Property
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.
City partner “erroneously” paid out £2.2m to developer client
A partner at DWF has been fined £14,000 for wrongly approving £2.2m in payments to a developer which later went bust, leaving the firm to recompense out-of-pocket buyers.
Solicitor who worked for three firms at same time struck off
A locum solicitor whose timesheets claimed for the same time from two different firms – while employed full-time at a third – has been struck off.
Property lawyers attack “punitive” AML fining regime
The “punitive” fining regime for anti-money laundering rule breaches operated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has left lawyers feeling “fearful”.
Land Registry to publish law firms’ “avoidable” requisition rates
HM Land Registry is to publish data this autumn showing the number of avoidable requisitions it has to raise with every conveyancing firm.
Stamp duty deadline pushed conveyancing fees to “all-time high”
Conveyancing fees hit an “all-time high” in the first quarter of this year in the run-up to the stamp duty deadline, with the average figure up by almost 12% on the same period last year.
Conveyancers “should advise on liability from climate risks”
Solicitors should advise clients in property transactions on the potential liability they face from “climate risks”, the Law Society has said in new guidance.
Blog
How ELD NextGen will improve employers’ liability tracing
The Employers’ Liability Tracing Office is continuing work towards the launch of ELD NextGen, the next generation of the employers’ liability database, in early 2027.
Fifteen years on: Lessons from ABS reform
Fifteen years ago this month saw the very first alternative business structure. At the time, the prospect of non-lawyers owning law firms was dubbed ‘Tesco Law’.
Hybrid working and client money controls – be aware of the risks
For legal finance teams, remote working has changed how information moves, how approvals are obtained and how colleagues communicate.
Reports
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