Staff at Convey Law raise £10,000 in memory of Sir Captain Tom
Staff at Convey Law have raised an impressive £10,000 in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore to celebrate what would have been his 101st birthday. They raised £5000 by taking part in the Captain Tom 100 Challenge which was matched by Convey’s charity arm, the Conveyancing Foundation, with a further £5000 donation to NHS Charities […]
Why now? Why not?
Covid saw the lockdown of the property market followed by a sharp increase in volume, the industry creaked and, in some areas, completely broke. Recent surveys show many suffered with mental health issues culminating in conveyancers leaving the industry. As a profession are we facing a repeat of 2007/8 when conveyancers left the industry, although […]
First time buyers are waiting until stamp duty holiday ends before they attempt to purchase a property
Recent research by estate agency Yopa has revealed that, on average, first time buyers have delayed purchasing by six months and three weeks as a direct result of the pandemic. Yopa commissioned Censuswide to carry out a survey of 2,000 people planning to buy their first property in the next year, and found that 70% […]
Turning the clock back on stress and retraining your brain
Stress management experts Angus Lyon and Hannah Beko discussed valuable tips and techniques to combat stress at The Conveyancing Foundation’s first #BeKindWeCare webinar. The Foundation recently launched the #BeKindWeCare campaign to help those in the property and conveyancing industry suffering rising levels of mental health concerns, following an unprecedented year. It promotes kindness and well-being […]
Mental Health Awareness Week 2021: Well-being Tips for Conveyancers
The conveyancing events and stresses of the last 12 months are taking their toll on many conveyancers and those in the property industry. With 30% more transactions over the last 12 months, the effect of the lockdowns and working from home, as well as the series of SDLT deadlines throughout the course of the year, […]
Fee Earners not coping – an alternative view
Conveyancing fee earners are all over social media rightly complaining about the stress they are under and I thought a discussion about what’s happening and how to solve it might be worthwhile. It is not just about the stress it’s also about the errors and risks. The #AnonymousConveyancer on Twitter posted this week “I’ve screwed […]
Planning data must be overhauled to enable better informed decisions
Planning may be top of everyone’s minds right now, but the data underpinning it is in desperate need of an overhaul, according to the panel of the latest tm:tv session “Understanding the value of planning data”: Paul Addison, Owner of DevAssist Stuart Tym, Planning Lawyer (Senior Associate Solicitor) at Irwin Mitchell Max Jarmey, GeoSpatial Analyst […]
It’s all about location
A dream location is where it all starts for most of our clients and the importance of a location and its attributes remain key when it comes to buying and selling properties. If we’re buying a property, we can actively choose to be nearer a good school, further from a main road, opt for more […]
Property reforms on the menu for Queen’s speech
At the official re-opening of the Houses of Parliament today, the Queen made her opening speech, detailing what the Government will be focusing on over the coming year. During her speech, the Queen outlined the 30 laws that ministers intend to pass over the next 12 months. These laws include: The Planning Bill which will […]
Tips and tricks to keep the balance on mental health
I’ve had the opportunity to help a conveyancing firm over the last year implement new tools and processes aimed to create a simpler, more effective and better experience for case managers and home movers. This has been helped by working with case managers that are dedicated to clients, always striving to do their best (at […]
49% of Conveyancers surveyed have seen colleagues leave the profession in the last 6 months
A survey completed by Today’s Conveyancer into the mental health and well-being of our readers has revealed an astonishing 49% of conveyancers have seen colleagues leave the profession in the last 6 months because their role was negatively impacting their mental health. Conducted to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week the survey laid bare the […]
England continues along Covid roadmap
England is continuing with its coronavirus roadmap, with some restrictions being lifted on the 17th May 2021. PM Boris Johnson announced the details in a press conference this evening after the alert level of coronavirus was dropped from 4 to 3. The UK’s vaccination rate has been rolled out at great speed with many of […]
Lawyer Checker Thirdfort meets HMLR Digital ID Standard
Lawyer Checker is a trusted brand used by many conveyancers to defend against fraud and cyber threats, most well-known for its commended Account & Entity Screen. Now conveyancers can demonstrate best practice and meet the HM Land Registry’s new Digital ID Standard with Lawyer Checker’s Thirdfort Standard product. Today Thirdfort have launched Thirdfort Standard, an […]
CLC launches cyber insurance consultation
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).has launched a consultation aimed at clarifying the extent to which cyber-related losses are covered by professional indemnity insurance (PII). The six-week consultation is in response to directions from both the Prudential Regulation Authority and Lloyd’s of London to manage ‘silent’ risk by being explicit on whether coverage is provided […]
QS Davisons select SOS Legal to support a 185% increase in instructions
QS Davisons have consolidated their legal practice management software into a single solution provided by SOS Legal. to provide Case, Practice and Document management as they seek better connections for their future. With eight offices across the West Midlands, the firm have experienced exponential growth over the last four years, enjoying an increase of 185% […]
Data Innovation Driving Source of Funds
In January 2021 The Legal Sector Advisory Group on anti-money laundering (LSAG) updated its guidance on how law firms should be dealing with the increasing risk of money laundering. Conveyancing continues to be a focus for criminal activity, enabling criminal organisations to filter illegal funds through the sale and purchase of property. One of the […]
Ground rent doubling negligence claim
A case has been brought against a conveyancing firm for failure to notify their client of the incremental increases in ground rent on their leasehold property. The case relates to the previously common practice of builders selling new-build properties with leasehold tenures, with an agreement that the ground rent would double every 5-10 years. Carole […]
New Build Conveyancing guide to share knowledge with industry
As with any job there can be some subtle changes depending on what you deal with. Conveyancing is no different, and recently I had the pleasure of speaking to Paul Sams, Partner and Head of Property and Rebecca East, Residential Property Solicitor, at Dutton Gregory Solicitors, who spent their time in lockdown penning a new […]
Hear Directly from HMLR and SRA – The importance of Safe Harbour Status
Minerva have released the details of their latest in a series of webinars in conversation with influencers, regulators and experts within the industry. This time sees the digital and anti-money laundering teams from HMLR and the SRA come together for a panel discussion around the importance of adhering to the Safe Harbour Standard, what this […]
Are there CGT implications for properties with home offices?
Estate Agent Today published an article yesterday which was brought to their attention by an agent. The article source reveals that their is a risk of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) being levied on the vendors of properties that have a home office. This became apparent in a recent transaction they’ve been involved in. The source […]