Judge orders husband in bitter divorce case to stop emailing wife’s solicitor
A High Court judge has issued a restraining order to stop a man in a long-running divorce case from contacting his former wife’s solicitor on her private email address. Mr Justice Mostyn said “it is completely unacceptable that this form of harassment should take place”.
Low salaries dog debt-ridden young legal aid lawyers, says social mobility report
More than half of young legal aid lawyers are earning less than £25,000 a year, yet more than a quarter start their careers carrying more than £35,000 debt as a result of their education, according to a survey of lawyers in the sector. It found low salaries were a “significant barrier”, although the sector still held an attraction for idealistic recruits.
Consumers warned off CMC subject to multiple complaints over poor practices
The Office for Legal Complaints – the body that oversees the Legal Ombudsman – has exercised for only the second time its power to name “in the public interest” an organisation responsible for dozens of complaints and warned consumers not to use it.
Tribunal upholds council refusal to disclose information on ‘Twitter storm’ SEN law firm
The First-tier Tribunal has upheld a council’s refusal to hand over information on its handling of a review into its dealings with a law firm that caused an uproar by sending out a series of tweets appearing to gloat over defeating cases brought by parents of children with special educational needs.
Regional firm becomes ABS to accelerate growth plans and allow chief executive to invest
A law firm with offices across south Wales and Gloucestershire has become an alternative business structure to assist ambitious plans to exceed its rapid growth in 2017 and enable its non-lawyer chief executive to become an investor.
MoJ loses appeal against decision to award barrister forced to retire from bench £37,000
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has upheld the award of damages to a barrister whose application to continuing sitting as a part-time recorder beyond the statutory retirement age of 70 was refused, while a circuit judge’s was not. The original tribunal decided that he had been treated less favourably because he worked part-time.
Head of dissolved chambers suspended for not paying long-serving clerk contractual dues
A senior barrister has been suspended for failing to pay over a period of nearly five years what was due to a senior clerk at his previous chambers, of which he was head, when it was dissolved. A Bar disciplinary tribunal said the treatment of the clerk was made worse by the fact that he had held his post for 32 years.
Pressure on government to go further with PI cold-calling ban
The government’s insistence on pressing ahead with a ban on cold-calling by claims management companies (CMCs) that many argue does not go far enough will be put to the test today. MPs will consider the changes made during the committee stage of the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill and various further amendments put forward by the Labour opposition.
SRA tells law firms not to use non-disclosure agreements to hide misconduct
Law firms must not use non-disclosure agreements to prevent the reporting of professional misconduct – including sexual harassment or misconduct towards other employees or clients – the Solicitors Regulation Authority warned today.
Insurers can handle low-value PI claims between them, says top boss amid warning of CMC invasion
It should not be “beyond the wit of man” to design a system for low-value personal injury (PI) claims where insurers and their customers handle cases without the involvement of lawyers, the head of one of the country’s biggest insurance companies. The comments came alongside a claimant warning that the PI reforms left plenty of “meat” for CMCs.
