Changing the conversation: is it time to focus more on guidance and less on enforcement?
A recent survey conducted by Access Legal asked compliance officers what issues kept them awake at night. Highly prevalent for the conveyancing sector, anti-money laundering (AML) compliance came out on top, cited by 84 per cent of respondents, followed by SRA thematic reviews / questionnaires (34.5 per cent) and continuing competency changes (31.5 per cent). […]
Coadjute confirmed as ESTAS Headline Partner for 2022 & 2023
After replacing Zoopla as top sponsor in 2021, Coadjute, have announced they will continue as Headline Partner for The ESTAS for 2022 and 2023. The announcement follows the recent news Coadjute have secured £6m in additional funding to roll out their Blockchain network across the UK property market. Simon Brown, Founder of ESTAS Group said: […]
Embracing change and digitisation in 2022
I’d be confident in saying that most conveyancers will gladly wave goodbye to 2021. Despite it being a successful year for many, with the stamp duty holiday boosting our caseloads, the intensity and uncertainty brought on by lockdown and working from home only added to the demands of an already high-pressured job. For many, just […]
CLC launches new “micro course” to give budding conveyancers an insight into the industry
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has launched an online course for budding conveyancers who want to learn more about the industry. The “Introduction to Conveyancing” course has been created by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) to give non-lawyers an insight into how property is legally transferred between owners. No prior knowledge or experience […]
InfoTrack announce new onboarding event for law firms
InfoTrack have announced the launch of a new event for the legal industry, The Onboarding Summit, a half day event designed to share everything law firms need to know about client onboarding in the digital age. The free event will be held on Wednesday 23rd February at The Law Society offices in Chancery Lane. Delegates […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer
With the new year well and truly behind us, I find us once more back to the subject that has been haunting law firms across the country for the last few months. With dependence on technology only going one way and that’s UP, we’ve been obsessing over whether we’re taking enough steps to protect our […]
NLC and ALEP respond to leasehold consultation announcement
The National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) and The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) have issued statements of support for the latest news from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, announcing a consultation on phase two of the government’s leasehold and commonhold reform programme. Katie Kendrick, founder, NLC, says: “This consultation continues to demonstrate […]
More leaseholders to own buildings under government proposals
Leaseholders in England and Wales could find it easier and cheaper to buy the freehold of their building under radical new proposals to create a fairer housing system. As part of a consultation opening today homeowners and the housing industry are being invited to give their views on proposals from the Department for Levelling Up, […]
22% of adults will use their homes to fund retirement
22% of people planning ahead for their retirement expect to use the value of their home, according to a survey of 4,000 UK adults conducted by Legal & General Home Finance (LGHF). The findings indicate that a third of all people who aren’t currently retired (35%) own a property but have less than £10,000 saved […]
Law firm merger under “house of brands” strategy
A 150-year-old Sussex based firm, Mayo Wynne Baxter (MWB), is the first to join legal and professional services group Ampa under a “house of brands” merger strategy devised to move away from the traditional consolidation merger model. Now labelled as a regional legal anchor brand for the south east, the firm, which offers a range […]
Coastal erosion & climate change: our differing geology and future community impacts
What are the dangers of coastal erosion? As an island nation, we are rightly proud of our coastline. Our majestic cliffs, estuaries, sand and shingle beaches are a fundamental part of our landscape and our national identity. It is all the more distressing then, when we realise that this cherished identity is being rubbed away […]
EvolveCommunity launched by PracticeEvolve, featuring online learning tools
PracticeEvolve Group, incorporating Linetime and SOS, have released a new e-learning platform, designed to improve user ability when employing their chosen software. The new platform, EvolveCommunity, incorporates a host of collaborative features designed to ensure users embrace the future of legal technology and evolve their knowledge in the software they are using. Included within the […]
Freeholders cash-in on rooftop extension rights
Thanks to planning rules passed by Ministers in 2020, freeholders are now selling off “building plots in the sky” as more developers take advantage of rooftop extension development rights which allow up to two storeys to be built on commercial and residential blocks without full planning permission. Since the introduction of the new rules in […]
HMLR Practice Guide updates: PG6 and PG19
HM Land Registry has published details of changes to Practice Guides 6 and 19. Devolution on the death of a registered proprietor (PG6) This guide sets out the evidence required for applications relating to the death of a registered proprietor and deals with registered estates only. Change made: section 2.2 has been amended to add […]
Gove to make cladding pledge for buildings under 18m
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities head Michael Gove is expected to announce that the cost for the remediation of unsafe cladding on buildings between 11m and 18m will fall on the developers who built them. The story was broken by the BBC and Times over the weekend and suggests that Mr Gove will […]
Deadline for registration closes midnight 11th January
The deadline for registration to enter The British Conveyancing Awards, sponsored by Dye & Durham, is upon us. Registration for this years awards will close at midnight on 11th January 2022. There is still time thereafter to submit the final entry which is due on Tuesday 18th January 2022. Don’t miss out, CLICK HERE to register […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer; 10th January 2022
Happy New Year to you all! I hope that you are all refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of a new year – what will the market be like this year? There were many reports over Christmas that the average price of a property has grown significantly in the last year. I had […]
HMRC mixing things up on SDLT
Everybody is talking about mixed-use property and multiple dwellings relief again… HMRC announced on the 30th of November, a consultation on the intended reform of the application of multiple dwellings relief (MDR) and the interpretation and treatment of mixed-use property for SDLT purposes. It is of no surprise to us that HMRC have taken this […]
Remortgage market will remain “buoyant” in New Year
The latest LMS monthly remortgage snapshot reveals that activity in November was fuelled by the inevitable interest rate rise as banks and building societies begin planning increases into products, prompting customers to shop around for the best deals. The report shows that 47% of borrowers increased their loan size in November and 59% of those who […]
Welsh Government to buy flats affected by cladding crisis
The Welsh Government has announced a new scheme that aims to help those affected by the cladding crisis. Under the scheme, the first of its kind in the UK, the Government says it will offer to buy homes from leaseholders struggling to sell properties or facing financial difficulties. Announcing the scheme, Climate Change Minister Julie […]