Is it time to rethink how you qualify property clients?
Qualifying clients goes beyond affordability, it’s about verifying who they are, how they’re funding it, and whether you can move fast enough. Qualification is more than eligibility Traditionally, qualifying a client simply meant making sure they could pay fees and had realistic expectations. But in today’s risky, fast-moving property market, qualification must also meet growing […]
Land registration: Practice guides
Electronic signatures accepted by HM Land Registry (PG82) Page summary: Information about the types of electronic signature accepted by HM Land Registry (practice guide 82) Change made: Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3.1 and 5.2 have been amended to clarify that when using conveyancer-certified electronic signature, the electronic document stored in the signature platform represents the original […]
Leaseholders to get stronger powers against ‘extortionate’ charges
Millions of leaseholders will receive stronger rights, powers and protections to better challenge ‘extortionate’ service charges under major reforms to the feudal leasehold system announced by the government. The announcement has been hailed as ‘an important step forward’ by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and welcomed as ‘significant’ by the Residential Freehold Association. […]
Breaches of struck-off solicitor ‘strike at heart of conveyancing’
A solicitor has been struck off for misconduct related to a transaction for a £6 million property and the management of a £650,000 deposit – breaches which the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal said struck ‘at the heart of the conveyancing process and the trust and confidence the public have in their solicitors and the profession’. Charles […]
‘A market firing on all cylinders’ – response to Nationwide price index
Nationwide’s House Price Index for June shows a slight slowing of growth, at 2.1% compared to 3.5% in May. The building society said the dip could be due to weaker demand – but property experts disagree, with one saying the figures are a sign of ‘a market firing on all cylinders’. Although chief economist Robert […]
LSB chief steps down after just 12 months in the role
Super-regulator, The Legal Services Board (LSB), has announced Chief Executive Craig Westwood will leave the organisation after just a year in the role having tendered his resignation citing personal reasons this week. Westwood was appointed in May 2024 and took on the role of Chief Executive having previous been Director of Communications, Policy and Research […]
Annual AML data collection to start this week
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s annual AML and sanction data collection will start this week, with firms required to provide information about AML and financial sanctions activity and how it’s managed. All regulated firms must provide the SRA with information on work carried out within the scope of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of […]
CLC seeks views in latest confidence tracker survey
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is once again running its Quarterly Confidence Tracker to gather the views of the profession on the current state of home buying and selling. The regulator says the results will help it monitor the mood of the market and how it changes over time. Launched at the start of […]
M&A momentum: How private equity is reshaping law firms
In this episode of the Today’s Conveyancer Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Thomas Mieszkowski, a partner in the corporate team at Walker Morris LLP. The conversation takes a deep dive into mergers and acquisitions in the legal sector, with a special focus on private equity’s increasing interest in law firms. Thomas shares insights from his recent experience advising on […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – Acronym bingo
I was photocopying some old pre-registration deeds earlier this week in order to prepare a contract for the sale of unregistered land. As I tried to make the large documents fit onto the copier, I reflected on the way in which documents were drafted; the number of words equating the fees which could be charged […]