The Law Commission states electronic signature as valid as handwritten one
According to a consultation paper from the Law Commission of England and Wales, electronic signing of legal documents should be considered just as legally binding as a handwritten one – without the need to change the law. The Law Commission further states that the electronic signature can even be valid when it is just a […]
More vigilance needed in Mortgage sector as email scams increase
£236 million was lost to fraudsters last year, according to recent information from HL Partnership. In the majority, poor security, the use of vulnerable email accounts, or clicking on seemingly innocent phishing links have been blamed for these losses. As fraudsters become more sophisticated, users of technology also need to become a lot more suspicious […]
Search Acumen comments on ONS House Price Index June 2018
Andy Sommerville, Director at Search Acumen, comments: “The UK property market takes its lead from London and the South East. While parts of the UK continue to enjoy healthy levels of house price growth, the dips being witnessed in London will no doubt be casting a sense of unease among investors in the market. […]
SRA Compensation Fund grants increase by £5 million in 2017
The SRA’s Annual Review for 2017 has found that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) awarded £15.2 million in grants from the Compensation Fund, this is a £5 million increase on 2016 figures. The average claimant claimed £22,000, with the total number of claims in 2017 topping 2,174. The majority of cases that claimed money from […]
the number of mortgage approvals continues to increase
Despite the number of housing transactions decreasing in recent months, the number of mortgage approvals have increased, according to a survey from e.serv. The survey compares the nation’s changing monthly mortgage approval figures and has found that 66,590 mortgages were approved for the month of July. This is a 1.5% hike from June’s figures. Worryingly, […]
first-time buyers in a perpetual state of distress and dread
Despite Government incentives and plans to help ease the burden for first-time buyers, a recent report conducted by Aldermore, insists that many still struggle under the immense stress and pressure buying a property can place on a person. 52% of first-time buyers surveyed admitted that their health suffered because of the home buying process. This […]
23% Annual Growth Sees Challenger Firms Set The Pace Among Top Conveyancers
Search Acumen Conveyancing Market Tracker – Q2 2018 edition Firms ranked between 51st and 100th experienced largest yearly transaction growth (23%) as the challenger firms set the pace within the top 100, building on momentum from 2017 Those ranked 1st to 50th follow closely behind with 19% annual growth Total conveyancing volumes for England and […]
Forecasts predict a short-term buoyant legal services market but medium-term slowdown
The recent Legal Services Sector Forecast report, published by The Law Society, indicates that the sector will enjoy a brief buoyant market, followed by a sustained slowing of growth. The short-term predictions look optimistic for legal service companies as 2018 real turnover of £29.1 billion indicates a 2.1% increase on 2017 figures of £28.5 billion. […]
The Law Society continue to condemn SRA amendments and proposals
Following The Law Society’s recent condemnation of the Solicitor Regulatory Authority’s (SRA) transparency reforms, The Law Society have now opposed the SRA’s plans to amend the Solicitors’ Handbook. In a recent letter to the Legal Services Board and a press release this morning, The Law Society have argued that the ‘Looking to the Future’ reform […]
Over-55s overwhelmingly reluctant to consider releasing equity in their homes
A recent survey, of over 300 respondents aged over 55, carried out by Moneyfacts has revealed that they are overwhelmingly opposed to seeking advice on equity release. 81% of those surveyed would not look for professional advice on equity release strategies. 44% of these, believe that they are able to complete the research and process […]
Your Conveyancer achieves Legal Eye Quality Standard
One of Scotland’s largest conveyancing firms has achieved the Legal Eye Quality Standard (LEQS). Your Conveyancer has achieved the accreditation, which is awarded by risk and advisory business Legal Eye, as a result of its dedication to embedding robust systems and training across the firm in order to drive excellent customer service. The LEQS is awarded to firms who have […]
we have joined a group – and it feels good
Humans are social creatures, we have an inherent need to belong, to feel part of a group and to be accepted by that group for who we really are. For me this rings so true, I love being part of a group! From a young child loving Brownies, to a student at University on the […]
Conveyancing Spotlight – Sort Legal LTD
Sort Legal LTD, a Derby based company specialising in providing access to legal and surveying services to the financial services intermediary sector through its cutting-edge online platform, is one of Derby’s fastest growing businesses. Following sustained success and growth, Sort Legal LTD is looking to expand its business even further. The recent recruitment open day […]
The Law Society angered by Restrictive Conveyancing Panels
The Law Society claim that conveyancing panel memberships, and the increasingly demanding standards needed to remain a panel member, reduce consumer choice, push-up consumer fees and should be investigated further. The Law Society has stated: “Where consumers wish to instruct a solicitor of their choice they may do so. However, if that solicitor’s firm is not a member […]
Blockchain Technology: The Brave New World of the Conveyancing Sector?
Proptech is a growing industry that is forcing legal service providers to consider how they interact and use technology to improve the property moving process; however, could latest technological innovations force us to redefine the way we view property ownership? The current land or property ownership model has existed for thousands of years. Land ownership […]
Why Law Firms Should and Shouldn’t Use Public Cloud
An increasing number of legal firms are looking to the cloud to deliver cost-efficiencies and flexibility, and many are becoming more confident with providers’ IT security and datacentre compliance capabilities. This shows a marked change in the industry as the cloud market matures and providers such as Microsoft Azure and AWS start to offer a secure, viable […]
New National Planning Policy Framework
You have to build a house before you can sell it, so conveyancing specialists will understandably be keen to know whether the Government’s newly published National Planning Policy Framework (“the NPPF”, July 2018) is going to facilitate the delivery of the new housing the country so badly needs. The NPPF – which replaces the previous version published in March 2012 – is not just […]
Rightmove Announces Summer Housing Price Cuts
Recent research, carried out by Rightmove price index, has shown that newly-marketed property suggests an asking price reduction of 2.3%, around £7,200 drop on the average price of a house. The statistics also highlight that sales are down by 0.8% when compared with August 2017. The 2.3% drop is a 0.2% increase from the 2.1% […]
Industry expert comments on shared ownership and its impact on the conveyancing sector
Shared ownership schemes are aimed at first time buyers who do not earn enough to buy a home outright. The scheme is a cross between buying and renting whereby the borrower owns a share but rents the remaining share at a reduced rate. Getting on the property ladder is becoming more and more difficult for […]
UK’s first paperless mortgage process launched by RBS
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has launched the UK’s first totally paper-free mortgage process using Vizolution innovated technology. The new digitalised process which is powered by Vizolution is available at RBS, Natwest and Ulster Bank. Vizolution’s DigiDocs advanced technology allows bank customers to complete their mortgage applications via a digital process, while in the comfort […]
