Threat of no confidence vote subside for now but COLP/COFA debate remains after Law Society AGM
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) avoided the threatened vote of no confidence at the Law Society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) despite widespread support for opposition to the proposed separation of COLP and COFA roles from those with “unliteral decision making” responsibilities within law firms. An open letter from the recently established SME and Boutique Law […]
Sellers return to property market but buyers are much more cautious
Rising borrowing costs and budget uncertainty is dampening buyer activity despite healthy stock levels and asking-price reductions said Landmark in their latest property market overview. The group’s Q3 2026 Residential Property Trends report shows a housing market in England and Wales that remains “subdued but steady.” The report, which tracks listings, sold-subject-to-contract (SSTC), search volumes […]
Family home affordability rises but deposits and rising mortgage rates bite
Housing affordability has improved but with average mortgage interest rases rising a percentage point over the course of the year, property market activity is down 9% compared with 12 months ago according to property website Zoopla. The online portal said its latest analysis shows the proportion of two and three-bed houses that are “affordable” has […]
New report highlights challenges facing shared owners and leaseholders
A pattern of “breakdown in communication” and a “failure by landlords” to adhere to terms of leases runs beneath many enquiries made to the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE). These are the findings from the latest LEASE Shared Ownership Insight Report which analysed nearly 800 enquires from shared owners between 2025 and 2026. The report highlighted […]
Report reveals what the future holds for the Welsh legal sector
Major research project, Welsh Legal Sector Transformation Report 2026, examining the challenges, ambitions and priorities of Welsh law firms has released their findings. Legal News Wales and independent legal software provider Osprey Approach gathered the views of more than 50 law firms across Wales, with 96% of respondents holding senior leadership, management or operational roles. […]
When the AI writes the enquiries, who is answering them?
The draft Conveyancing Protocol mentions AI once. Ed Molyneux argues the clause that will really govern machine-written enquiries is the one that never uses the word, and that it is a test of data quality in disguise. The Law Society’s draft Conveyancing Protocol, the first revision since 2019 and open for consultation until 14th January, […]
Passion, strategy and the decisions shaping the profession
Kate Burt, solicitor and founder of legal risk and compliance consultancy HiveRisk, discusses her experience of attending the Law Society AGM in her capacity as a member of the SME & Boutique Law Firm Alliance and member of the Law Society. The Law Society AGM offered a timely test of how the profession responds […]