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Amidst a catastrophic week for Boris Johnson which saw the best part of 60 MPs resign from his government in the two days leading to his resignation, the Prime Minister took it upon himself to
The government has taken significant steps in reforming leasehold ownership of residential property. How its proposals will work in practice, however, is not clear. After passing through the Commons and the House of Lords, the
12-13 September 2022, The ICC Birmingham As the cost of living crisis makes life harder across the UK, the social purpose of housing associations has never been more important. “We’re ready to step up”, said
An online conveyancing support group is growing in prominence as conveyancers are beginning to speak more openly about the difficulties they are facing on a day-to-day basis. The group, “Conveyancers for Change”, was launched in
Full-service Scottish law firm Gilson Gray has struck a deal with Knights to acquire Home Property Lawyers (HPL) Ltd, with the firm saying the move “signals the beginning of an expansion strategy outside Scotland”. HPL
Equity Release Supermarket (ERS) has announced the appointment of a new CMO to help propel the business’s technology and digital offering. Richard Brook joins the company as Chief Marketing Officer at a “particularly exciting” time
Boris Johnson resigned as Conservative leader on Thursday – though it is believed he will remain in post as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom until Autumn. Johnson made a statement outside Downing Street to
Proportunity, a neolender offering equity loans to homebuyers to enable them to borrow more money alongside what they’re offered by traditional mortgage lenders, has now launched a zero deposit mortgage product. The idea is to
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, was sacked by Boris Johnson late on Wednesday night. This comes hours after Gove and Home Secretary Priti Patel called for Johnson to resign
Housing Minister Stuart Andrew MP has today quit Boris Johnson’s Conservative government, taking the number of resignations to 18 at the time of writing. This mass resignation has come following the scandal involving Chris Pincher
Soaring professional indemnity insurance (PII) costs have recently seen two successful conveyancing firms absorbed by 360 Law Group. This will come as ominous news for some firms given the secure and long-standing nature of the
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) confirmed on Monday that the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) will be extended to September 2023 following a consultation with the industry earlier this year. The consultation focused on the future
A housing market that has seen prices soar amid faltering supply is set to be blessed with 50-year mortgages. This is the latest in a string of “creative ideas” mooted by Boris Johnson and his
Double whammy for first time buyers as one in four now pay stamp duty alongside soaring house prices; stamp duty surcharge makes up 46% of total receipts The HomeOwners Alliance has called for an urgent
A study has revealed that, following the recent base rate rise by the Bank of England, the cost of a mortgage has risen to the point where is it is now cheaper on a monthly
A survey has discovered that a fifth of businesses expect the cost of living crisis’ impact to hit harder than the pandemic. The research, conducted by BDO, assessed 500 leaders of medium-sized businesses. It looked
New research from Culture Shift has found that 73% of legal workers would accepting a job with a firm that has a “toxic” work culture, compared with just 57% of those in the banking industry.
Shaun Jardine is a solicitor and director of Big Yellow Penguin Ltd, a law firm consultancy business specialising in pricing legal services. In May 2022, Jardine presented a webinar for the Law Society which explored
Firms regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) will have to submit at least one application for professional indemnity insurance (PII) two months ahead of the renewal deadline, under plans approved by the Legal
Lord Michael Bichard’s wide-ranging review of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) governance was published on Tuesday. Lord Bichard prefaced the review with the following: “My aim has been to help create a new
Market analysis has revealed that the level of equity built up in the property market across England currently sits at over £2.6trn, and that’s just those homes that are owned outright, with a 17% increase
Solicitors’ leaders are concerned about the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) plans to increase its fining powers by more than 1,000%, as they respond to the SRA’s 2022/2023 business plan and budget consultation. Law Society of
Law firms are in growth mode. Many will follow the tried and tested model of merging or acquiring other firms. A new LexisNexis report asks if there are faster and more reliable avenues for growth
New research has revealed that the proportion of market activity accounted for by foreign buyers has been in slow decline since 2018, with non-British applicants accounting for just 36% of all anti-money laundering (AML) checks
Monthly transaction figures published by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on Tuesday revealed that the number of UK residential property transactions in May was 2.0% lower than May 2021, though had risen 1.6% from April
Following its latest review of the mortgage market, the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England has confirmed that it will withdraw its affordability test Recommendation. This will come into effect from 1st August
Law Society of England and Wales president I. Stephanie Boyce reflects on the Women in Law Pledge, which currently has 46 signatories. I am delighted to mark the three-year anniversary of the Women in Law
Tougher fines for firms hounding people with nuisance calls and a clampdown on bureaucracy, red tape and pointless paperwork are part of reforms to transform the UK’s data laws announced by the government on Friday.
The Environment Agency has launched a new crowd reporter website to enable Severn Valley residents to share details of flooding in their communities. The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) Crowd Reporter is a crowd-sourced
Rowlinsons Solicitors successfully completed their annual charity challenge on the 18th June and have raised over £3000 for Chester-based charity SPACE. The “Ride, Row Run” challenge started with a 20-mile bike ride from the firm’s
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has updated its guidance on its approach to enforcement. This is partially to reflect changes in legislation brought in under the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022.
The average price of property coming to market has hit yet another new record for a fifth consecutive month, rising by 0.3% (+£1,113) to £368,614, according to Rightmove’s latest House Price Index. This is the