Challenges and Changes for Conveyancers
Stewart Title hosting FREE CPD Webinar on the most important issues for property lawyers in 2020 Ever since the effects of the Coronavirus epidemic started to hit the real estate market in March, Stewart Title has been proud to work with noted property law expert Ian Quayle to deliver a unique series of FREE CPD Webinars for […]
New partnership to streamline indemnity process
CLS Property Insight (CLS PI) and Redbrick Solutions are joining forces to deliver an integrated service providing legal indemnity insurance products to the conveyancing market. Redbrick Solutions and CLS PI are committed to making an inspiring and positive impact on the property industry by working proactively to improve the conveyancing process and to formulate and […]
Take part in Lawcare’s ground-breaking research study
Legal mental health charity, Lawcare is urging legal professionals to join over 1,350 fellow colleagues to make their voice heard and tell their story in a ground-breaking research study. Only four weeks to go until the deadline of 31st December, LawCare is urging legal professionals to take part in their study ‘Life in the Law’ […]
How are lenders resourcing up for the current mortgage volumes?
The end of the first lockdown saw a surge in home buying and demand for mortgages. With most staff in lending firms working from home, apart from the branches, lenders have been working hard to keep up with the volume of business. Lenders have been busy recruiting, training, offering overtime to staff and utilising technology […]
Couple lose life savings in housing transaction horror
In an article recently published by the Financial Reporter, it outlined the shocking reality which resulted in one couple losing their life savings, as their housing chain collapsed as a result of a mortgage broker withdrawing their offer. Abdus Saboor and his wife are faced with a bill of at least £33,000 plus ‘damages’ after their […]
Movers and Shakers – 4 December 2020
Here at Today’s Conveyancer, we wanted to share with you the good news we’ve had within in the industry of professionals joining firms and those who have moved up the promotional ladder. This week we’ve seen the following announcements with regards to appointments and promotions: Kevin Gilbert has been appointed as Director and Licenced Conveyancer […]
Huge house moving delays could leave thousands having to pay stamp duty
Thousands of homebuyers could unwittingly have to pay up to £15,000 when the stamp duty holiday ends because of huge delays in the conveyancing process, a lawyer has warned. The Chancellor’s stamp duty holiday – where house buyers are exempt from paying the property tax on the first £500,000 – is due to end on […]
Mortgage approvals at highest levels in over a decade
In the Bank of England’s Money and Credit report, it details that mortgage approvals are at a 13-year high, with an additional £4.3bn secured borrowing in October. Jeremy Leaf, former RICS residential chairman and a north London estate agent, said: “We expect the numbers to remain robust for a least the next month or two […]
Diversity is still a problem in the legal sector
Further calls for the legal sector to embrace further diversity have had a spot light shone on them in the Financial Times, as their legal correspondent Kate Beioley focused on the issue in one of her latest articles. In her article Kate points out: “Ten years after the regulator was set up, the LSB (Legal Service […]
HMRC & ASA get tough on SDLT marketing
HMRC and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have joined forces to clamp down on misleading marketing as part of stamp duty and tax avoidance schemes. The Treasury released a statement, which said: “The joint enforcement notice aims to disrupt the activity of promoters and protect people from being presented with misleading adverts which may tempt […]
Recent data study reveals realities of property log-jam
A study into residential conveyancing transaction data has found the gap between new property instructions and completions is continuing to grow, creating further concerns for an already pressurised market as the Stamp Duty holiday deadline in March 2021 approaches. Ochresoft, the legal workflow software specialist for property and private client lawyers, has revealed that the […]
Taking the temperature of residential real estate
Savills currently forecast a 4%1 growth in UK house prices in 2020 and the latest data from Nationwide shows that they grew at an annual rate of 6.5%2 in November, the fastest rate since January 2015. As the sector seems to be shrugging off the lockdown conditions, we are often being asked if we believe […]
£27m Disposal of Conveyancing Alliance
ULS Technology plc, the provider of online platforms to support UK consumers moving home, announces that it has sold its wholly owned subsidiaries Conveyancing Alliance (Holdings) Limited and Conveyancing Alliance Limited (“CAL”) for a cash consideration of £27.3m (the “Disposal”) to Project Ophelia Bidco Limited, a company which also controls O’Neill Patient Solicitors LLP which […]
Is your local golf course really what it appears to be?
It’s a crisp Saturday morning, you’re out with a few friends for a round of golf. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? A few hours peace and quiet? What you’ll be cooking for dinner that evening? It probably isn’t “I wonder what this golf course used to be”….. Unless of course you are […]
Client communication is key to success
Good client communication is key to a law firm’s success. Better communication leads to stronger client experiences, increased positive reviews, and more potential referrals. Your clients may be weighing the pros and cons of doing business with you, so you’ll want to make yourself indispensable and now, more than ever, technology plays an increasingly important […]
Busy Christmas housing market means bumper filled New Year Q1
The first quarter of 2021 is set to record a property uplift, with 100,000 additional sales expected to complete before the end of March. As buyers rush to beat the stamp duty deadline, the increased transaction pipeline from the final months of 2020 will spill over into the new year, according to the latest findings […]
Safeguards failed enabling fraudulent transfer
Please note this story was also published on Legal Futures. The safeguards a conveyancing firm had in place with their bank failed, enabling a fraudster to transfer money from the firm’s client account. The firm put the safeguard in place, detailing that client transactions could only be made if two authorized people from the firm […]
Conveyancing Association launches revised Cyberfraud & Fraud Protocol
The Conveyancing Association (CA), the leading trade body for the conveyancing industry, has launched a revised fifth version of its Cyberfraud and Fraud Protocol which provides conveyancing firms with practical information on how criminals operate and the measures they, and their staff, can take to avoid being victims of fraud and cyber-crime. Since the original […]
Are brownfield sites the future for self builders?
For many self builders, finding ways to reduce their impact on the environment has become increasingly important in recent times. One tactic some self builders have started using is to rejuvenate brownfield sites, as opposed to building on a greenfield plot. The term ‘brownfield’ may not have been on the radar of self builders earlier […]
Sort Legal becomes a training provider for new conveyancers
Sort Legal are delighted to announce they are now authorised by the SRA (Solicitors Regulations Authority) as a training provider to help train new solicitors as part of their plans for future growth. Continuously seeing growth since 2016, the firm celebrated the opening of their second branch in Cardiff earlier this year (2020). Whilst seeing […]
