Journalist and managing editor of the Today’s Media publications: Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Family Lawyer and Today’s Wills and Probate
The Legal Services Board (LSB) should continue to strengthen its oversight of regulators’ performance to avoid consumer harm and prevent collapses such as Axiom Ince and SSB Group from happening again, the Law Society of
Rightmove’s February house price index reveals favourable buying conditions, with the high number of homes for sale giving buyers choice and negotiating power. Although market activity is difficult to compare with this time last year
In 2025, the legal sector mental health charity LawCare supported 753 people – more than any previous year, including during the pandemic. The charity’s online chat function – which is offered alongside a telephone helpline
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published its complaint data for Q3 of 2025/26 which reveals “a sustained and accelerating demand” for help and the highest complaint volumes for any previous quarter on record. The number
Nationwide has become the first lender to allow a mortgage deed to be signed electronically using a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES). Any Nationwide customer purchasing a property or remortgaging will now be able to sign
Conveyancers have been explicitly named as falling within the scope of HMRC’s mandatory tax adviser registration regime during proceedings of the Finance Bill Committee. During committee scrutiny of the bill, Dan Tomlinson, the exchequer secretary
UK Finance has deferred the launch of its new Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook, which was due to be live from 2 March. Last week, the trade association for the UK banking and financial services sector dropped
The government has launched a review of the Legal Services Board (LSB) to ensure current regulatory arrangements are effective and do not duplicate initiatives of frontline regulators. The review was announced by Sarah Sackman, minister
A 0.7% increase in house prices reflects a steady housing market according to the latest index from Halifax, following the 0.5% dip seen in December. While overall activity levels “show resilience”, the lender says regional
Ken Weetch, the former Labour MP for Ipswich who campaigned for the establishment of a conveyancing service to be performed by non-solicitors, has died aged 92. A decade before the Administration of Justice Act 1985
The Bank of England has held base rate at 3.75%, with the Monetary Policy Committee voting five to four in favour of the hold. The bank has opted to maintain stability while assessing whether inflationary
The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) has launched a free online tool that allows leaseholders to check how long is left on their lease by entering their postcode. The Lease Length Checker tool pulls together data
The latest house price index from Nationwide indicates the positive start to the year continues into February, with improved affordability underpinning demand across the UK. House price growth edged higher in the first month of
Female-led law firm Smith & Co has strengthened its presence across Suffolk with the incorporation of Adept Legal, bringing the two teams together to enhance legal services across the region. Adept Legal will now fall
UK Finance will no longer proceed with plans to charge conveyancers £50 to access the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook, following a widespread backlash from the industry and what conveyancing bodies said were “frantic” behind-the-scenes discussions. “Following
HMRC’s residential property transactions for December were 5% higher than the previous year on a seasonally adjusted basis, at 100,440. The non-seasonally adjusted estimate was up by 7% to 105,730 year-on-year, and 1% higher than
The government released its draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill last week, and the property industry has shared some very mixed reactions. The government said the bill is a “game-changing shake up” of the leasehold
The use of AI in legal work is increasing the speed at which junior lawyers work, but has “significant implications” on how they learn and develop legal judgement, new research suggests. The findings from LexisNexis
UK Finance has responded to widespread criticism of its decision to introduce a fee for conveyancers to access its new Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook platform, along with changes to its registration system. In response to a
The government has published its long-awaited draft bill on commonhold and leasehold in what it says is a “game-changing shake up” of the leasehold system. The announcement was made in a TikTok video by the
UK Finance, the trade association for the UK banking and financial services sector, will launch its new Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook platform on 2 March. Access to the handbook will only be possible with an individual
An analysis of over 23 million homes across Great Britain using the Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database (OS NGD) has identified the characteristics of homes vulnerable to low temperatures. By applying OS NGD building attributes
Conveyancing data intelligence firm Armalytix has appointed a new head of sales to help it expand beyond conveyancing and support the full property transaction chain, while WSP Solicitors has expanded its residential conveyancing team following
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers has written to the Treasury urging it to reconsider its stance on requiring conveyancers to register as tax advisers. In a letter to James Murray, chief secretary to the Treasury,
The government has published updated new build design guidance which it says will ‘raise the bar’ for developments, ensuring they are well-connected to local shops and services and resilient to climate change. A consultation has
The Conveyancing Association (CA) has released the full agenda for its annual conference, which will be held at the Belfry Hotel & Resort in Sutton Coldfield (pictured) on 12 February. This year marks the 25th
The latest Spotlight article from the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) focuses on early resolution, with practical steps for legal service providers to follow to resolve complaints at first tier. Clear communication, timely responses and proportionate remedies
A report from the Institute for Government (IfG) on the potential impact of government plans to restrict jury trials reveals the changes would “unlock only relatively modest reductions in demand”. Instead, the IfG says, the
The Judiciary of England and Wales has published its Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2026-2030, which sets out its priorities for expanding the diversity of the judiciary, particularly the number of Black judges. The Judiciary said
The latest UK House Price Index, covering November, reveals that average UK house price annual inflation was 2.5% in the 12 months to November 2025, up from the revised estimate of 1.9% in the 12
The latest Property Insights report from Barclays suggests traditional barriers to homeownership are easing, indicated by smaller deposits, consistent demand for more affordable properties, and a growing preference for higher loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages. The research
HM Land Registry figures revealing a £158 million increase in staff costs since 2017 reflect the appointment of over 2,700 new employees, Matthew Pennycook, the minister of state for housing, communities and local government has