Category: solicitors

Homeworking now a “reasonable adjustment” for disabled lawyers – Legal Futures

Posted November 9th, 2020 in coronavirus, disability discrimination, disabled persons, employment, employment tribunals, equality, flexible working, law firms, Law Society, news, solicitors by sally

‘Employment tribunals may in future need to recognise that homeworking has become an established “reasonable adjustment” to working practices for disabled people, including lawyers, a webinar heard last week.’

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Legal Futures, 9th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Insurer fails in aggregation argument over partner’s multi-million pound thefts – Legal Futures

Posted November 4th, 2020 in case management, fraud, indemnities, insurance, law firms, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority, theft by tracey

‘The High Court has refused to aggregate as one claim various actions a Yorkshire law firm’s indemnity insurer is facing because of a multi-million pound fraud run by one of its partners.’

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Legal Futures, 4th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal aid services are on brink of collapse, lawyers tell MPs – The Guardian

Posted October 30th, 2020 in budgets, coronavirus, criminal justice, inquiries, law firms, legal representation, Ministry of Justice, miscarriage of justice, news, select committees, solicitors by sally

‘Legal aid services are on the brink of collapse due to successive cuts and the disruption wreaked by Covid-19, say lawyers.’

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The Guardian, 29th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

SRA eyes “activity based licences” and scheme for unregulated providers – Legal Futures

Posted October 29th, 2020 in legal services, licensing, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) could offer “activity-based licences”, allowing lawyers to provide individual reserved legal activities instead of its current “all or nothing” approach to regulation.’

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Legal Futures, 29th October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Belsner v Cam Legal Services Ltd – Hailsham Chambers

Posted October 28th, 2020 in chambers articles, civil procedure rules, consent, costs, fiduciary duty, news, solicitors by sally

‘In Belsner v Cam Legal Services Ltd [2020] EWHC 2755, Lavender J (“the Judge”) has held that a client (“C”) did not give informed consent to the recovery from her of a sum by her solicitors (“solicitor”) over and above the costs recovered from the defendant in litigation (“D”). As a result, the solicitors were limited to the fixed costs which they recovered from D.’

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Hailsham Chambers, 23rd October 2020

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

Taking a Cut? Reflections on Belsner v Cam Legal Services Ltd – 4 New Square

Posted October 27th, 2020 in costs, damages, news, personal injuries, solicitors by sally

‘The latest case on solicitors deducting costs from damages in fixed costs cases is causing a stir, but Rob Marven QC and Ben Williams QC of 4 New Square argue that it is a decision on unusual facts, and that some key issues went unexplored.’

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4 New Square, 22nd October 2020

Source: www.4newsquare.com

Ministers must end their attacks on lawyers – The Guardian

Posted October 26th, 2020 in assault, barristers, criminal justice, deportation, government departments, human rights, immigration, judges, law firms, legal profession, news, political parties, rule of law, solicitors by sally

‘Barristers, solicitors, legal academics and retired judges call for the home secretary and the prime minister to apologise for past remarks and refrain from using hostile language.’

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The Guardian, 25th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lawyers call for apology from Johnson and Patel for endangering colleagues – The Guardian

Posted October 26th, 2020 in assault, barristers, criminal justice, deportation, government departments, human rights, immigration, judges, law firms, legal profession, news, political parties, rule of law, solicitors by sally

‘The UK prime minister and the home secretary are accused of endangering the personal safety of lawyers through their abusive attacks on the profession and should apologise, more than 800 former judges and senior legal figures have said in a letter sent to the Guardian.’

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The Guardian, 25th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Female lawyers anxious over disproportionate impact of Covid – Legal Futures

Posted October 23rd, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, employment, equality, families, flexible working, legal profession, mental health, news, redundancy, solicitors, statistics, women by sally

‘Almost a quarter of women in the profession have not seen their incomes return to pre-Covid levels with one in five still on less than their previous working hours, a survey has found.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

SRA slapped with costs order over failed prosecution – Legal Futures

Posted October 22nd, 2020 in costs, disciplinary procedures, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has taken the unusual step of making a costs order against the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for the “grave errors” it made in a case it eventually had to withdraw.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court orders costs repayment after client did not consent to deduction – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 21st, 2020 in civil procedure rules, compensation, consent, costs, damages, fees, fiduciary duty, insurance, news, personal injuries, solicitors, third parties by sally

‘Fee-recovery lawyers say millions of clients could stand to benefit from a court judgment which reduced legal fees deducted from compensation.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 19th October 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

“Informed consent” ruling threatens avalanche of PI costs refund claims – Litigation Futures

Posted October 20th, 2020 in consent orders, costs, law firms, news, personal injuries, solicitors by sally

‘Personal injury (PI) law firms that fail to spell out in their retainers the costs clients could be liable for beyond what is recovered from defendants face a wave of litigation following a major High Court ruling.’

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Litigation Futures, 19th October 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

SRA seeks charitable status in Law Society split – Legal Futures

Posted October 16th, 2020 in charities, Law Society, legal profession, Legal Services Board, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is applying for charitable status as part of becoming a distinct legal entity within the Law Society Group, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 16th October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barristers on AG panels “should consider resigning”, says top QC – Legal Futures

Posted October 14th, 2020 in attorney general, barristers, bills, brexit, criminal justice, demonstrations, government departments, human rights, immigration, international law, law firms, legal profession, news, professional conduct, rule of law, solicitors by sally

‘One of the country’s leading QCs has suggested that barristers on the Attorney General’s panels should consider resigning in protest at the government’s hostility to the law and lawyers.’

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Legal Futures, 13th October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

David Greene: Condemning lawyers for doing their jobs is inherently dangerous – The Guardian

Posted October 14th, 2020 in brexit, coronavirus, courts, criminal justice, delay, diversity, government departments, human rights, immigration, Law Society, legal profession, Ministry of Justice, news, rule of law, solicitors by sally

‘The new president of the Law Society on why it’s crucial to defend the rule of law in these febrile times.’

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The Guardian, 14th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Law Society “must show it listens to solicitors” about cost of practising – Legal Futures

Posted October 12th, 2020 in consultations, fees, Law Society, Legal Services Board, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority, statistics by sally

‘The Law Society and Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) need to do more to show that they take on board what solicitors have to say about the cost of practising, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has warned.’

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Legal Futures, 12th October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Hillsborough trial of three men delayed again – BBC News

Posted October 9th, 2020 in delay, news, perverting the course of justice, police, professional conduct, solicitors, sport, trials by sally

‘The trial of two former police officers and a police solicitor accused of altering police statements after the Hillsborough disaster has been delayed.’

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BBC News, 8th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal profession hits back at Johnson over ‘lefty lawyers’ speech – The Guardian

Posted October 7th, 2020 in barristers, bills, brexit, constitutional law, government departments, human rights, international law, judges, legal profession, news, political parties, rule of law, solicitors by tracey

“Lawyers say government’s hostility risks stirring up hatred and undermining rule of law.’

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The Guardian, 6th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Vos: ‘lawyers face steep learning curve on tech’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 5th, 2020 in barristers, computer programs, coronavirus, cryptocurrencies, data protection, electronic commerce, electronic filing, judges, legal profession, news, solicitors by tracey

‘All lawyers will need to become familiar with the concepts and workings of distributed ledger technology, smart legal contracts and cryptoassets, according to the next master of the rolls. In a foreword to a landmark report on the regulation of blockchain technology, Sir Geoffrey Vos says that the pandemic “has only emphasised our need to understand the ways in which technology is affecting our professional lives. Lawyers face a steep learning curve.” ’

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Law Society's Gazette, 5th October 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Disabled lawyers “benefit from homeworking during pandemic” – Legal Futures

Posted October 2nd, 2020 in coronavirus, disabled persons, law firms, legal profession, mental health, news, solicitors by tracey

‘The suspension of office working under lockdown has helped improve the mental and physical health of disabled lawyers, research has indicated.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk