News brought to you by the Today’s Conveyancer editorial team.
HM Land Registry (HMLR) has confirmed it is taking action to support the home movers and conveyancers impacted by the sudden closure of PM Law earlier this month by contacting outstanding applications and publishing responses
The UK legal services sector increased by 6.1% in 2025, according to the latest legal services market report from IRN Legal Reports. The total estimated value of the market last year was £55.5 billion, with
Fall throughs could be costing the property economy as much as £900 million in lost estate agency fees and tax revenue, according to research by property portal Rightmove. The figure does not include lost conveyancing
The Bank of England has confirmed it will extend the operating hours of the high value payments system CHAPS from its current core operating hours of 6am to 6pm, as efforts to operate settlement on
The latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast marks a major milestone for property due diligence and environmental search provider Groundsure, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary Podcast host David Opie is joined by CEO Malcolm Smith
The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA) and The Conveyancing Association to promote closer collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the property sector. The MoU
Proptech firm Coadjute has appointed property broadcaster Phil Spencer as an ambassador to help bring attention to the risks of money laundering. Coadjute, which provides a digital platform from property transaction workflows, says it has
A new referral scheme aims to provide lawyers with access to vetted expertise in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The scheme – known as J-Law – has been launched by Judicare Law International, a
The Council of Property Search Organisations has published a new compliance note which sets mandatory standards for climate searches for property search organisations who subscribe to the Search Code. CoPSO was founded in 2003 and
Investment in UK legal tech rose to record levels in 2025, with backing for companies specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) “surging”, according to figures published today by LawtechUK. The newly published figures from the Ministry
A trade body for search and property data providers has released a compliance note on climate risk reporting to members, outlining clear definitions of data currently used in climate reports, minimum service standards and expectations
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced Richard Blakeway as its preferred candidate for the post of chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC). The LSB’s recommendation, which came about after an open competition,
Kev Tunnicliffe is CEO and founder of Sort Group (SortRefer and Sort Legal), a technology led property services provider focused on improving the home moving journey for brokers, conveyancers and consumers. With more than 35
Proposals which would insist on separate post holders for roles of Compliance Office for Legal Practice (COLP), Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA), Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), Senior Reporting Officer (SRO) amongst other
A principal of a conveyancing firm based in Wales is raising money for a children’s charity by attempting to walk and run 500 kilometres across the Arctic circle in just five days. Sam Hawking, principal
Property search platform PALI has announced its proprietary automated search pack tool is now available as part of the firm’s API. Developed over the course of the last few years, Intelligent Search Pack (ISP) is
The personal stories of the impact the PM Law closure has had on home movers has been widely publicised in the national press with families in limbo, and many left paying two mortgages as redemption
An initiative to support conveyancers and promote their role across the home moving sector returns in March with a refreshed format and a swathe of new content. National Conveyancing Month, previously National Conveyancing Week, returns
Home movers spent an additional 43% over their allocated budget for home moving essentials including conveyancing, searches and surveys when their home moves were delayed or broke down as a result of chain related issues,
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will profile law firms to help identify those at risk of collapse, chief executive Sarah Rapson (pictured) has said. Speaking to the Law Society Gazette this week, Rapson said the SRA
Property transaction fall throughs is the topic of the latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast; specifically how to tackle situations when there is an issue between exchange and completion. Although admittedly rare, the consequences can be chastening;
Significant digital change and improvement is happening and will gather momentum throughout 2026, according to a number of speakers at this year’s Conveyancing Association Annual Conference, where the representative body celebrated its 25th anniversary. With
New analysis from The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), a government-funded advisory body providing free and impartial initial legal advice to leaseholders and park homeowners, spotlights how the current complexity of the leasehold redress system is
The latest UK Residential Conveyancing Market Report from IRN Legal Reports reveals a second consecutive year of growth, and offers “cautious optimism” for 2026, its authors say. The volume of residential transactions in the UK
Average UK house prices increased by 2.5%, to £271,000, in the 12 months to November 2025, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. The annual growth rate is up from 1.9%
Talented aspiring solicitors are invited to apply for a place on the profession’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS), as the Law Society of England and Wales opens recruitment for the 2026 cohort. The DAS aims to
A new report stresses that the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) will need to swiftly build on the ‘unlocking land’ work it has started if it is to deliver the homes the
David Pett is a director and solicitor at MJP Conveyancing, specialising in residential property transactions with a particular focus on risk, compliance and process efficiency. After starting his legal career in litigation across family, personal
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has formally confirmed it is investigating “potential fraud, including the misappropriation of client money” at the Sheffield-based law firm PM Law after it unexpectedly closed on Monday 2nd February. In a
Estate and letting agents submitted just 890 suspicious activity reports (SARs) in 2024-25, down from 1,044 the previous year, while the legal sector increased its reporting from 2,419 to 3,392 over the same period. Figures
Property data platform Property Deals Insight has become the latest member of the Open Property Data Association (OPDA). Founded in 2019, Property Deals Insight was created to tackle “fragmented, inconsistent and hard-to-access data”, which they
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a further statement on action it has taken in the wake of PM Law’s closure last week. The Sheffield-based firm and subsidiaries suddenly closed on Monday 2nd February, with