Law Society recommends 2.45% salary increase for trainee lawyers
The Law Society of England and Wales has recommended a 2.45% salary increase for aspiring solicitors, in line with the Consumer Price Index 12-month rolling inflation rate. The increase, which is not a regulatory requirement but ‘a matter of voluntary good practice’, means trainee solicitors outside of London should be paid £24,916 and £28,090 in […]
Rise in mortgage searches ‘points to strong market’
Analysis from finance technology company Twenty7tec shows a 3.95% rise in searches for residential mortgages in Q2, which the company says demonstrates a strong overall market. The total number of movers and remortgagers looking for new products is at odds with the first-time buyer market, with searches from those seeking to get on the property […]
Enquiries tool launches with ambitions to ‘raise the right enquiries, right from the beginning’
A new tool which aims to ‘raise the right enquiries, right from the beginning’ has been launched by conveyancing technology provider InfoTrack. The firm, which is celebrating 10 years in England and Wales, says the new software called Enquiries, analyses data from Title Registers, TA forms, search results and LPE1s to suggest matter-specific enquiries. Enquiries […]
Bristol tops list of England’s knotweed hotspots
An online heatmap from invasive plant specialist Environet shows that Bristol holds the dubious title of Japanese knotweed capital of England. Data from the online tracker has revealed the south-west city has 33.91 incidences of the dreaded weed per square mile, followed by Merseyside with 11.87 and Greater London with 7.74. With over 100,000 sightings […]
Number of potential homebuyers up 6% in ‘high competition’ market
The number of potential future buyers contacting estate agents about homes for sale is 6% higher than last year, according to the latest figures released by Rightmove, with sales agreed 5% up over the same period. Realistic and competitive pricing from new sellers in response to the high-competition market is driving an increase in buyer […]
LSB committed to addressing ‘persistent and deeply concerning’ unmet legal need
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has set out the actions it took in 2024/25 to enable legal services for the public, and says it will continue to address ‘the persistent and deeply concerning level of unmet legal need across England and Wales’. In its annual report published this week, the regulator has reviewed its performance […]
Buyers ‘missing out on thousands in stamp duty refunds’
Thousands of UK business buyers, landlords and property investors could be missing out on stamp duty relief worth an average of of £12,909, according to specialist consultancy SCA Tax – with some buyers reclaiming tens of thousands of pounds. The company believes buyers may be entitled to ‘significant reliefs’ in several common scenarios, including properties […]
InTouch joins Conveyancing Association as affiliate member
Cloud-based conveyancing case management platform InTouch has joined the Conveyancing Association (CA) an affiliate member, the CA has announced. The membership will give InTouch a range of benefits and opportunities including the use of CA branding, attendance and networking at member and online meetings, access to member firms and advertising. The InTouch platform is used […]
‘High risk’ legal services NRA classification not proportionate, Law Society claims
The newly published UK National Risk Assessment (NRA) of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing has been greeted with disappointment by the Law Society of England and Wales, with president Richard Atkinson pointing out the lack of prosecutions in the so-called ‘high risk’ legal sector. The 2025 NRA, produced by HM Treasury and the Home Office, […]
Affordability remains barrier to growth in active property market
A detailed picture of property market activity across England, Wales and Scotland from Landmark Information Group suggests that affordability remains the key barrier to market growth. Despite record levels of stock and competitive mortgage rates, Landmark’s analysis shows that transaction volumes slowed down in Q2 of 2025. The property data company attributes the muted momentum […]
Deadline set for unsafe cladding removal, but campaigners say time is running out
New legislation will set strict deadlines for fixing thousands of buildings with unsafe cladding, with new powers enabling the government to step in if landlords fail to act. The remediation plan will be backed by over £1 billion in new investment, the government has said. The Remediation Bill will require landlords of buildings 18 metres […]
Subsidised mental health and wellbeing training for law firms
Subsidised mental health and wellbeing training for law firms is being offered by The Conveyancing Foundation in collaboration with trainer Sharron Moffatt to support the one in six employees it is estimated experience a mental health issue in any given year. The Foundation, which raises money for good causes across the conveyancing profession, is part […]
1m homes see value surge by more than 50%
Analysis from property website Zoopla reveals that one million homes in the UK have seen their value increase by 50% or more since the pandemic five years ago, an average increase of £117,400. Over half are in the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber and Wales, with these areas seeing average value increases of £77,100, £86,200 […]
Land Registry industrial action ends as ‘members win major concessions’
Long-running industrial action has ended after Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members won major concessions over office attendance, individual performance data and plans to downgrade work, the union has announced. Members have voted 86.4% in favour of accepting a settlement negotiated by union officials with Land Registry management, ending the formal dispute at the […]
Rising house prices ‘a sign of maturity’ amid ‘robust demand’
House price data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows a rise in annual house price inflation following an April slow-down, with an increase of 3.9% in the 12 months to May 2025 taking the average UK property price to £269,000. Prices were up in all regions: the average price in England was […]
Rise in inflation receives muted response from property industry
UK consumer price inflation (CPI) rose by 3.6% in the the 12 months to June, up from 3.4% in the 12 months to May. The monthly rise was 0.3%, compared to 0.1% in June 2024. CPI including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rose by 4.1% in the 12 months to June (up slightly from 4.0% […]
Chancellor’s Leeds Reforms target first-time buyers
The Leeds Reforms announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Tuesday include a range of measures to help first-time buyers onto the property ladder. The Bank of England is set to allow more lending at over 4.5 times a buyer’s income, which the government says could help 36,000 more people buy a home within the next […]
Simon Hayes to depart HM Land Registry
HM Land Registry Chief Executive Simon Hayes will depart the organisation in September to take up a role with Sport England after six years in post. With an extensive background in the civil service since 1997, holding several positions across police, criminal justice and immigration policy, Hayes became chief of staff for the UK Border […]
New legal partnership aims to simplify home moving process
Lifetime Legal and ONP Solicitors have launched a partnership that aims to speed up property transactions and reduce paperwork by sharing essential information and removing the need for customers to duplicate communications. The partnership will see Lifetime Legal, which supports estate agents with over 15,000 transactions every month, share information including AML verification, TA forms, […]
Mortgage analysis finds first-time buyers are being offered up to 1.57 times more than requested
An affordability analysis by mortgage brokerage platform Acre has found that first-time buyers are being offered higher maximum loan sizes than they are asking for, with average offers 1.57 times more than the requested amount – up from 1.48 just three months ago. Acre, which handles over 2.8 million affordability requests per month, analysed requests […]