Land registration: Practice guides
Approval of mortgage documentation (PG30) Page summary: How to apply for approval of standard forms of legal charge and related deeds used by lending institutions (practice guide 30). Change made: Section 3 has been amended as you now only need to send one copy of a mortgage deed to our Commercial Arrangements Section for approval. […]
Artificial Intelligence (AI): powering law firm profitability
Profitability remains the ultimate benchmark of growth for law firms, yet sustaining it is no simple task. The most effective route to stronger profits lies in refining operational efficiency, delivering more, with greater accuracy, using the resources already available. Forward-looking firms recognise that real change requires new ways of working. And the most accessible, cost-effective […]
Increase in property transactions met with relief by sector
UK residential property transactions increased by 4% in July compared to the same period last year, with the seasonally adjusted estimates showing a 1% rise since June. The provisional non-seasonally adjusted estimate also sits 4% higher than July 2024, with the monthly increase rising by 5%. Seasonally adjusted non-residential transactions were 1% lower than June […]
Government ‘will overturn planning decisions that obstruct housing targets’
Councils will be forced to rewrite local plans to include higher housing targets or face being stripped of their decision-making powers, according to a report in The Guardian. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is reportedly planning to cut the number of appeals local authorities can have overturned before sanctions are imposed […]
Law firms ‘among least prepared for new fraud regulations’
More than half of UK law firms are unprepared for the new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence coming into force under The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) today, according to a new report from compliance training provider Skillcast. The legal sector ranks among the least prepared industries, with major governance and transparency gaps […]
Client account roundtables offer more questions than answers on the future of legal aid funding
Recently run roundtables to discuss the option of funding access to justice through interest on client account, first previewed in The Law Society Gazette, have created more questions than answers according to attendees. In July it was reported Legal Aid providers were invited to a series of roundtables to discuss the future of legal aid, […]
Analysis reveals top red flags for source of funds checks
Client due diligence platform Thirdfort has analysed tens of thousands of Source of Fund (SoF) verifications completed via its app, and identified five emerging challenges it says compliance professionals should be aware of. The company completes around 25,000 SoF verifications every month, analysing documents and Open Banking data shared by clients – including savings, mortgages, […]
Knowledge transfer partnership aims to boost legal services with AI
Digital transformation experts at Aston University have formed a partnership with Birmingham-based commercial law firm Harper James to develop an intelligent legal services platform aimed at reshaping legal services. The three-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) will see specialists in data science and AI at two Aston University academic centres create new technologies for Harper James, […]