Law professors lambast proposed reform of solicitor qualification A planned radical overhaul of the solicitor training regime is “fundamentally flawed”, says a report from senior academics. The proposed reform – which involves a centralised exam for all those aiming to qualify as solicitors in England and Wales – risked creating a two-tier system that “will […]
Compliance Officers for Legal Practice (COLP) and Compliance Officers for Finance and Administration (COFA) have vital roles in the regime of outcome focused regulation of the SRA. This is aimed at giving the most appropriate result for legal services consumers. The positions of COLP and COFA are key in creating a compliance culture within a […]
Accreditation schemes Accreditation schemes or quality marks have been developed by providers as a way of demonstrating that specific quality standards have been met or that the provider has specialist expertise. The majority of quality marks focus on specific practice areas but they commonly aim to signal that providers who have the accreditation are operating […]
HMRC have confirmed dates for VAT being applicable on CON29 searches. An HMRC spokesperson has said: “We are creating a level playing field for all conveyancers. Solicitors will be able to claim back the VAT payable in the normal way. “We are in ongoing discussions with stakeholders and will address any questions they may have.” […]
The Law Society has issued new guidance for conveyancers amid continuing uncertainty over the imposition of VAT on local authority searches. Though HMRC has still to provide any formal confirmation, Chancery Lane understands that although the change did take effect on 1 January, there will be a ‘long stop’ date of 31 March this year […]
Law Society chief executive Catherine Dixon said: “It is my firm belief that the Law Society will not be perceived by its members and other key stakeholders to have changed and to be representative of solicitors and the diverse solicitor profession, without changing the way it is governed. “The Law Society’s governance is costly (over […]
The Sole Practitioners Group said the SRA data did not provide a breakdown between sole practitioners who are incorporated and those who are not. Over the five year period, according to SRA data, the number of incorporated law firms has actually gone up from 2,583 (24% of the total) to 4,225 (41%) – a rise […]
The chairman of the Conveyancing Association has called on the government to create a new portal to help fill the void left by the collapse of Veyo. Eddie Goldsmith said conveyancing consumers suffered from a “lack of knowledge” about the process and he would like to see a “government initiative” to create an information portal. […]
A new head of the body that handles complaints about lawyers will be in place by the end of March next year, the profession’s umbrella watchdog said on Friday. The Legal Services Board kicked off a recruitment process to replace Steve Green, who finishes his five-year term as chairman of the Office for Legal Complaints […]
Chancellor Philip Hammond released plans for a £1.9 billion cyber security Government strategy. Key areas that all firms should be aware of include: Vulnerabilities Roles and responsibilities of businesses and organisations The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Defend – plans to defend UK organisations Deter – plans to enhance deterrence Develop – plans to strengthen […]