Over 1,000 chartered legal executives secure standalone litigation practice rights in the wake of Mazur
Over 1,000 CILEX lawyers have successfully obtained litigation practice rights, enabling them to carry out litigation without the need for supervision, in the wake of the Mazur judgment. CILEx Regulation (CRL), which oversees the education, qualification and practice standards of chartered legal executives, said 1094 professionals had obtained practice rights authorisations via the University of […]
Lenders to focus on completion times as a route to ‘improve margins and lower costs’
Lenders will turn their attention to lengthening completion times to improve margins and cut costs according to home buying and selling transformation consultants Novus Strategy, as mortgage data reveaed a record value of mortgage cancellations in the first quarter of 2026. A comparison of mortgage approvals and cancellations revealed 35,144 mortgage cancellations in Q1 2026; […]
Misconduct reports up 58% in two years, says SRA
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed a 58% increase in misconduct reports “placing significant pressure” on the number of investigations it is having to undertake. In the six months to the end of April 2026, the SRA reviewed 8,955 reports about potential misconduct (at an average of 1,493 new reports a month). This constitutes […]
Consultation on mansion tax launched as government outlines plans to raise £430m annually
The government has launched a consultation on the design and delivery of the High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS), announced in the 2025 autumn budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. In its ministerial foreword, the consultation identifies the “unjust” nature of council tax, where a “band D property in Darlington or Blackpool, today worth around £400,000, […]
Rebuilt ID platform offers fully rounded customer due diligence compliance
Client due diligence platform Thirdfort has announced the release of a newly rebuilt platform that brings together ID and document verification, know your business (KYB) checks, anti-money laundering (AML) screening, and source of funds analysis. Thirdfort, which works with more than 1,500 regulated businesses across the legal and property sectors, says the rebuild from the […]
Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle and TV presenter AJ Odudu headline second Sort Ball
The headline acts for the second ever Sort Ball have been announced, with Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle (pictured left) and DJ and TV presenter AJ Odudu (right) leading the Gatsby-inspired evening of entertainment. The event promises a night of 1920’s throwback elegance, with a three-course meal and a host of networking opportunities with assembled property […]
HMRC updates tax adviser guidance twice in one day
HMRC updated its guidance on the registration of tax advisers twice yesterday (Monday), adding further detail to help businesses identify those who need to register. In a statement accompanying the update, HMRC said: “Further detail has been added to help businesses identify their relevant individuals, as well as examples of the types of evidence that may […]
Signs of traditional property market spring bounce despite geopolitical upheaval as demand indicators increase
There are signs of the traditional property market spring bounce, according to the estate agency membership and training body Propertymark. The organisation’s latest Housing Insight Report suggests an increase in the number of viewings and listings, with resilience in sales meaning there are “encouraging signs across the housing market.” Propertymark members reported both supply and […]
New legal careers platform matches job seekers with verified and regulated residential property firms
A new legal careers platform promises to offer verified profiles for almost 9000 SRA-regulated firms, with dedicated career pages covering residential property. LawBoard, which launched last month, includes a free salary benchmarking tool that gives practitioners an honest view that covers residential property solicitors at every experience level from NQ through to 8+ years PQE. […]
Japanese knotweed ‘knocks £21.4bn off UK housing market value’
Japanese knotweed wipes an estimated £21.4 billion from the value of the UK housing market, according to new research. More than 1.5 million homes in Britain are affected by the fast-growing plant – which can grow through asphalt, patios, cavity walls, drains and cracks in concrete – according to new research from invasive plant specialist […]
CFIT unveils Open Property Roadmap to ‘modernise UK home buying’
The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology has published a roadmap for open property which it says sets out “a clear and credible pathway to transform the UK’s home buying process”. The Open Property Roadmap was commissioned by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to enable the digitalisation of the home buying and selling […]
Completions static but pipeline of new homes likely to contract as a result of falling planning permissions
“Fragile consumer confidence, affordability challenges and global economic uncertainty” are impacting on builders’ decisions to invest in new housing, according to the latest figures on new builds from the National House Building Council (NHBC). Despite government targets to build 1.5 million new homes in this parliament, the NHBC says the figures in its Q1 new […]
Private client work the most profitable for SME law firms
Private client law, including wills, probate, tax, trust and estate-related advice is the most profitable area of law for small law firms, alongside litigation and dispute resolution, according to the latest Bellwether Report from LexisNexis. These types of work were cited as the most profitable by 42% of respondents in the Bellwether Report 2026: Lean, […]
Survey reveals widespread use of unauthorised and open source AI, breaching client confidentiality
A survey has revealed nearly two thirds of fee earners admit to using open source artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, potentially compromising client data and confidentiality. The research by legal software company Access Legal revealed 59% of the 200 UK legal professionals surveyed by Censuswide said they had used unapproved AI applications, like the […]
Failure to redeem charges on probate property sale cost solicitor £47,000 at tribunal
A solicitor has been given a 12-month suspension from practice, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £47,000 after failing to redeem nearly £200,000 of charges on a probate property sale. The Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) said the case was a warning that “even experienced professionals could make serious errors in judgment under extreme […]
GOV.UK launches tax adviser registration tool for firms to check obligations
HMRC has released a new service for organisations to check whether they must register as tax advisers under the new rules effective from Monday 18th May 2026. The tool asks users a series of questions to determine whether or not a firm will need to register. When the tool was used to answer questions purporting […]
Rayner cleared of ‘wrongdoing or carelessness’ as she settles £40,000 SDLT bill
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner says she has settled a £40,000 bill for stamp duty land tax after being cleared by HMRC of deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness over her tax affairs. In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Rayner said an investigation by HMRC resulted in her settling the underpayment. HMRC said it was […]
‘Macro headwinds’ will lead to subdued property market in the short to medium term – RICS
The housing market is in the “grip of macro headwinds stemming from the Middle East conflict” and, with interest rate rises on the horizon, the outlook for buyers remains challenging, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The comments in the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey mirror sentiment shared in recent weeks […]
Kitemark for upfront information providers to be developed as new representative group launches
A new group has been launched to standardise the production of material information and digital sales packs, under the umbrella of the Residential Logbook Association (RLBA). Upfront Information Group (UIG) has been established by the self-regulatory body of logbook providers to enable it to engage with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) […]
King confirms leasehold reform remains on government agenda
The King’s speech to Parliament outlining the upcoming legislative agenda has confirmed plans to continue with leasehold reform under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. A new Remediation Bill will include powers to make construction product manufacturers contribute toward the cost of replacing unsafe cladding. The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill has been extensively previewed […]