Breaking news: CILEX reacts to Mazur appeal win
The Court of Appeal has handed down judgment in CILEX & Ors v Mazur & Ors. Allowing the appeal, Sir Colin Birss, Chancellor of the High Court, said “it is hard to see why this litigation went on as long as it did”. Following the ruling, CILEX chief executive Jennifer Coupland said: “This is the most […]
Two year TA6 saga ends as sixth edition mandatory from today
The TA6 Property Information Form sixth edition formally becomes compulsory from today (Monday 30th March) for Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accredited firms, bringing an end to a two-year saga after efforts to introduce an updated fifth edition resulted in uproar from the conveyancing community. The furore erupted when the fifth edition of the TA6 was […]
NatWest now actively transacting on PEXA platform
NatWest is now actively transacting on PEXA’s digital property transaction platform, with the move affecting fee-assisted remortgage customers of the FTSE-100 bank. Sale and purchase transactions will follow, PEXA said. The high street lender signed a formal commitment to proceed with an implementation programme for remortgage transactions in July last year. The third largest mortgage […]
When is a conveyancer a tax adviser? Scope, proportionality and the Finance (No. 2) Bill
Joy Bassett explores the scope of the Finance (No.2) Bill and whether the legislative definition meets policy objectives, and suggests viable alternatives to a catch-all ‘tax adviser’ category. The Finance (No. 2) Bill proposes a mandatory registration regime for those defined as tax advisers interacting with HMRC on behalf of clients. The policy objective […]
LSB outlines plans to strengthen ethical standards but is warned over duplicating regulators’ efforts
The Legal Services Board has outlined how it intends to strengthen lawyers’ ethical standards in a statement of policy which sets out new expectations designed to reinforce lawyers’ role in upholding the rule of law. But while the Law Society has welcomed efforts to continue to maintain high ethical standards, it has raised concerns over […]
Membership opens for initiative which aims to create ‘faster, more certain property transactions’
An initiative which launched last year and set out eight industry commitments to facilitate “faster, more certain property transactions” is opening its doors to membership and inviting property organisations of all sizes to play a part in improving the home buying and selling process. Launched in September 2025, Project 28 is the work of 23 […]
LeO seeks input on draft complaints procedure
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has launched a call for input on its draft Model Complaints Resolution Procedure (MCRP), a new framework aimed at improving the consistency and quality of how complaints are handled by legal service providers. “Effective complaints handling is fundamental to trust and confidence in legal services,” the LeO said. “However, our insight from more […]
ONS figures suggest modest housing market growth but experts warn confidence will ebb
UK house prices rose by 1.3% in the year to January 2026, down from the revised estimate of 1.9% in the 12 months to December 2025. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK decreased by 0.3% between December 2025 and January 2026, compared with an increase 0.4% from the same period […]
Inflation remains at 3% as experts warn of geopolitical impact
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.0% in the 12 months to February 2026, unchanged from the 12 months to January. On a monthly basis, CPI rose by 0.4% in February 2026, the same rate as in February 2025. “Inflation holding firm in February is quite literally the calm before the storm as we […]
LSB must focus less on minutiae and more on big issues for regulators, CLC says
The Legal Services Board (LSB) should be “a more vocal and visible advocate” for frontline regulators, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has said in response to a public consultation on the oversight regulator’s draft business plan and budget for 2026-7. The CLC has urged the LSB to focus its efforts on “system-wide issues rather […]
Don’t panic, but stay alert – CLC discusses tax adviser registration during National Conveyancing Month
Don’t panic, but stay alert is the message from the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) when it comes to tax adviser registration, said Stephen Ward, director of communications at the regulator, in a wide ranging discussion exclusively for National Conveyancing Month. Ward said he hoped for greater clarity from HMRC on the responsibilities on conveyancers, […]
Transparency and accountability needed for “complex” freehold estates and private management arrangements
“Outdated and disproportionate” enforcement related to recharges should be ended, and there should be greater transparency and consistency in how estate management charges are communicated said the Conveyancing Association (CA) in response to the Government’s recently closed consultation on estate management reform In December of last year the government launched two consultations as part of […]
Housing market “gradually regaining momentum” according to Propertymark report
The housing market is “stabilising rather than surging” suggests the latest Housing Insight report from Propertymark. But the report draws on data published before the recent Bank of England decision to hold base rate and the current volatility in the Middle East which commentators predict will have an impact on the property market. Provisional data […]
Smart property data could add £2bn to GDP; but only with legislative intervention
The application of smart data to the property market could contribute up to £2bn to UK GDP by the 2040’s according to a new report published by government his week. The Department for Business and Trade report “Economic analysis: understanding the costs and benefits of smart data use cases” analysed five use cases for smart […]
Global volatility leads to unanimous rates hold decision
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to maintain Bank Rate at 3.75% citing global unrest increasing the cost of energy and other commodities affecting households and businesses. As a result the MPC anticipates a near term increase in inflation as it continues efforts to bring it down to the 2% target In […]
Rebuilding the ladder: Why new first time buyer ideas matter for conveyancers
Beth Rudolf, director of delivery at The Conveyancing Association, explores the practical solutions a new initiative has introduced to combat affordability issues for first time buyers. For many years the debate around first-time buyers has followed a familiar pattern. We hear the barriers are too high, affordability has stretched too far and a generation […]
Private equity invests in fast-growing conveyancing practice
Private equity house Alcuin Capital Partners has invested in fast-growing conveyancing practice Muve and Nova. The investment will drive “continued investment in talent, technology and sales functions to drive its next phase of expansion” said the firm. Muve, a consumer facing brand, and Nova, the business to business brand of Connect2Law featured in the Sunday […]
A taxing twist in the regulation of conveyancers? The mandatory requirement to register with HMRC as tax advisers
Alexandra Charlton sets out the implications of HMRC’s new tax adviser rules for conveyancers, and sets out the steps that should be taken to comply with the new requirements. The reform Legislative reform, prompted by the government’s aim to raise standards in the tax advice markets, comes into effect from 18 May 2026. The implementation […]
Law Society president and MHCLG to speak at Bold Legal Conference
Law Society of England and Wales president Mark Evans will speak at this Summer’s Bold Legal Conference and Soirée. Organisers have confirmed the first tranche of speakers for the annual conference, which will be hosted on Wednesday 17th June 2026 at Regent’s University London. Twelve months ago, Evans took part in a Q&A with Bold […]
How PropTech could connect transactions of the future
The future of digital property transactions is closer than many think. Here, Nick Dyoss, group business development and relationships Director at Landmark, explains how national digitisation, trusted data frameworks and new infrastructure could deliver a faster, more certain and more connected market for everyone in the near-term future. The UK property market is undergoing […]