Taking steps to improve social mobility in the legal sector
Many of the UK’s most lucrative business sectors have traditionally favoured job applicants with the hallmarks of upper-class education such as private schooling, and attendance to Oxbridge or Russell Group institutions. Research shows that this continues to be an issue, along with general diversity. Even today, many industries and sectors are male-dominated, with an under-representation […]
No extension to SDLT holiday says Treasury
The Treasury has announced that there will be no extension to the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday, with the deadline looming for 31 March 2021. Petitions began to be created imploring the government to extend this break for many, as backlogs will prevent people from completing their transactions before the deadline. One petition was […]
Don’t forget to take time to recharge over the festive period
2020 has been a year like no other, and everyone has had a really tough year. The conveyancing sector is one of the legal arms that has been under a lot of pressure to deliver a service to clients, whilst dealing with backlogs as a result of the coronavirus, and an increase in transactions due […]
Agents are reminded to be wary of fraudulent conveyancing
Property fraud is one of the more lucrative ways a fraudster can earn large sums of money. In these increasingly busy times, the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA) have released a warning to agents about this type of crime. By carrying out property conveyancing work, residential property teams may be exposed to the risk of this […]
Breaking News : Chancellor extended furlough scheme for an extra month
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the furlough scheme for an extra one month until the end of April next year. Rishi said the move would provide “certainty for millions of jobs and businesses”. The further extension will mean the government will continue to pay 80% of the wages of workers who have been furloughed. Mr […]
CMA praises advancements in legal sector, but more can be done
Today, 17 December, the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) has published the findings of its review of the legal services in England and Wales. The review has found that the legal profession has made some positive advancements with regards to transparency but more work can be done to continue to improve and more work on the […]
Video conferencing calls – love or loath them, what are the hidden benefits for solicitors?
Alongside the rising fear of the pandemic, the year 2020 has seen a meteoric rise of the video conference meeting – not only as a business obligation but also as a social necessity. Much has been written about the downsides, but hold up – are there any opportunities or hidden advantages for law firms and […]
How law firm mergers affect employee engagement and how to support your team
Mergers in any sector can happen for any number of reasons, from a desire to globalise and reach new markets, to consolidating in the face of economic difficulties and uncertainty. But mergers and acquisitions themselves can be very uncertain times for everyone involved. None more-so than the associates, non-legal staff, and fresh-faced graduates who are […]
Lincolnshire mortgage broker fined £50,000
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined OSL Financial Consultancy Limited (OSL) in Lincolnshire £50,000 for illegally sending over 174,000 nuisance marketing texts. The offences happened between March and June 2020, as the company sought to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic. The nuisance text messages related to the drop in Buy to Let mortgage […]
Banks often blame customers for fraud issues
The Financial Ombudsman Service has revealed that there is a 36% rise in complaints with regards to how banks dealt with fraud and scams when compared to 2019. Last year, many banks and financial institutions signed up to the voluntary code, which meant that they refunded victims of fraud, if the victim isn’t at fault. […]
When legal representation falls short: study finds diversity is lacking in law firms
Diversity is a factor high on the list of any industry looking to ensure parity in their workforce and hiring practices. Nowhere should this be more the case than in the legal industry. Ensuring the workforce is representative of the wider society is particularly important within this sector because of the direct link it has […]
Law Society think moving now before SDLT deadline is ‘longshot’
Solicitors’ leaders are urging consumers to have realistic expectations about achieving their dream move before the looming stamp duty holiday deadline. Many people are keen to conclude their sales and purchases prior to Christmas, while others entering the housing market in the New Year will still be hoping to take advantage of the stamp duty […]
Hackney Council offering partial land search
Following on from a cyber attack which disrupted their systems, Hackney Council have released a statement offering partial land searches. This isn’t great news for those who rely on the Local Authority for searches to get their transaction through before the stamp duty land tax deadline on 31 March 2021. The statement on the Hackney […]
Dudley: Controversial New Build Proposals on Landfill Site
Planning proposals for a new build development on a former landfill site have reappeared in Dudley raising local residents’ fears that the building work could release historic toxic material and landfill gases affecting homes that surround the site. Developer Countryside Properties is seeking to deliver 82 much needed affordable family homes in the Woodsetton […]
IPSA Launches New Conveyancing Searches Solution
IPSA (The Association of Independent Personal Search Agents) is the leading UK trade association for personal search agents and membership includes some of the largest search firms in the country as well as many independent companies and sole traders. All IPSA members are registered with, and regulated by, the Property Codes Compliance Board, and any […]
Should solicitors be forced to display prices on their websites?
Following on from Nigel Haddon’s interview, Jackie Emmerson Managing Director at Emmerson Solicitors has shared her views with Today’s Conveyancer about price transparency. The Solicitors Regulatory Authority determined that solicitors should be transparent in their pricing. And thus everyone is now expected to display their prices on their website! It would seem that there were […]
Explaining Biodiversity Net Gain
You may have noticed the phrase ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’ appearing more often recently. It’s because it’s one of the key phrases in the government’s proposed Environment Bill. In Spring 2019, following a consultation period, it was announced that Biodiversity Net Gain would be included in the Environment Bill, the legislation being introduced to replace the […]
Lawyer Checker announce survey results and Tech Hamper winners
Lawyer Checker are delighted to announce the two winners of our exclusive gift hamper giveaway just in time for Christmas. The winners were chosen at random following our client survey to existing and non-users which we sent out in November. With over 250 responses received, we’d firstly like to say a big thank you to […]
Increased risk searches proves conveyancers unprecedented workload
Conveyancers are facing unprecedented challenges as fresh data reveals a significant rise in prospective completions. The extreme difficulties of coronavirus have impacted greatly on the conveyancing industry causing the profession immense pressure and stress. Exclusive risk management solution provider, Lawyer Checker has seen first-hand the effect on the sector. Lawyer Checker are best known for […]
Land Registry advises conveyancers how to avoid requisitions
HM Land Registry have provided informative videos for conveyancers to help avoid the most common reasons for requisitions after data revealed that nearly 20% of registration applications require them to raise a requisition. In addition, due to requisition rates varying widely between individual firms, it can be up to as much as 50% of applications […]
