Lawyer Checker to Host Crucial Panel Discussion as Cybercrime Reaches New Heights
The Solicitors Regulation Authority have recently publicised their first thematic review investigating the impact of cybercrime. The review has highlighted a number of troublesome statistics making it definitively apparent that cyber related incidents leading to fraud remain one of the largest threats the legal sector faces. The SRA conducted the review by selecting a randomised […]
Reminder: Cancellation of requisitions from 16 November
HM Land Registry have reminded conveyancers that it will resume cancelling applications with outstanding requests for information (requisitions) from 16 November 2020. In an article on gov.uk, the reasoning is explained: At the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the cancellation of applications with outstanding requisitions was paused. This was done to give all of […]
Conveyancer customer service levels increase since first lockdown
Despite the bad press conveyancers are being subject to over recent months their client service levels have in fact increased. That’s the finding from the latest data released by the ESTAS customer review platform for property professionals. The findings are based on 10,000 customer reviews over the first lockdown period compared to the 3 months […]
Who says crime does not pay? Stoffel and Co. v Grondona [2020] UKSC 42
Stoffel and Co. v Grondona [2020] UKSC 42 It has been interesting to see the progression of this case through the appeal process culminating in the decision of the Supreme Court on the 30th October 2020. I assumed when I read about the decision at first instance that it would be one of those decisions […]
How best to engage with clients in lockdown 2.0
The first national lockdown period following the Covid-19 pandemic, certainly caught most of the 10,000 UK law firms off guard, particularly around the ability to ‘demobilise’ their workforce to operate remotely. While some transitioning, such as diverting phones, were relatively easy to make, the fact remains that the sector was not fully equipped to deal […]
Stamp Duty Land Tax, MDR & Claims farms
I read David Pett’s article the other day with great interest. To summarise my view, it’s an interesting and creative viewpoint, but talking to litigators specialising in this area it is I fear not one that a High Court judge will have much truck with. To quote one recent decision “I can deal with this […]
Conveyancers set client expectations over SDLT deadline
With less than 20 weeks to go until the end of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday, and with the run up to Christmas holiday season slowing transactions down, conveyancers are faced with disruptions in the process and managing clients’ expectations. Recently, Gavin Brazag, founder of The Advisory, a property consultancy firm, believes around […]
Would you consider an auction to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday?
The infrastructure that serves conveyancing is gridlocked – is there a way forward? At times like these, more people are asking if there are alternatives to the traditional homebuyer’s journey that could be faster, so people won’t miss out on the stamp duty holiday savings. Miles Robinson, head of mortgages at online broker Trussle says, […]
Transaction delays show a need for SDLT holiday extension
Calls for an extension to the stamp duty holiday deadline continue to grow louder, with good reason, although I’ve read some commentary suggesting this is only a concern for one part of the market, and that were it able ‘to get its house in order’ then the need for an extension would be greatly diminished. […]
