SRA ‘knew’ SSB was failing nearly a year before it collapsed as it faces enforcement action
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) faces enforcement action in the wake of its failure to properly regulate failed Sheffield law firm SSB Group; missing the opportunity to respond ‘effectively or efficiently’ despite more than 100 reports relating to SSB’s activity from January 2019 to March 2024. A report published by the Legal Services Board (LSB) suggests […]
FCA to consult on how it might regulate ‘tokenised’ and digital assets in future
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out plans to enable wider adoption of ‘tokenisation’ in asset management which could enable ‘fundamental changes’ changes in the sector said executive director of markets at the FCA, Simon Walls. In a consultation the FCA will outline plans to create guidance on operating tokenised fund registers under current […]
SRA clarifies position on Mazur, as CLC reiterates ruling ‘has no implications’ for probate
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a statement in response to the fall-out from the High Court Mazur ruling that legal executives cannot conduct litigation, even under supervision from regulated professionals. Following claims that firms were pulling legal executives from casework – including conveyancing and wills and probate – amid concerns about the potential wider […]
Law Society appoints 181st president
The Law Society has inaugurated Mark Evans as the 181st president with Brett Dixon, vice president and Dana Denis-Smith, deputy vice president. Evans has spent the last 12 months as vice-president to incumbent Richard Atkinson. A proud Welshman, Evans is the third Law Society president to come from Wales and through his tenure said he […]
Government consider move to regulate officiants rather than buildings in weddings shake up
Changes to the regulation of weddings away from buildings and onto individuals and officiants running the ceremony could be introduced in what the government is describing as the ‘biggest overhaul to marriage law since the 19th century.’ The proposals are based on the work of the Law Commission, whose report ‘Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings […]
Probate service rescue plan reduces open caseload by 37%
The probate service says it continues to make progress on outstanding cases after its recovery plan has seen open cases reduced by 37%. In the latest family court statistics published this week, there were 39,104 total open probate cases at the end of June 2025, down from 61,992 at the end of June 2024 and […]
“Shambolic” courts infrastructure laid bare in Law Society report
Solicitors have heavily criticised the courts infrastructure in a damning new report by the Law Society of England and Wales describing the condition of court buildings as ‘shambolic’ with many in poor states of repair, technology which regularly fails, and inadequate facilities, particularly for disabled users. Asbestos, mould, dilapidated toilets, and issues with Reinforced Autoclaved […]
SRA kick client account can down the road
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has written to respondents to the consultation on the holding of client funds by solicitors to confirm it will not be taking any immediate action on removing client account from law firms. In correspondence seen by this publication, Executive Director Strategy, Innovation and External Affairs Aileen Armstrong has written to […]
Brown to continue as LSB interim chair pending conclusion of new chair recruitment
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has confirmed interim Chair Catherine Brown will continue in the role until at least the end of March 2026. Following approval by the Lord Chancellor, Brown will continue as chair from 1 January to 31 March 2026 having been in post since February 2025. Brown succeeded Alan Kershaw who stepped […]
HMRC consultation raises uncertainty of lawyers’ role as tax advisers
A government consultation on the registration of all organisations who provide tax advice and interact with HMRC could see lawyers required to register with the agency under new legislation. HMRC have identified a need to raise minimum standards across tax advisors with the proposed changes designed to ‘improve HMRC’s ability to monitor and exclude tax […]
Government taking ‘preventative steps’ to tackle inheritance fraud
The government is ‘reviewing the preventative steps taken’ in the course of probate applications to tackle inheritance fraud highlighted by the recent BBC podcast series uncovering criminal use of the Bona Vacantia list to identify vacant and unclaimed estates, producing fraudulent wills and submitting them to be awarded grant of probate. In response to a […]
Solicitor jailed after £85,000 LPA fraud
A solicitor has been jailed and struck from the roll after stealing from vulnerable clients in a fraud involving Lasting Powers of Attorney. Alison Haley Griffiths, who specialised in wills and probate was convicted of fraud totalling over £85,000 and sentenced to 24 months in prison at Salisbury Crown Court. A subsequent Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal […]
Ombudsman proposes first fee increase for 15 years
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is proposing increasing its case fee from £400 to £600; in the first change to pricing since charges were first introduced in 2010. The Law Society of England and Wales have described proposals to increase the fees charged by the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) as “striking the right balance” in its response […]
Solicitor sanctioned for falsely stating she’d witnessed LPA in act of ‘misplaced compassion’ during COVID
A solicitor claimed the pressures of the pandemic brought about ‘misplaced compassion’ rather than any attempt to be dishonest in a recent Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal at which she was reprimanded for the failure to properly witness a lasting powers of attorney (LPA). In a case the tribunal described as ‘a reminder that even experienced professionals […]
Client account roundtables offer more questions than answers on the future of legal aid funding
Recently run roundtables to discuss the option of funding access to justice through interest on client account, first previewed in The Law Society Gazette, have created more questions than answers according to attendees. In July it was reported Legal Aid providers were invited to a series of roundtables to discuss the future of legal aid, […]
Fee for Lasting Powers of Attorney applications to rise
The application fee to the Office of the Public Guardian for Lasting Powers of Attorney will increase later this year, subject to parliamentary approval. The Ministry of Justice has confirmed it intends to increase the fee from £82 per LPA application to £92 from 17th November 2025. It has also confirmed the repeat application fee […]
HMRC open up extra 1000 IHT investigations over the last 12 months
It is claimed HMRC has opened more than one thousand extra investigations into families who may not have paid the right amount of inheritance tax (IHT). A freedom of information request by NFU Mutual suggests the number of HMRC investigations into families’ financial affairs has increased from 2807 in 2023/24, to 3,961 in the tax […]
Chancellor considers caps on lifetime gifting to plug budget black hole
It has been reported Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering capping lifetime gifts in an attempt to plug the £50bn hole in the public finances. First reported in the Guardian, the proposals could see the current rules around lifetime gifting, which enable unlimited amounts of money and assets to be gifted to friends and relatives without […]
No holiday for AML enforcement as SRA shares details of penalties totalling £275,000 in July
Decisions shared by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in July reveal 13 firms have been fined a total of £275,170 for AML breaches dating back to 2011 – with one firm fined £114,006. Amphlett Lissimore Bagshaws in London received the hefty sanction for failing to implement adequate policies, controls and procedures (PCPs) and failing to conduct […]
Legal Ombudsman shares enhanced guidance on remedies for earlier complaint resolution
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published enhanced guidance on remedies that sets out five questions to assess whether a remedy is appropriate. The updated guidance is aimed at supporting service providers to identify and apply appropriate resolutions at an earlier stage and has been issued in response to findings from the 2024/2025 financial year. Many […]