High Court slashes success fee citing proportion of fees at risk – Litigation Futures

Posted January 8th, 2019 in accidents, fees, news, personal injuries, road traffic, solicitors by sally

‘A district judge failed to consider the risks that a claimant solicitor should have taken into account when entering into a conditional fee agreement (CFA) and so was wrong to award a 65% success fee, the High Court has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 7th January 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Solicitor who ran unauthorised law firm struck off – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor who said his unauthorised firm was acting only for “family and friends” has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).’

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Legal Futures, 8th January 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

“Cruel” solicitor jailed for stealing from severely injured clients – Legal Futures

‘A struck-off solicitor who admitted stealing more than £700,000 from two vulnerable people while in practice has been jailed for four years.’

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Legal Futures, 19th December 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Conveyancer who overcharged for search fees is suspended – Legal Futures

Posted December 18th, 2018 in client accounts, conveyancing, disciplinary procedures, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘A solicitor who regularly overcharged clients for search fees and transferred money from client to office account without their consent has been suspended for two years by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).’

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Legal Futures, 18th December 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Solicitor “led judge to believe” she was a barrister – Legal Futures

‘An experienced solicitor-advocate has been struck off for misleading a judge that she was a barrister and then misleading the solicitors on the other side who questioned her behaviour.’

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Legal Futures, 17th December 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law firms “will stop using email within five years” – Legal Futures

‘Email will be replaced within five years by a more secure means of communication for law firms, an expert predicted this week.’

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Legal Futures, 13th December 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Solicitor who owed barristers £146,000 in fees is struck off – Legal Futures

Posted December 17th, 2018 in barristers, costs, debts, deceit, disciplinary procedures, fees, licensing, news, solicitors by sally

‘A solicitor who admitted that he owed barristers over £146,000 in fees, and even took money from the estate of his dead mother, has been struck off.’

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Legal Futures, 13th December 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Solicitors’ Bills – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted December 14th, 2018 in appeals, costs, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘The court of appeal’s decision in Slade (t/a Richard Slade And Company) v Boodia & Anor [2018] EWCA Civ 2667 is good news for solicitors but potentially not so good for their clients.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 3rd December 2018

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

Artificial intelligence set to free solicitors from lower-level work: SRA – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 12th, 2018 in artificial intelligence, legal services, news, solicitors by sally

‘Artificial intelligence (AI) will free up solicitors from lower-level work to carry out more complex tasks, a new report from the Solicitors Regulation Authority has said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th December 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Richard Slade & Co v Boodia: Court of Appeal rules in favour of solicitors’ practice on billing – 4 New Square

Posted December 11th, 2018 in appeals, costs, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘Yesterday [27 November], the Court of Appeal handed down judgment in Richard Slade & Co v Boodia [2018] EWCA Civ 2667, resolving much of the confusion and concern that had fomented around the now reversed High Court decision and the issue of interim statute bills generally.’

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4 New Square, 28th November 2018

Source: www.4newsquare.com

What the Divisional Court’s decision in SRA v Sovani James tells us about wellbeing for lawyers: some reasons for optimism- 4 New Square

‘This week the Administrative Court handed down judgment in three appeals by the Solicitors Regulation Authority: SRA v Sovani James, SRA v Esteddar MacGregor, SRA v Peter Naylor [2018] EWHC 3058 (Admin). Reactions to the judgment by lawyers have been critical, regarding it as a harsh decision which missed an opportunity to reflect developing attitudes to wellbeing in the workplace.’

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4 New Square, 16th November 2018

Source: www.4newsquare.com

SRA v James: When “I was driven to it” is no defence – 4 New Square

‘It is well-known that if a solicitor is guilty of dishonesty in and about the work he or she does, they will be struck off unless they can show “exceptional circumstances”. For a while it was thought that extreme and intolerable work pressure giving rise to mental health issues, in turn giving rise to an act or acts of dishonesty, might suffice.’

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4 New Square, 13th November 2018

Source: www.4newsquare.com

SQE does “violence to law” as academic discipline – Legal Futures

Posted December 11th, 2018 in legal education, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘The introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) does “significant violence to law as an academic discipline and to our colleagues and students”, law lecturers have argued.’

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Legal Futures, 11th December 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Society’s £30m cut of practising fees faces scrutiny – Legal Futures

Posted December 6th, 2018 in fees, Law Society, Legal Services Board, news, solicitors by sally

‘The £30m that the Law Society levies on solicitors for its representative work is to be put under the microscope by the Legal Services Board (LSB) next year.’

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Legal Futures, 6th December 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Boxing guru loses £922k costs fight with former lawyers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 4th, 2018 in costs, fees, law firms, news, solicitors by sally

‘Boxing promoter Frank Warren has failed to persuade the High Court to order a detailed assessment of around £922,000 in costs rendered by his former solicitors.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th December 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

CA: Statute bills do not need to include disbursements – Litigation Futures

Posted November 30th, 2018 in accounts, news, solicitors by sally

‘A solicitor’s bill can be a statute bill without including both profit costs and disbursements, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 28th November 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

SRA in reminder on litigation obligations, warns against being ‘hired gun’ – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority has issued a reminder to solicitors to adhere to all their professional obligations when engaged in litigation, “and not to become ‘hired guns’ just carrying out instructions that are in the best interests of clients”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th November 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Solicitors warned about acting as ‘hired guns’ for dubious clients – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Regulators have vowed to take action against any solicitor found to have neglected their wider obligations simply to keep a client happy.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 27th November 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Restraint order for man who accused solicitors of fraud – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has slapped an extended civil restraint order (ECRO) on a man who claimed the application was an attempt “to legitimise” a law firm’s attempt to defraud him.’

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Legal Futures, 19th November 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lord Briggs at the Denning Society Annual Lecture, Lincoln’s Inn – Supreme Court

Posted November 16th, 2018 in equity, estoppel, fiduciary duty, forfeiture, lectures, rectification, solicitors by sally

‘Lord Briggs at the Denning Society Annual Lecture, Lincoln’s Inn.’

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Supreme Court, 8th November 2018

Source: www.supremecourt.uk