Articles
Separate Businesses – New SRA GuidanceMay 12, 2022The obvious attractions of having a separate business - reducing costs enabling savings to be passed on to clients and making the business as a whole more competitive - is not without its problems, in particular the need to provide clients with information about the regulatory status of the business. This article looks at recent SRA guidance on this point.Read More
2022 Updates to the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS)April 21, 2022Despite it not being well publicised, the Law Society has made some significant changes to the CQS standard. These are due to come into effect on 1st May 2022. This article takes a critical look at the scheme and provides an overview of some of the changes that will be taking place.Read More
Legislative Responses to the Russian Invasion of UkraineApril 21, 2022The crisis in Ukraine has led to a flurry of activity in Parliament. This has included the fast tracking into law of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022, coupled with the promise of a further “substantial piece of legislation” to follow in the next session of Parliament. Here we look at the various changes so far and the proposals for what is likely to follow shortly.Read More
Solicitors and CybersecurityMarch 28, 2022The importance of cybersecurity for law firms of all types and sizes cannot be overstated and with the continuing growth in the number of cybercrimes that are being carried out, being complacent about the chances of it affecting your firm is not really an option. Here we look at some of the issues that arise.Read More
Delays to the Roll Out of the Trust Registration ServiceFebruary 17, 2022The online registration facility for registering a new trust opened on the 1st September 2021, but there has now been a delay to the originally planned date of the 10th March 2022 for the compulsory registration of non-taxable trusts to the 1st September this year instead. Here we look at the provision in a little more detail.Read More
Workplace Culture – the SRA Goes PublicFebruary 10, 2022Issues relating to workplace culture and mental health issues have become increasingly topical in recent years. The SRA's stance with regard to this has, up until now, been uncertain. With the publication of the SRA's guidance “Workplace environment: risks of failing to protect and support colleagues”, that has all changed. This article looks at this guidance and at the case studies that accompany it and explains what, going forward, the SRA will expect of solicitors' firms.Read More
The Importance of PasswordsJanuary 19, 2022Passwords are an essential part of our everyday lives and are what prevent us from being scammed, robbed, impersonated and possibly even harmed. Yet despite this, many treat passwords without the care and attention they require. This article looks at the issues involved and offers some suggestions for maintaining password security.Read More
New Guidance from the SRAJanuary 16, 2022The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published several new and revised pieces of guidance over the course of the past month or so, some of it not necessarily as easy to find as it might otherwise be. In this brief article we take a quick look at what has been published and where it can be found.Read More
Rumbles of Thunder on the Continuing Competence HorizonDecember 15, 2021Is the approach to continuing legal competence about to change and will firms be forced back into a process involving CPD hours? Possibly, if the Legal Services Board gets its way.Read More
Being Kind Could Soon Be MandatoryDecember 10, 2021LawCare research project reveals worrying levels of depression, stress and anxiety amongst solicitors as SRA considers new rules or standards requiring those in solicitors firms to treat each other with respect.Read More