Property
Law Society conveyancing scheme a “barrier to competition”
The Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme is a “market barrier”, blocking entry to non-solicitor law firms, the Competition and Markets Authority has been told.
Report calls for disclosure, not ban, of estate agent referral fees
The much-anticipated report from National Trading Standards on estate agents charging referral fees has not recommended banning the practice, calling instead for mandatory disclosure.
Property industry urges sellers to instruct lawyers from the start
Conveyancers, estate agents, surveyors and others have signed up to an ‘industry pledge’ that urges sellers to instruct a lawyer before, or at the same time as, they put their property on the market.
Convicted conveyancer struck off for facilitiating mortgage fraud
A conveyancer who recklessly facilitated a mortgage fraud before being convicted of three money laundering offences and then failing to surrender to bail has been struck off.
Second summary judgment issued against firm in three months
The High Court has issued a second summary judgment ruling against EAD Solicitors arising from the alleged fraudulent activities of a businessman in collusion with a former partner of the Liverpool law firm.
Solicitor under-declared sale prices to pocket stamp duty
A solicitor who falsified returns to HM Revenue & Customs so as to underpay stamp duty land tax and pocket the difference in a bid to keep his firm afloat has been struck off.
Conveyancing paralegal banned for trying to cover up mistake
A conveyancing paralegal who tried to cover up her mistake in not sending an updated plan to the buyers’ solicitor has been banned from working in the profession.
Land Registry embraces ‘witnessed electronic signatures’
The last strict requirement to print and sign a paper document in a property transaction was removed today as HM Land Registry began accepting ‘witnessed electronic signatures’.
Consumers “will no longer tolerate” paper-based conveyancing
There are still too many paper-based processes in conveyancing and consumers will no longer tolerate it in the wake of Covid-19, the chairman of HM Land Registry has argued.
Agreement seeks to “smooth” home-buying process
A voluntary cross-industry agreement to improve the home-buying process – including earlier instructions to conveyancers – is being mooted.
Simplify adds major conveyancing firm to ranks
Consolidation at the top end of the conveyancing market is speeding up after Simplify announced the acquisition of a leading London and South East firm, the second private equity-backed deal this week.
Work still at 50% of pre-Covid levels, says NAHL
NAHL plc has seen a modest recovery since lockdown restrictions eased but personal injury and conveyancing work is still at 50% of pre-Covid levels.
Conveyancing “roaring back”, says fast-growing ABS
A rapidly expanding alternative business structure which combines conveyancing and mortgage advice is expecting a record month as the property market roars back.
Email interception “weakest link” in fight against cybercrime
Security experts have highlighted email interception as the “weakest link” in firms’ defences against cybercrime in the property market.
PE-backed conveyancing firm hits acquisition trail
Leading conveyancing firm O’Neill Patient – which was last year bought by a private equity firm – has acquired Cavendish Legal Group, the first of what it says will be “a number of acquisitions”.
Blog
Charting a new course for publicly funded legal services
The current Legal Aid Agency model is inherently flawed and it goes beyond mere data breaches – it cannot innovatively respond to increasing challenges.
Preparing people for the pace of technological change
While technology often dominates the conversation, I believe the most important challenge facing law firms is not adopting new tools – it is preparing people to adapt alongside them.
Reorientation in the AI era must begin with the client
Much of the discussion about AI in the legal industry focuses on technology: which tools to adopt and which tasks might get automated. But this misses the deeper story.
