Property
Third-party managed account first for licensed conveyancers
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has issued its first approval for a law firm to use a third-party managed account for its client funds.
CLC issues warning not to slack off on post-completion work
The term ‘post-completion’ can encourage conveyancers to see applications to HM Land Registry as an afterthought, especially as they are done after collecting the fee, the CLC has warned.
High Court concerned by solicitors’ “fishy” role in possession case
The High Court has highlighted the “fishy” role of two solicitors in a housing possession case in what “looks like a stitch-up” of the occupant by her ex-husband.
Land Registry starts accepting qualified electronic signatures
HM Land Registry will now accept deeds signed with qualified electronic signatures and is encouraging lawyers and their clients to start using them.
Land Registry misses targets on tackling errors and productivity
HM Land Registry has missed the targets it set itself for reducing errors in new entries on the register and on productivity, according to its annual report.
Regulator to review conveyancers’ referral arrangements
Last week’s BBC Panorama programme on ‘conditional selling’ by estate agents has prompted the Council for Licensed Conveyancers to launch a review of referral arrangements.
Law Commission reform to aid conveyancers with chancel repair
The Law Commission is planning to take one burden off conveyancers’ shoulders by removing doubts about chancel repair liability and the need to take out insurance.
CMA action “would put upfront information back on property agenda”
It may take strong enforcement action by the Competition and Markets Authority to make the property sector realise that upfront material information remains a priority.
Paralegal rebuked for £1.85m payment error
A senior paralegal has been rebuked for wrongly requesting the release of at least £1.85m to a property developer which later went bust, leaving his law firm to repay buyers.
Solicitor tried to stop counterpart reporting breach of undertaking
A solicitor who breached an undertaking and then tried to stop his opposite number reporting him to the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been struck off.
Conveyancers launch own guidance to reduce enquiries
A grassroots initiative to reduce the number of unnecessary enquiries which can delay conveyancing transactions has gone live.
Law Society “pauses” work on material information form
The Law Society has “paused” work on a material information form for conveyancers, after National Trading Standards withdrew it guidance on the issue last month.
Clients must understand conveyancers’ climate change role
Conveyancers must make it “very clear” to clients whether or not they are taking on liability in checking for climate change issues, a director at a leading indemnity insurer has warned.
Conveyancing instructions up by a third as completion times fall
Conveyancing instructions rose by almost a third last year, while completion times fell, while seven out of 10 home buyers were more likely to choose a conveyancer that was 100% digital.
Investigation raises doubts about rigour of Law Society’s CQS
Seven in 10 law firms fined for anti-money laundering breaches in recent months have Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation, raising serious questions about how it is checked and enforced.
Blog
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
The SRA’s 2025 AML report: What law firms need to know
The SRA has released its 2024-25 anti-money laundering report and the scale of supervision is striking – it carried out 935 proactive engagements in the year to 5 April 2025.
The managing partner in 2026: skills, security and strategic technology
The legal sector stands at a pivotal moment. The pace of technological change is accelerating, cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, and client expectations are higher than ever.
