Conveyancing clients would pay more for “premium” service, research finds
Over a third of home movers would be prepared to pay more for a “premium customer service” from their conveyancer, according to new research that also charts how local solicitors have lost ground to licensed conveyancers and online operations. It said that many conveyancing firms were not responding quickly enough to “21st century mindsets”.
Solicitor who attributed false legal aid claims to depression struck off
A criminal defence solicitor has been struck off for dishonestly claiming £7,000 from the legal aid fund and falsifying documents to cover up his mistakes in double-booking advocates – at a time when he said he was suffering from severe depression which led him to drink and take un-prescribed drugs.
Authorities struggle to recover money from law firm frauds
An office manager jailed last year for stealing £413,000 from a Newcastle law firm can only pay back £58,000 to its partners, it emerged in court yesterday. Meanwhile, the Crown Court has appointed a receiver to recover a ‘tainted gift’ received by the wife of a jailed solicitor who plundered £1.8m from the estates of dead clients.
No point complaining about a barrister’s conduct to head of chambers or BSB, says judge
Complaining about a barrister’s conduct in a written ruling is usually a better way of a judge highlighting concerns than contacting their head of chambers or regulator, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has said. His Honour Judge Shanks said his experience was that neither of those methods achieved anything.
What price unity? Criminal solicitors question why Bar is at the negotiating table without them
Criminal defence solicitors have questioned the unity in the profession to reform the justice system after highlighting how the Bar has asked for solicitors’ support in its fee dispute without reciprocating or involving them in the discussions.
Legal Services Board slaps Law Society with first ever public censure
The Legal Services Board has handed out a public censure for the first time, after finding that the Law Society had governance arrangements in place that could have interfered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The Law Society’s actions undermined “the public interest in effective regulation of legal services”.
Payment processor replaces conveyancers in “UK’s first fully digital mortgage settlement”
A payment processor has taken the place of conveyancers in handling the finances on completion day in what has been claimed to be the UK’s first fully digital mortgage settlement. It could spell the end to clients waiting with the removal van in the afternoon for money to be transferred between lawyers.
BSB opens door to alternatives to pupillage as it shakes up training courses
The Bar Standards Board has decided that the 12-month period for work-based learning – pupillages and other formats that may develop – should remain but made changes to the way vocational and on-the-job training is delivered. It will also peg the minimum pupillage award – currently £12,000 – to figures from the Living Wage Foundation, currently just over £17,000 for London.
Here we go again – Government renews bid to make directors personally liable for nuisance calls
The government is set to finally make good on its pledge to make the directors of companies which make unsolicited nuisance calls personally liable if their firm breaks the law. The announcement yesterday generated big tabloid headlines, but in fact the government made the same one more than 18 months ago but did not act on it.
Courts Service: Flexible hours still on the table but “not about savings”
The Courts Service is still “considering views” on introducing flexible operating hours, which provoked an angry reaction from the profession last year. Chief executive Susan Acland-Hood admitted that the service did not need flexible hours to deliver its promised savings from modernisation.
