Cloud strategies for law firms
Law firms have, to some degree, been adopting cloud-based technologies over the years as their business needs have changed. They’ve migrated software, email and other key servers from on-premises to the cloud, and are now reaping the rewards of improved functionality, efficiency and user experience. New solutions are removing barriers that once caused frustration to […]
How to speed up workflow and avoid SRA clampdown
The latest crackdowns by government and the Solicitors Regulation Authority, have paved the way for an increase in cases and fines for legal misconduct. Conveyancers must now ensure clients complete due diligence at every step to avoid falling foul of the SRA but how do they achieve this without burnout? In this digital age of […]
To blame conveyancing, or to understand conveyancing?
With homemovers continuing to face record delays, many within the property industry are naturally looking to point the finger. Increasingly, the conveyancing process and conveyancers are on the receiving end of this finger-pointing, largely due to its complexity, intricacy, and vulnerability to a host of factors that can cause delays. That said, many of said […]
A guide for conveyancers: digital identity certification
Earlier this year, the Digital Identity Systems Certification (DISC) – a pilot scheme created by the government to enable digital identity service providers (IDSPs) to certify themselves against an agreed framework – announced that it would accept expressions of interest for IDSPs to become certified under the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF). Since […]
Bank of England announces biggest interest rate hike since 1995
Interest rates in the UK were boosted by 0.5% by the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England (BoE) on Thursday, rising from 1.25% to 1.75% as part of an effort to battle the highest rates of inflation in 40 years, with the Bank updating its forecast to suggest rates will hit 13% before […]
House prices remain steady despite some recording a fall
Despite the economy being plagued by inflation and headed for recession, house prices remained relatively steady in June, according to the latest house price indices. Nationwide reported that house prices in the UK climbed for the 12th successive month in July, moving from an average of £271,613 to £271,209 – a rise of 0.1% taking […]
Financial criminals increasingly targeting property firms, research reveals
Almost one in five (18%) of property firms have seen a rise in criminals attempting to launder money or commit financial crime through their businesses in the last year, a new survey of 500 firms has revealed. As well as this, more than one in 16 (6%) says it has been the victim of money […]
Right to Buy scheme becoming unsustainable, says LGA
The Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, has warned that the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme is becoming unsustainable, with councils struggling to rebuild homes as quickly as they are being sold. Almost £6 billion has been given out in discounts through the RTB scheme since the size […]
The rise of the consultant solicitor
In this latest podcast from Today’s Conveyancer host David Opie is joined by Mustafa Hassan, a consultant solicitor with law firm Taylor Rose MW. An increasingly popular employment model, Mustafa, a residential and commercial property practitioner, discusses the reasons why he first investigated the opportunity to become a consultant solicitor, and the drawbacks and benefits […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer; 8th August 2022
There were a lot of things I could have written about this week – one is how the rise in the interest rates will affect the housing market. But, with no apologies, I feel I have to write again about the ongoing conveyancing bashing… And it makes me very cross, frustrated and disillusioned with a […]
The weight of compliance has never been heavier
Organised criminals have long targeted the UK property market to launder their “dirty” money. Transparency International UK has even put a price on the size of the problem, calculating that £6.7 billion of suspicious funds has been invested in UK property since 2016. And the Government recategorised the sector as “high-risk” for money laundering purposes […]
