Spotlight: Judging Panel for the British Conveyancing Awards
In a series of Supporter in Focus pieces, we are thrilled to introduce our Judges of The British Conveyancing Awards 2021. Alongside headline sponsor, Lawyer Checker, we look forward to recognising individuals, teams and companies who have gone above and beyond to support buyers and sellers to move home during the most challenging year the […]
£200m suspicion on money laundering passed to NCA
A report released by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA)has revealed that the agency has reported suspicious activity equating to more than £200m to authorities in the last 12 months. 26 suspicious activity reports were sent to the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the year to the end of October 2020. 266 matters were escalated to […]
British Conveyancing Awards deadline is on Wednesday
Time is ticking to get your entries in for the inaugural British Conveyancing Awards, with registrations for submissions closing on Wednesday 7th April. Those who have registered have until midnight on Friday 9th April to submit their entry, before the judging process begins. The awards are presented by Today’s Conveyancer alongside headline sponsor Lawyer Checker, […]
Caring for an industry under pressure
Written by Scott Bozinis, CEO, InfoTrack UK Over the past few weeks, new buyers have been entering the market, eager to complete on a sale before the new deadline passes. While this is something that companies across the property sector will celebrate, particularly after multiple lockdowns have harmed business activity, we should also acknowledge the […]
How to bring balance and stability back to the legal workplace
This Spring, law firms across the UK have been preparing for the imminent challenges of a safe return to office life. As more law practices begin to welcome back their hibernating staff, it is becoming clear that finding the middle ground – where practicality and caution can coexist – requires not a compass but a […]
Demand softens as buyers put transactions on ice
Andy Sommerville, Director at Search Acumen, says: “This latest data shows activity in the property market started to level off ahead of the end of the initial Stamp Duty holiday. “The slide in property prices has been partly driven by buyers putting transactions on ice until greater certainty over whether the SDLT holiday would be extended […]
Two million people are mortgage prisoners due to cladding issues
Statistics revealed by law firm Irwin Mitchell in their report focusing on cladding has revealed that almost two million people are mortgage prisoners thanks to cladding issues. Cladding: A Way Forward has been compiled by residential property experts across the sector which comes complete with a ten-point plan on what can be done to help […]
Electric vehicle parking should be considered in conveyancing
Law firm Coffin Mew is urging conveyancers to consider the provision of electric vehicle parking and charging as part of the conveyancing process. The lawyers warn that with the sale of new petrol and diesel cars banned from 2030 onwards the impact on property desirability and pricing will start to be seen within the next […]
LSB rally call to put consumers at heart of legal services
The Legal Services Board (LSB) launched a consumer-focussed strategy for legal services in England and Wales, and called for collaboration to reshape legal services to better meet society’s needs. The ambitious ten-year strategy reflects that the significant challenges facing the legal services sector can only be tackled by people and organisations working together to pursue […]
Lubna Shuja becomes vice president of Law Society
Lubna Shuja has become the Law Society of England and Wales’ vice president raising the prospect for the first time of two consecutive women presidents in the organisation’s history when she steps up to the top job in 2022. With I. Stephanie Boyce now installed as president, it’s also the first time two people of […]
Final full week to enter the British Conveyancing Awards
The deadline to enter the British Conveyancing Awards is fast approaching, with registrations closing on Wednesday 7th April. The awards are presented by Today’s Conveyancer alongside headline sponsor Lawyer Checker, and will be hosted by the BBC’s Samira Ahmed on 25th May, with the virtual ceremony taking centre stage at 3.30pm. Tom Lyes Director of […]
Safe Harbour welcomed as a step forward in the sector
The industry has embraced the new steps that HM Land Registry (HMLR) is taking to enable the use of digital ID verification in the home buying process. Although the standard is optional at the moment, it is thought that it will soon become the ‘norm’ for the industry, as process become more streamlined and the […]
Cleanse your content
This week we just wanted to cover the importance of keeping on top of your existing content. If you have a website or social channel you will have content that is already in existence. As content is quite high on the list in terms of recruiting new customers and continuing to build that ever important […]
HMRC set to recoup over £8bn in SDLT
Despite the high profile Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday, data from HMRC Tax Receipts and National Insurance Contributions division shows that SDLT receipts were only 6% lower when comparing February 2021 to February 2020. In February of this year, SDLT receipts were £775m. This was only £49m less than the same period the previous […]
Purchases, Packs and Protocol Forms!
Following on from the announcement that the Law Society were piloting upfront information for buyers, and a further piece of work between the Society and Gazeal, Lorraine Richardson, Managing Director of Adapt Law has shared her views on purchases, packs and protocol forms with Today’s Conveyancer. There is lots of talk about the way that […]
The British Conveyancing Awards are just two months away!
In two months time the conveyancing industry will be donning their finest bib and tucker as we all come together to celebrate the inaugural British Conveyancing Awards. The awards aim to recognise the herculean efforts undertaken by the sector over the past 12 months, as everyone has adapted to challenging conditions that a worldwide pandemic […]
BASPI creates ‘one source of truth’
Understanding and utilising data has always been important but in the technological era it has become all-encompassing. In every facet of our lives, the data we provide, the data we hold, and the data we use, determines so much about what we do next. My first interaction with data collation was when I was 11 […]
Search Acumen signs up to blockchain network Coadjute
Coadjute, the blockchain network for the UK property market that aims to halve the time it takes to move home, announced the move by leading conveyancing software firm Osprey Approach, property data provider company Search Acumen, and award-winning conveyancing firms AVRillo and PCS Legal to join their digital network. Coadjute’s blockchain platform is an open […]
Law Society launches TA6 Part 1 pilot
A new pilot from the Law Society will encourage the production of key information for home buyers and sellers at a much earlier stage in the home moving process. it is being run by the Law Society, working with its conveyancing and land law committee, InfoTrack and Perfect Portal. Through InfoTrack’s software home movers will […]
Digital TA6 Transformed by InfoTrack & Perfect Portal to sell a property faster
An England and Wales first beta project, from legal technology providers InfoTrack and Perfect Portal. Discover how digital data can be utilised more effectively between sellers, agents, buyers and conveyancers to market a UK property. Scott Bozinis, Chief Executive Officer at InfoTrack explains: “The Law Society TA6 form is the industry standard for property information, […]