Journalist and managing editor of the Today’s Media publications: Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Family Lawyer and Today’s Wills and Probate
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
The final Property and Homemover Report for 2025 from TwentyCi and TwentyEA reveals a 10% increase in transactions compared to the previous year, with the highest number of properties listed for sale in a decade
Propertymark’s housing insight report for November, released this week, reveals a “resilient but measured” market, the organisation said. Although the figures from the estate agents’ body show a slight dip in agreed sales (down to
The government has announced a minimum of £14 million in funding to support local authorities with local plan making. The funding will be available to eligible authorities using both the legacy and new plan making
Rightmove’s snapshot of January activity shows a 57% increase in buyer demand compared to the two weeks before Christmas, with the number of newly listed homes for sale up 81%. Although activity hasn’t reached the
HM Land Registry (HMLR) has recorded the use of only one e-signature in the three months since it launched the technology for conveyancers, according to a report from Novus Strategy. The home buying and selling
Data from the home moving comparison website reallymoving reveals a 74% increase in conveyancing registrations for the first two weeks in January compared to the same period last year. Combined registrations for conveyancing, survey and
A High Court judge in a test case involving a dispute over the ownership of property belonging to a former husband and wife has ruled WhatsApp messages are not legally binding signatures in the transfer
Peter Thompson has spent his career managing financial risk. As a founding partner of capital management firm J Rothschild, he spent 26 years helping to build the FTSE 100 company, which employs over 3000 people
The latest UK Residential Market Survey from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) sees the year start on an optimistic note, with members reporting “significantly more positive” near-term and 12-month sales expectations. Although the
Regional law firms are celebrating their successes this month, with new offices, a milestone anniversary and accolades from teams. Bell Lamb & Joynson (pictured) has re-established its presence in Liverpool with the opening of a
Setfords, Knights and Ward Hadaway have reported strong growth in their latest financial results, with the latter enjoying record turnover of £53.6 million in 2025/25, up 11.6% year-on-year. The firm, which recently merged with Teesside