Why don’t Lawyers like change?
As I write this blog, I am remembering a lovely quote from Kingsley Amis who said: “If you can’t annoy somebody with what you write, I think there’s little point in writing.” I have spent a lot of hours studying how to get people to change their behaviours and habits. Tech is only as good […]
Call to scrap stamp duty for over-75s to boost downsizing and address housing crisis
Stamp duty should be eliminated for individuals over 75 to encourage downsizing and make more family homes available for younger buyers, according to Will Bax, CEO of Retirement Villages Group. England’s property transaction tax acts as a “handbrake” preventing older adults from moving when they need to free up funds for care, Bax argued. He […]
Outsourcing is an increasing consideration for the law firm of the future
Nicola Ashley and Nicola Davies are former conveyancers and now founders of outsourced title investigation service N Title. They join podcast host David Opie on this latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast to discuss their journey over the past 4 years, as well as exploring the opportunities outsourcing provides firms to flex up and down without adding […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer
I KNOW I received that document … Given the voracity of recent discussions around forms, allegations of vested interests and the inability of technology to improve conveyancing, an outsider might think that these are the key concerns amongst property lawyers right now. Whilst there is an awful lot of energy being expended on those topics, […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer: 28th May 2024
I am still in awe of AI… I hear others talking about it and do not even start to understand how it works but it still scares me a little. I suppose that coming to the end of my career means that I do not have to take notice of it in the same way […]
The many hats of a compliance officer
In a discussion which will no doubt elicit cries of empathy and a collective nod from compliance teams in law firms up and down the country, Lucy Batten joins the latest Today’s Conveyancer Podcast to discuss her role as Executive Director and Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) at Gloucestershire-based Montpellier Legal. Her role encompasses […]
Creating a Leading Brand in the Legal Sector: A Strategic Guide for Law Firms and Legal Businesses
Establishing a strong brand is not just about being recognised – it’s about being preferred. This means going beyond just offering expert legal advice; it involves embedding your firm’s values into every aspect of your business, developing a coherent content strategy, leveraging personal branding, and aligning with your long-term vision. At Legal Growth, we understand […]
Artificial Intelligence: The good, the bad and the ugly
The SRA’s Annual AML Assessment found that 70% of law firms believed they were fully compliant, when they were not. This is a statistic that should shock everyone. A key challenge facing the industry is that many legal and conveyancing firms believe they have sufficient processes for AML/PEPs checks. However, if a firm’s onboarding process […]
Economic challenges and wet weather dampen house building in first quarter, reports NHBC
Figures released today by the National House Building Council (NHBC), the UK’s largest provider of new home warranties and insurance, show 21,967 new homes were registered to be built in the first quarter compared to last year. There were 26,240 new homes were completed in the same period, 13% down on Q1 2023 (30,071). Despite […]
Empathy: it’s our superpower
I have a complex relationship with online communities. For my professional network, they provide beneficial opportunities to meet likeminded colleagues from across the profession. They’re a useful place to share news, event information, best practice and break down the boundaries between business owners. Obviously, there are recruitment benefits for both employers and employees. It expands […]
The HBSG Discussion Paper: What’s going on, the need and our solution
In 2023, the Home Buying and Selling Council (HBSG) launched its first ever ‘Discussion Paper’ on how to improve the home buying and selling process now and in the future and to gather the thoughts and ideas from those at the coal face, as to what will work and what the unintended consequences might be. […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer: 7th May 2024
I like Bank Holidays – a chance to think about the week ahead and delight in the idea of a four day week but the difficulty with a four day week for a conveyancer is that we have to squash five days into four! I applaud those firms which offer four day working weeks but […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer
If you spend any time on LinkedIn, you’ll have probably reached the conclusion that conveyancing is riddled with factions holding increasingly polarised views. Whilst as with all things, it’s the vocal minority that are grabbing their virtual pitchforks, a number of areas do seem to have attracted particular ire. Firstly, experienced lawyers are bemoaning the […]
Conveyancers Need to Work Less and Earn More!
We keep telling ourselves as Conveyancers and business leaders that our Conveyancers need to do less – with additional work through conveyancing creep a significant issue – and our Conveyancers need to be paid more for their invaluable work. So, what’s the problem – how do we pay more and do less – provide a […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer: 29th April 2024
Well what a week! Whoever said the life of a conveyancer was dull. I had four contract packages to review this week and they had all used the new TA6 form – it was relatively straightforward and in fact, many of the questions were not relevant to the sale of a freehold house without solar […]
We’re all human, we all make mistakes
Joining the latest Today’s Conveyancer Podcast is Dan Temple, an expert in acknowledging and understanding the human impact of working, and managing employees and businesses. The discussion centres on creating effective and high performing teams, and what steps law firms can, and should, be taking to enable this in their business. Dan leads Cobalt Human […]
Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023: Changes to the limitation period for planning enforcement
A significant change to the law effective today (Thursday 24th April) is poised to catch many property lawyers off guard. From today a much stricter approach to planning enforcement will be implemented, impacting property owners, developers, and (not to forget) property lawyers. In England (as opposed to Wales) under the new law, when there is an […]
Time to embrace change
Julie Williams, Head of Service Delivery at Complete ASAP addresses the impact of the full Material Information guidance The recent release of the full material information guidance from National Trading Standards (NTSELAT), means that the conveyancing industry (encompassing all stakeholders), must collectively take stock of where it is today, and address how it will embrace […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 22nd April 2024
I am acting in the sale of a house. I drafted the contract this week to send to the buyer’s solicitor. When I downloaded the Official copy entries, the title was easy – the Property Register just stated that the house was freehold and gave the full address and the Proprietorship Register just had the […]
Cross-market data shows ‘optimistic signs’ for summer but still ‘reactive to external shocks’
The latest cross-market data from Landmark shows a “cautiously optimistic” market – although one that is still “highly reactive to external shocks” such as fluctuating interest rates. Landmark’s newly released Q1 Residential Property Trends report offers a comprehensive analysis of property data from the first quarter of the year, examining the entire residential property transaction […]