Law firm offices can open to clients in second lockdown
During the second lockdown, the Government has confirmed that law firms can open up their doors to the public. The Law Society recently met with officials from the government to lock in an agreement and clarify the understanding of the rules that law firm offices can stay open for the next 4 weeks of lockdown. […]
Philip Armstrong reflects on his ’viral’ conveyancing video
Following on from the overwhelming response to last week’s LinkedIn video, Armstrong Solicitor’s Philip Armstrong reflects on the impact the video has had around the sector, the feedback he has had from fellow practitioners and the key lessons he feels we should take away from the sentiments shared. The video, shared by Today’s Conveyancer last […]
How one company director is using the pandemic to review staff structure and practices
“It’s never nice to deal with difficult clients, but it’s a reality of our profession.” While these times remain challenging both inside and outside of the workplace, it has provided many of us with a natural reason to reflect on our lives, professionally and personally. Within the industry we are witnessing continued disruption to normal […]
Industry experts comment on Bank of England base rate decision
This morning the Bank of England monetary policy committee has held the base rate at a record low of 0.1%. Industry experts comment on the Bank of England base rate decision and quantitative easing. David Ross, the Managing Director of Hometrack said: “While there are some negative economic headwinds it’s encouraging to see the Bank […]
Cyber scams on firms Increase by 31% during pandemic
UK businesses have lost more than £6.2 million to cyber scams in the past 12 months with nearly a third increase in cases during the peak of the pandemic, new research shows. From May to June this year, reported cyber scam cases on businesses increased by 31%. Cyber security company Nexor examined police data which […]
The need for digital transformation is a necessity
John Espley, CEO of LEAP UK, the legal practice management software provider, puts forward the case that the pandemic has created an opportunity for law firms to improve their systems by becoming more agile and therefore offering a better service to their clients. At the start of the pandemic many law firms were still over […]
Search Acumen launches first Artificial Intelligence tools
Search Acumen launches first Artificial Intelligence tools to transform property legal work in the UK. • Data insight and technology provider harnesses machine learning to help real estate lawyers conduct property due diligence more efficiently and meet the surge in market demand • Address data cleansing tool reduces hours of work to minutes by cross-referencing […]
Onesearch Direct Responds To Reports Of Abuse Towards Conveyancers
OneSearch Direct, the largest local search data company in the UK, is reaching out to the wider property community to create a unified resource in managing homebuyer expectations during COVID-19. This is in response to reports of increasing levels of abuse towards conveyancers and other stakeholders within the housing industry. Elizabeth Jarvis, Managing Director, OneSearch […]
Handling customer complaints is tough when you are doing your very best to help them!
So many hard-working conveyancers are talking about the challenge of handling demanding clients right now and everyone is experiencing delays due to sheer volume of work. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t want to help their customers. The best reward is to receive a heart-felt “thank you” so a complaint feels like a kick in […]
Updated Practice Notes – 2 November 2020
Three Practice Notes have been updated today. These are: Large-scale applications and calculation of fees (PG33) Statements of truth (PG73) The guidance document HM Land Registry portal: electronic Document Registration Service (e-DRS) has also been updated this morning.
Paul Sams reassures Conveyancers that it’ll be OK
Last week we shared the frank and honest video diary of Belfast solicitor Philip Armstrong, as he discussed the challenges conveyancers are currently experiencing, with the current boom in home movers hamstrung by the Covid-affected infrastructure trying to serve it. The video was originally posted on LinkedIn, and had a surge of comments and views. […]
Second lockdown announced in England, house moves still permitted
UPDATE 1 Nov 2020 Further guidance has arisen today, with regards to whether the housing market can still continue during lockdown. Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government took to social media to reveal that the housing market would still be able to operate. In a tweet Mr Jenrick wrote: “Housing […]
Application cancellations to resume this month
HM Land Registry (HMLR) have revealed that they will resume the cancelling of applications with outstanding requests for information (recquisitions) from this month. The cancellations will resume from 16 November and customers should have begun to receive letters explaining how they can apply for an extension if conveyancers have been unable to reply. A statement […]
Solicitor’s LinkedIn video taps into frustration of Conveyancers
A Northern Ireland solicitor has captured the mood of the conveyancing industry in a short video posted on LinkedIn. Recorded at 11.30pm on Friday evening, Philip Armstrong, of Greater Belfast-based Armstrong Solicitors discusses the challenges conveyancers are currently experiencing, with the current boom in home movers hamstrung by the Covid-affected infrastructure trying to serve it. […]
Industry open letter urges Chancellor to extend SDLT holiday
Property sector industry bodies have collaboratively come together and sent an open and frank letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, requesting a six month extension of the current stamp duty land tax (SDLT) holiday. Since the announcement of the SDLT holiday on 8 July, there has been growing calls to extend the holiday as the property […]
Updated Practice Notes from the Land Registry
The Land Registry have released their updated practice notes for the following guides/documents: Extension of leases (PG28) Private trusts of land (PG24) Coronavirus (COVID-19): useful information for conveyancers (PG80) All of the updated notes can be found here.
Banks raise interest rates to combat application surge
All parts of the property transaction pipeline have understandably come under strain as both England and Wales have adapted their restrictive measures in a bid to tackle the first and second waves of coronavirus infections. Mortgage applications have naturally seen a surge, as people have wanted to bite the bullet and move, whilst taking advantage […]
Feel Good Friday: My Home Move, X-Press Legal, Higgs & Sons
There have been lots of positive things happening across the sector this week, so we wanted to share these good vibes with you as part of our ‘Feel Good Friday’ news items. Here is a little snap shot of what’s been going on. Halloween week sees bumper completion numbers for top conveyancing firm It’s been […]
LSB approves significant changes to how solicitors qualify
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has approved the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) application to make significant changes to how people qualify as solicitors in England and Wales. The changes include the introduction of a new centralised assessment, the Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE), and a requirement for a minimum of two years’ qualifying work experience (QWE). […]
50% more transactions in pipeline
The latest Zoopla House Price Index has revealed that transactions are taking over 100 days from sales agreed to completion, but in the short term this could increase as people rush to complete before the end of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and log jams becoming even more apparent in the pipeline. The data […]