Competitions watchdog investigate Dye & Durham again
The Australian competitions watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have launched an investigation in to Dye & Durham’s acquisition of Link Administration Holdings, a 43% owner of e-conveyancing platform PEXA. In January 2022, Dye & Durham announced it had agreed to acquire Link for an estimated c$3.2bn. In a statement released on the […]
Regulator launches consultation to improve diversity in conveyancing
The number of women and people of colour in senior roles within conveyancing is still “unsatisfactory”, according to The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC). Despite the many initiatives aimed at lowering barriers to entry and ensuring fair career progression across the entire legal profession, the regulator says change is “very slow” – particularly for those […]
Law Society welcomes interns for the #10000BlackInterns initiative
Five interns have started their six-week paid internship at the Law Society of England and Wales, as part of their participation in the #10000BlackInterns initiative. The initiative was founded to help broaden career opportunities for young Black people in the UK and address the underrepresentation of Black talent in many industries. The programme aims to […]
Do conveyancers and estate agents face similar challenges?
In the course of going about our daily routines it is sometimes easy to forget that our counterparts across the property spectrum often face similar challenges. Understanding the challenges of others can inform our own behaviour and our behaviour toward others. As Group Compliance Officer at The Guild of Property Professionals, and Fine & Country, […]
LexisNexis Bellwether Report: legal tech is dividing firms
Many small law firms are thinking big when it comes to the tech they need to see them through another period of profound change. But the latest research from LexisNexis’ Bellwether report shows that 47% say they have no plans to invest in any technology at all. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional released the 10th […]
“Firms that invest in staff are the ones that will benefit in the long-run”
The challenges of the last two years have led to some serious self-reflection across our industry. While many of us have re-evaluated our work/life balance, others have reconsidered their career path and training prospects. With so many conveyancers leaving the industry over the last five years due to stress levels and unrealistic caseloads – me […]
SRA gives key consumer protection another chance
Following consultation on the future of post six-year run-off cover, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced that it will seek a further 12-month extension to the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) – to September 2023 – to enable detailed consideration of key points raised in feedback. The consultation, which ran from November 2021 to January […]
PEXA develops new payment system and partners with ClearBank in remortgage platform
PEXA, the Australian-founded fintech that enabled the world’s first fully digitised property settlement process, today announces the successful development of a brand new payment scheme – PEXA Pay. At the same time, PEXA has partnered with ClearBank, the largest next generation clearing and embedded banking platform in the UK, to broaden access to its forthcoming […]
RICS begins valuation review implementation
RICS moves forward with Valuation Review implementation as views sought on UK Red Book changes. Senior chartered surveyor, Richard Waterhouse FRICS, has been appointed to chair an expert sub-committee that will oversee implementation of the recommendations of the Valuation Review, on behalf of RICS’s Standards and Regulation Board (SRB). A member of the Standards and […]
Digital go-live for subject access requests
Requests for personal information can now be made through a new digital service. A new digital service allowing individuals to request personal information is now available which aims to improve the user experience for subject access requests (SARs). The process allows individuals to request information held by the Legal Aid Agency and other parts of […]
CLC announces changes to fee collection
The CLC has made changes to the way that fees are collected following a full consultation over the summer of 2021 and approval of the proposals by the Legal Services Board. As a result of these changes, the previous Practice Fee has been split into two charges: The Practice Fee (billed in advance in November […]
RICS launches Service Charge Code consultation
Housing association tenants of long leasehold flats and the service charges they pay are to be included for the first time under a revised service charge residential management code. This, alongside other proposed changes are announced as part of a consultation by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) launched today. Originally developed in 1997, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Law Society poll reveals UK voters at odds with government refugee policy
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 […]
Conveyancing success celebrated at British Conveyancing Awards 2022
The British Conveyancing Awards, sponsored by Dye & Durham, brought the conveyancing industry together en masse for the first time in 2022 in a celebration of excellence up and down the country. Hosted in the very heart of Westminster at the fabulous Church House, the awards showcased the cream of the conveyancing crop through a […]
RICS market survey: sales increase despite interest rate hike
The latest RICS Residential Market Survey reveals that sales of homes in the UK strengthened in February. The uptick is believed to be due to renewed interest from new buyers, despite the Bank of England’s decision to increase interest rates. The survey showed that 17% of respondents said they had seen a jump in new […]
DWSN and the Law Society celebrate the 20th anniversary of the residential CON29DW
Twenty years of providing peace of mind: DWSN and the Law Society celebrate the 20th anniversary of the residential CON29DW. The Drainage and Water Searches Network (DWSN) is a membership organisation for companies who are responsible for producing full and complete search reports in response to the Law Society’s CON29DW Residential and CON29DW Commercial Searches. […]
The Lettings Industry Council joins Conveyancing Information Executive as industry partner
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 […]
PEXA to launch into UK property market in 2022
PEXA, the Australian-founded fintech that enabled the world’s first fully digitised property settlement process, has announced plans to launch in the UK this year.