Editor of Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Wills and Probate, and Today’s Family Lawyer
Contact
The Ombudsman’s corner: recent changes – taking the right approach for each case The Legal Services Act 2007, which set up the Legal Ombudsman, requires that we complete our work “quickly and with minimum formality”.
In news that has been welcomed by the National Leasehold Campaign (NLC), the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced that thousands of leaseholders who paid a doubled ground rent will receive refunds, and nine
New data from HM Land Registry (HMLR) has revealed that residential property transactions climbed once again in July, bouncing back from the dips seen in June. HMLR say the provisional non-seasonally adjusted estimate of UK
Individual practising fee levels for 2022/23 have been approved by the Legal Services Board (LSB). Practising fees are used to pay statutory levies to the LSB, the Legal Ombudsman, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and Office
New research has revealed that even after adjusting for inflation, the average British first-time buyer has seen the initial cost of a mortgage deposit climb by 41% in the last decade – meaning they now
New research has suggested that there is a growing tendency among older Brits to use the wealth held in their property to help younger generations become first-time buyers. The research from Aviva looked at spending
More than half (54%) of property firms are failing to carry out crucial “ghost-buster” checks on new business clients, newly released data shows. “Ghost” firms are false entities created as part of a corporate infrastructure
The legal sector is a highly pressurised environment. For many who work within it, the time constraints and stress can have an impact on focus and efficiency. One solicitor provided Today’s Conveyancer with their top
New homes will be more accessible for older and disabled people following confirmation from the government of its plans to raise the accessibility standard after full consultation of proposals. The raising accessibility standards for new
The latest announcement that a specialist lender has been given a licence to off 50-year fixed-rate mortgages poses a considerable risk for the housing market, according to several key voices within the property industry. Perenna,
Figures released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have revealed that stamp duty land tax (SDLT) receipts between April and July this year were £7 billion. This represents an increase of £1.3 billion from the
UK house prices increased by 1% in the period May to June 2022, according to the latest non-seasonally adjusted House Price Index (HPI) from HM Land Registry (HMLR). While this is an indication that the
From a boxroom in Leicester to having 200 law firms adopt its branding, the odyssey of QualitySolicitors was one like no other. Here, Saleem Arif, co-founder of QualitySolicitors, tells all: the idea, working from his
Speaking in the Chair’s Report on the latest CLC Council Meeting of 28th July 2022, Dame Janet Paraskeva gave details of the CLC’s consultation on regulatory fees and fee rates. “This year, as every year,
ONP Group has increased its conveyancing capacity by 30% in just the past year following the launch of its academy programme at the beginning of last year. The firm has brought over 187 new people
The fight for law firms to retain top performers and attract new talent remains a constant challenge, according to new research from legal recruiter Clayton Legal. Alongside multi-faceted socio-economic factors and a changing competitive environment,
Aspiring solicitors should be paid £21,024 outside of London and £23,703 in the capital for qualifying work experience (QWE) for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam or during their training contract, the Law Society of England and
The Conveyancing Association (CA) has launched a new “Find an Expert” service via its website for those seeking access to quality conveyancing services via CA member firms. Accessible via the CA website home page, users
The conveyancer’s view, 15th August 2022 The first half of August saw Today’s Conveyancer and Property Industry Eye poll their respective readerships with a version of the following question: “Do you think it would be
House prices continue to rise across the UK even as demand drops, because of a severe lack of stock, according to the July 2022 RICS Residential Market Survey. The latest results show a continued fall
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed that, from April 2023, it will reintroduce a requirement for solicitors without practising certificates to apply to remain on the Roll of Solicitors of England and Wales. As
More leaseholders in high-rise homes will be spared unfair bills for building safety costs as the government’s £4.5 billion Building Safety Fund reopened for new applications, the government has recently announced. Buildings over 18 metres
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced two new funds to help tackle cases of repeated flooding and air pollution respectively. Repeated flooding A new ring-fenced £100 million Frequently Flooded Allowance will
While June saw remortgage instructions drop by 13% and total remortgage completions drop by 35%, pipeline cases increased by 10%, according to data within LMS’ latest monthly remortgage snapsot. This comes as lenders prepare for
With homemovers continuing to face record delays, many within the property industry are naturally looking to point the finger. Increasingly, the conveyancing process and conveyancers are on the receiving end of this finger-pointing, largely due
Earlier this year, the Digital Identity Systems Certification (DISC) – a pilot scheme created by the government to enable digital identity service providers (IDSPs) to certify themselves against an agreed framework – announced that it
Interest rates in the UK were boosted by 0.5% by the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England (BoE) on Thursday, rising from 1.25% to 1.75% as part of an effort to battle the
Despite the economy being plagued by inflation and headed for recession, house prices remained relatively steady in June, according to the latest house price indices. Nationwide reported that house prices in the UK climbed for
Almost one in five (18%) of property firms have seen a rise in criminals attempting to launder money or commit financial crime through their businesses in the last year, a new survey of 500 firms
The Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, has warned that the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme is becoming unsustainable, with councils struggling to rebuild homes as quickly as
Statistics released by the Equity Release Council have revealed that a striking £1.6 billion of property wealth was withdrawn via equity release in Q2 2022. This comes as the number of new equity release plans
As part of its ongoing work to consider next steps on the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) and consumer protection for negligence claims brought more than six years after a firm has closed, the Solicitors Regulation