The UK has started its free trade agreement (FTA) talks with Mexico, with solicitors’ leaders hoping negotiators will lock in current legal services market access and increase trade in other sectors. The International Trade Secretary launched negotiations on a new UK-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (FTA) alongside her Mexican counterpart, Tatiana Clouthier, in London last week. […]Read More
Opinions, advice and thoughts of conveyancing professionals on a range of key topics. We let the profession have their voices heard and let you gain insight from a number of property career backgrounds. If you would like to share your views on a current issue within conveyancing, please email [email protected].
Six months on from the end of the Stamp Duty Holiday, the residential property market appears to be extremely buoyant. House prices have risen at the fastest rate for many years. Although average house prices started to grow slowly at the beginning of January, they grew nonetheless and may continue to grow for the foreseeable […]Read More
The recent thought-provoking ITV drama “Our Home” highlighted the possible nightmare scenario of going away for a few days and coming back to find strangers moving into your house. A cleverly orchestrated fraud (if a little too simplistic) sees a London home sold fraudulently, demonstrating real challenges that exist in our system if quite simple […]Read More
Equity Release Council: penalty-free repayments now “standard feature”
The Equity Release Council has announced that the option for borrowers to make penalty-free partial repayments, will become a fifth “standard feature” for all equity release providers, with immediate effect. Introduced on Wednesday 28th March, the change has been implemented to help reduce the effects of compound interest and reduce overall later life borrowing costs for […]Read More
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer
It’s tough being a thorn in people’s sides. I bleat on about using the latest technology while traditional lawyers disagree with me; “We don’t need technology” they cry, “we need better lawyers”. I tell them to take a long hard look in the mirror and realise that they must adapt to change. I then go […]Read More
Knights completes on Yorkshire and East Midlands acquisition
Legal and professional services firm Knights has completed acquisition of Langleys Solicitors of York and Lincoln, in a deal worth £11.5 million. As one of the most well-known and substantial legal practices in York, Knights says the acquisition of Langleys will provide it with “a platform to realise the opportunity of the York legal market and expansion […]Read More
Government’s intent to legislate on identity & legal sector response
The sad events in Ukraine have forced the government and the property industry to pay even more attention to where client money comes from and who their client is. This has had serious implications for the whole industry, not just for those exposed to foreign property transactions. Events in Ukraine forced the government to push […]Read More
A clear majority of people in the UK reject the rationale underpinning the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill which singles out those who have to take a clandestine route to safety, a new poll by the Law Society of England and Wales shows. Under the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill, refugees who make their own […]Read More
Solicitors in England and Wales will mark the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, which challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce said: “I am pleased to mark the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week. Whoever you are and whatever your background, the Law Society wants you to have the opportunity […]Read More
Gove issues response to industry proposal on building safety
Michael Gove has issued a response letter to the Home Builders Federation on proposals to pay for building safety. In the letter to the Home Builders Federation on their proposals to pay for building safety, dated 7th March, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, stated that while the commitment that […]Read More
In this latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast David Opie is joined by Simon McCrum, ex-Managing Partner of Darbys prior to it’s sale to Knights in 2016 and now a consultant for law firms. Simon brings his own experience running departments and law firms to his consultancy McCrum and Co. Through working with law firms he encourages […]Read More
Like it or not, conveyancers aren’t the first in the queue when sellers eventually get round to moving. On average once every 23 years or so home movers gird their loins and through gritted teeth call estate agents for the dreaded valuation. As the first agent pulls up outside it becomes apparent that things have […]Read More
The Solicitors Regulations Authority (SRA) and Council for Licensed Conveyancers have issued reminders to be aware of dealing with those on sanctions lists and conveyancers’ responsibilities under the Money Laundering Regulations. The move comes as the UK imposes further sanctions on Russia and individuals in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. A new message […]Read More
gunnercooke has announced it is now accepting payment for legal and professional services via cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Bitcoin, in a move believed to be the first for a major law firm in the UK. Such payments are being accepted in a growing number of professional industries, but there are currently no major players […]Read More
Latest HMLR Transaction Data has been published, providing information about the number and types of applications that HMLR completed in January 2022. In January more than 1,771,690 applications to change or query the Land Register were completed by HMLR, with the South East topping the table of regional applications at 417,879 requests. HMLR completed 1,771,694 […]Read More
Dye & Durham is offering conveyancers the chance to “Ask the Experts” in a brand-new Q&A style webinar on 10th March. Focusing on key issues facing property professionals, the session “A Question of Risk and Compliance” is an opportunity to put questions to a panel of industry experts covering a range of specialist subjects, including […]Read More
LMS’ 2021/2 annual Snapshot reveals remortgaging activity trends across 2021 and gives predictions for the 2022 market. Key activity in the remortgage sector last year included increased instructions as borrowers shopped around for better deals. Completions also increased as industry capacity grew, and cancellations decreased as the market stabilised. The average monthly payment decrease for […]Read More
In this latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast David Opie speaks to conveyancing industry personality Eddie Goldsmith. Eddie has just launched a new service aimed at better engaging home movers in their transaction; reducing the admin for conveyancers and speeding up the transaction. 40 years in the making, YouConvey is currently being piloted with Eddie commenting “Over […]Read More
The Lettings Industry Council joins Conveyancing Information Executive as industry
The Conveyancing Information Executive (CIE) has today announced that The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC) has become an Industry Partner of the trade body organisation. The TLIC comprises lettings experts from across the industry, professional bodies and schemes, service providers for both landlords and tenants, and representatives from both large and small lettings agents. Government advisors […]Read More
The latest house price data published by HM Land Registry (HMLR) for December 2021 show that average house prices in the UK increased by 10.8% in the year to December 2021, up from 10.7% in the year to November 2021. The average UK house price was £275,000 in December 2021, which is £27,000 higher than this […]Read More

- Conveyancing through the pandemic and beyond
- Diary of a high street conveyancer; 23rd May 2022
- AML horror stories from the front line
- Confessions of a cyber conveyancer
- Diary of a high street conveyancer; 16th May 2022
- The conveyancer’s view: “what is the house’s star sign?”
- How podcasts and panels are changing the legal industry
- Employers target mental health in the workplace as hybrid working revolution takes shape
- Diary of a high street conveyancer; 9th May 2022