Legal firms are a prime target for cyber attackers due to the sensitive client information and funds they manage. In particular, conveyancing solicitors should be vigilant as property transactions are well known targets for cybercrime.
Proposals from the Law Commission to reform the Land Registration Act would impose a new statutory duty on conveyancers to check the identity of clients. And, where conveyancers fail to take reasonable care, they could
The Law Commission has put forward radical new proposals aimed at delivering a fairer deal for leasehold homeowners. Designed to give leaseholders security and control over their homes the proposals include: Options for changing the
Today the SRA have released their Risk Outlook 2018/19. They have included two new priority risks this year: 1. Managing claims ‘We are increasingly concerned about the practises of some firms that offer personal injury
A leading global provider of digital evidence management has filed a patent application to tie blockchain security to its software. Caselines – which is currently digitising trial bundles in the courts – has called on
The Law Society of England and Wales has revealed there are now more women practising as solicitors than men. In a “historic shift”, out of 139,624 PC holders, 50.1% are women. Women also account for
Property fraudsters could be stopped in their tracks by technical fixes of the law, according to the Law Commission. The independent legal body say HM Land Registry has had to fork out close to £60
Earlier this year, a new online platform was launched which allows people the opportunity to buy a property in just one click. The Dot Button, which was created by one of the founders of buy-to-let
The Government has announced that foreign companies that own UK properties will have to reveal their ultimate owners on the world’s first public register. Furthermore, criminals who illegally profit from owning British property could face
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has opened a consultation on the current standard of proof used in disciplinary proceedings. The Tribunal is seeking views on whether it should be easier to prosecute solicitors for misconduct.
House prices increased by 3% in the year to May 2018 (down from 3.5% in April 2018) according to the Office of National Statistics. This is its lowest annual rate since August 2013 when it
Only 24 hours after the Land registry released data showing a 20 per cent slump in housing transactions, new figures from the Equity Release Council throw some light on why older owners may no longer
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC), which oversees the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), has presented its Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18 to Parliament. LeO accepted 7,527 legal complaints in the 2017-18 financial year. This rose from
Trading Standards has warned agents that they must switch to a valid redress service. Agents who do not do so by 6 August will leave customers unable to access free alternative dispute resolution services. And,
Tipton & Coseley Building Society has launched a new mortgage product which is explicitly aimed at borrowers looking to short-let their properties. Potentially changing the buy-to-let market, it is thought that this type of mortgage
