Operational excellence: Where law firms’ sustainable growth will come from
As law firms reflect on the impact of the Autumn Budget and look to the year ahead, the pressures on profitability and capacity continue to intensify. Rising operating costs, wage inflation, professional indemnity increases and incremental regulatory demands are squeezing margins, while fixed-fee expectations place further strain on traditional billing models. At the same time, […]
The true cost of in-house software development for law firms
For successful law firms, technology has become inseparable from practice. Case management, compliance, billing and client collaboration all depend on digital platforms. Faced with this reality, some firms consider developing their own software in-house. At first, it seems attractive: total control, bespoke functionality, and a system designed to mirror internal processes. Yet beneath that promise […]
Redbrick Solutions: Maximise time, minimise errors, and deliver exceptional legal services effortlessly
Redbrick Solutions provides user-friendly legal case management for progressive law firms. The user interface of our cloud-based case management software is simple to navigate and follows a logical process, helping to increase ease and efficiency for all parties. Its rich functionality and intuitive design ensure a seamless go-live process, with users able to navigate the […]
TA6 property information form update – what you need to know
The property market is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of regulatory changes is key for professionals who want to deliver the best service to their clients. One of the most significant updates on the horizon is the Law Society’s introduction of the TA6 Property Information Form (sixth edition), which will replace the current fifth edition […]
Compliance doesn’t end with onboarding
The entire client relationship is a minefield of potential risk, so diligent conveyancers need to keep an eye out for red flags throughout the entire transaction. That’s why ongoing monitoring is so important. It’s also an obligation: to meet FCA standards, conveyancers must continually check clients against PEPs, sanctions, mortality, and adverse media lists. Checkboard […]
Conveyancing sector responds to home buying reforms
With the government’s consultations on home buying reform and material information coming to an end, organisations within the conveyancing sector have shared their responses. The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) backs plans to regulate estate agents, and says failure to do so risks undermining the reforms. All key players within the conveyancing process must “have […]
Residential transactions up – industry predicts a positive year ahead
Seasonally adjusted residential transactions increased by 1% in November, from 99,060 in October 2025 to 100,350 in November 2025 – the highest seasonally adjusted residential transaction figure since March 2025. Non-seasonally adjusted residential transactions decreased by 12% in November relative to the previous month. Seasonally adjusted non-residential transactions also increased, with November seeing a 13% […]
MoJ sets out plans to fund justice system with interest on client accounts
The government has set out proposals to use interest on lawyers’ client accounts as “a crucial source of funding” to support and enhance services in the justice system. Funds would be directed to “areas of greatest need”, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement. The Interest on Lawyers’ Clients Accounts Scheme (ILCA) will see […]
No relief for ‘high risk’ conveyancers in latest round of AML penalties
Conveyancers continue to attract significant penalties from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) due to lax AML controls in the “high-risk” sector. In its latest round of published decisions, the SRA has shared eight instances of firms with large volumes of conveyancing work, which the regulatory body views as being at high risk of exploitation from […]
HMCTS updates solicitor rates, with recommended fees now up to £579 an hour
HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has updated its guideline hourly rates for solicitors, with a recommended 2.28% increase effective from 1 January. The increase will see the top hourly rate (a grade A fee earner in the London 1 category) rise to £579, with the lowest rate (grade D fee earners in the National […]
New case management system claims to give fee earners up to an hour a day back in lost billing time
A newly launched case management system will aim to recover over three quarters of a million pounds in billable capacity for a typical high street practice, say its creators. The technology integrates artificial intelligence and a single sign-on platform which they say will save an hour a day for fee earners. The claim has been […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – Taking away client account interest could freeze us out of the high street
This week, I was going to write about moving house and the weather. As I always say to my clients, the only thing completely out of my control on the day of completion (and the control of everyone else involved in the move) is the weather. Other things that can happen on completion days tend […]
Lessons from the market: How home buying really works
With a career spanning 25 years in various roles in the property sector, most recently as commercial director at Conveyancer Insights and Property Search Direct, Mike Stainsby shares the lessons he’s learned about home buying during the last seven years in a business on the frontline of the home buying process. The home buying […]