Women in the largest law firms earn a fifth less than men on average, and the gender pay gap is 50% wider than for businesses nationally, a Law Society analysis has found.
Property search merger could lead to higher costs, warns watchdog
The merger of two of the four big property search providers faces an in-depth probe unless they can show it will not reduce competition and increase costs to conveyancers and others.
Pandemic earnings show “resilience and adaptability” of legal sector
Strong revenue figures from the largest UK law firms during the pandemic showed the “resilience and adaptability” of legal sector during this “difficult period”, the CityUK has said.
Litigants in person continue to shun Official Injury Claim portal
The number of claims begun in the Official Injury Claim portal increased in the second quarter of its operation but once more fewer than 10% of them were brought by litigants in person.
AML crackdown needed on lawyers who enable kleptocrats
An overhaul of anti-money laundering legislation – including targeting professional enablers like lawyers – is needed if the UK is to create a “hostile environment for the world’s kleptocrats”.
Solicitor convicted of assaulting elderly mother suspended indefinitely
A solicitor found guilty of assaulting his elderly mother with a pan has been indefinitely suspended to allow him the chance to address his problems with alcohol.
