Richard Barnett loses appeal against strike-off at High Court
Former Solicitor Richard Barnett has lost his High Court appeal against being struck off the roll by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The former partner at Merseyside conveyancers Barnett Solicitors had appealed for costs of £30,000 to enable him to pay for counsel, and then a second appeal for an adjournment of this hearing. However both […]
Pali’s Video of The Month Revealed
Following Pali’s on-going video marketing campaign, we are delighted to unveil their latest video project featuring their valued client, Brabners Solicitors. Watch the video below to hear what Jon Taylor at Brabners had to say: Pali (Property And Land Information) is a national, multi-award winning Conveyancing Search Company. Pali have been providing conveyancing professionals with quality […]
Are you in control of your data?
With law firms’ profitability being squeezed by alternative entrants to the market and consumer demands for fixed fee work, the benefits of powerful business intelligence solutions in delivering key strategies and measuring success in order to sustain profitability are more essential than ever. Quality of data is key to mining meaningful business intelligence. And meaningful […]
Fraud and more fraud
Once again conveyancers are being assailed by a whirlwind of reports (scare stories if you wish) about fraud. Most recently, on April 29th we were warned: ‘PII costs fall – but attempted fraud is rampant, Law Society reveals’. Apparently “Almost a quarter of firms reported being targeted by scammers in the last year”. You have […]
UK housing transactions set to jump by a fifth by 2020, but recovery depends on first-time buyers
New report launched today (Bricks and mortar in a digital world: fifteen years of the property market) reveals Between 2015 and 2020, housing transactions are forecasted to rise from 1.23m to 1.49m Econometric analysis demonstrates the importance of first-time buyers’ access to high LTV mortgages for the health of the market Industry insights and predictions from […]
Jonathan Smithers believes gazumping isn’t going away as research reveals it causes 21% of collapsed sales
The President of the Law Society stated he believes gazumping isn’t necessarily a problem, stating 50% of the people involved in a gazumping situation benefit. It follows research published by Liverpool Victoria which states the practice is the second most frequent cause of sales falling through. The research states that 27% of property transactions fall […]
SRA research shows profession has progressed on diversity but more to be done
The legal sector is increasingly diverse according to research published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, with 18% of the profession from Black and Asian minority ethnic groups, and 47% of the profession being female. However the SRA say they believe more work is to be done for the profession to truly reflect the population it […]
Editorial: Advancing legal tech and anti-fraud measures the main take homes from Legalex
Making the legal industry better centred around service for clients through improved technology, as well as safeguarding your firm against fraud, were two of the main topics of discussion at Legalex. With dozens of technology firms exhibiting and hosting talks about using their products to improve your offering, enhance your customer due diligence and potentially […]
Updating the CON29DW
The content of the Law Society’s CON29DW has been updated to reflect changes to legislation impacting the water industry. Working in consultation with The Law Society, The Drainage and Water Searches Network (DWSN) have agreed changes to the CON29DW to ensure that the Enquiry provides conveyancers with the most up-to-date information available when advising their […]
Search Acumen comments on the ONS House Price Index, March 2016
Andy Sommerville, Director of Search Acumen, comments on the ONS House Price Index, March 2016 “Fears of Brexit appear to be hitting the wealthier, higher-end of the property market, while having no noticeable impact on slowing down house prices for the mainstream market – particularly in areas of high demand like London and the Southeast. Prices […]
Scam Alert Round up 16th May
Here are the latest scam alerts issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Emails claiming to be from a “Linda McNair” relating to a property conveyance Emails have been seen that claim to be in connection with a property conveyance. These emails contain attachments it states are conveyancing documents but are likely vehicles for malware delivery. […]
65% of property professionals believe #brexit would be good for housing market
Nearly two thirds of people who work in the property industry believe the UK leaving the EU would have a positive impact for the housing market. However according to the survey conducted by My Home Move most voters are undecided on which way they’ll vote. The majority also believe the government’s recent interventions into the […]
Conveyancing Association comes out against Land Registry privatisation.
With ten days to go before the government consultation closes, the Conveyancing Association has come out against farming the duties of Land Registry out to the private sector. CA’s management committee met two weeks ago to discuss the proposal, with the majority of the committee’s members voting to oppose the second attempt at privatising Land […]
OneSearch Direct to exhibit at Commercial Property Law Update – Bristol
OneSearch Direct, the UK’s largest local search data company, will be exhibiting at the Commercial Property Law Update – Bristol, hosted by Professional Conferences. Taking place tomorrow, Tuesday 17th May, at Holiday Inn, Filton Road, Lidia Quinlan and Shaun Stephens will be on hand to represent OneSearch Direct, and showcase a raft of brand new product updates […]
Search Acumen comments on the RICS residential market survey, April 2016
Andy Sommerville, Director of Search Acumen, comments on the RICS residential market survey, April 2016: “Whether or not a Brexit will unfold remains to be seen, but the uncertainty is definitely creating an environment of caution in the property sector, as seen in the drop in interest from buyers for the first time in over […]
Legalex was a blast – when does the next one start?
Legalex was bigger and better than ever this year with over 2000 solicitors and legal professionals flocking to the ExCeL in London for this epic 2-day event. Searches UK could be found at the entrance of the exhibition on stand L400 with their art gallery concept: ‘The Art of Conveyancing Searches’. Delegates were guided through […]
Mining searches could be an easy way to add value to your client’s home says Tom Backhouse of Terrafirma
Performing mining searches can have real financial benefits to a client according to Tom Backhouse of Terrafirma Mining Searches – even outside of traditional mining areas. A sinkhole recently swallowed up a car on the streets of Greenwich in London, and while not traditionally associated with mining in the same way as areas like Cornwall, […]
CLC Consults on lower regulatory fee rates
In March 2016 the CLC announced that it would look to reduce by 20% the regulatory fee rates for the firms it regulates. The CLC has now published a consultation paper on its proposals for setting fee rates for the regulatory year beginning 1st November 2016, including the reduction for firms. Individual regulatory fees will remain […]
Two new reasons why mapping properties needn’t be a challenge for conveyancers
Fresh from the release of an update to their new commercial property portfolio tool, tmgroup have announced the launch of two new time-saving mapping features to help conveyancers streamline their property transactions. The two property mapping services have been developed in close collaboration with conveyancers from across the industry and integrate with the Land Registry […]
Housebuilding on the up as construction work generally falls – ONS
The amount spent on building new houses has surpassed it’s pre 2008 peak according to the Office of National Statistics. Thanks to an increase in private house building, just over £7.5 billion was spent on house building work in Q1 of 2016, surpassing the £6.9 billion spent in Q1 of 2007. Compared with a year […]
