Land registration: Practice guides (PG25)
Leases: when to register (PG25) Page summary: Advice for conveyancers which deals with the compulsory and voluntary registration aspects of leasehold estates in land (practice guide 25). Change made: Sections 6.4.1 and 8 have been amended to include a reminder to add both the landlord’s and tenant’s titles when making an application to vary a […]
Unlocking growth: How SME law firms can thrive through referrals
Referrals remain one of the most powerful – yet underused – growth strategies for SME law firms. In episode 22 of Osprey Approach’s podcast series, Empowering Law Firm Leaders, Robert Flint, practising corporate lawyer and CEO of Adviserly, joined Amy Bruce, marketing director at Osprey Approach, to discuss how law firms can grow their business this […]
Committee backs 2,100-home scheme on green belt after concluding site qualifies as grey belt
Thurrock Council has narrowly approved outline plans for up to 2,100 homes on green belt land in West Horndon, Essex, after officers determined the site could fall within the National Planning Policy Framework’s definition of grey belt. The proposal, submitted by Partnership Horndon St Marys in October 2024, relates to approximately 104 hectares of agricultural […]
Navigating leasehold reform: From leaseholds to commonhold
Webinar: Navigating Leasehold Reform: From Leaseholds to Commonhold Date: Thursday 28 May 2026 Time: 2pm Link to join: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7313007321781850975 Leasehold dwellings are undergoing the most significant changes in living memory. This webinar explores these reforms, including the banning of new leasehold dwellings and their replacement by commonholds. Richard Snape, Head of Legal Training at Davitt […]
‘Reform can’t come soon enough’, as time to exchange tops 19 weeks
The average time to exchange in the UK so far in 2026 is 134 days, or 4.4 months, according to the latest Property & Homemover Report from TwentyEA. The increase is backed up by data from Propertymark, whose member agents reported an average of 43% of housing transactions taking longer than 17 weeks to complete […]
Conveyancers say they’re unprepared for HMRC tax adviser changes
A Today’s Conveyancer poll has revealed only 10% of conveyancers are prepared for upcoming HMRC requirements to register as tax advisers, with the remaining 90% saying they’re unprepared (33%) or need more information (57%). From 18 May, tax advisers who interact with HMRC on behalf of clients will be legally required to register as tax […]
Govt exceeds flood defence targets, but experts warn 1.2m homes are outside protection measures
The government has exceeded its flood defence targets by almost 10,000 properties, with almost 62,000 homes and businesses receiving protection over the last two years. Over £2.65 billion has been invested into flood defences by the government since 2024, resulting in 250 completed projects to repair and replace existing defences and construct new ones. According […]
FCA open finance roadmap ‘important step forward for property sector’
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out a roadmap for open data that will give consumers greater control over financial deals, and says it will examine how open finance can help consumers manage and improve access to mortgages. Open finance will offer people and businesses the potential to share their financial data securely with […]
Savings, cash gifts and mortgage-free purchases are biggest AML red flags
A discrepancy between the amount of savings declared by a buyer and the amount shown on their bank statement is the biggest red flag in anti-money laundering checks, according to data from client due diligence platform Thirdfort. Analysis of more than 415,000 completed Source of Funds (SoF) checks by the company revealed savings mismatches raised […]
Firms and people: The latest news, moves and announcements
MSB Solicitors has relocated its Birmingham operations to a larger office in Chamberlain Square and is recruiting for its property team in the city. “We are delighted to expand our operations in Birmingham following the recruitment to our family, crime and social housing teams and ahead of the appointments of our new property and litigation […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – This not so glamorous life
As I have often said, the life of a conveyancer is hard. It’s not a particularly well paid role, it’s not glamorous and we don’t hang around at court looking cool, heading off to the pub after a day on our feet arguing for our client and mixing with judges and the like. It’s rare […]