New find a barrister website could help public save money – The Bar Council

Posted October 21st, 2015 in barristers, costs, internet, news, solicitors by sally

‘Consumers, the public and businesses can now save money by going directly to a barrister instead of having to go through a solicitor when they need a lawyer, thanks to a new website.’

Full story

The Bar Council, 20th October 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Solicitor expelled from profession for lying about ‘progress’ of cases that had actually been struck out – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor who deceived his firm and his clients for 13 months into thinking that he was pursuing their group employment tribunal (ET) claims, when in fact they had been struck out because of his inactivity, has been removed from the profession.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 14th October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court rules ‘offer to settle’ was not a Part 36 – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 14th, 2015 in civil procedure rules, compensation, costs, news, part 36 offers, solicitors by tracey

‘The High Court has overturned a ruling that found a defendant had agreed a Part 36 offer to settle.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 13th October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court estate consolidation plans based on flawed data – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 12th, 2015 in consultations, courts, delay, Law Society, local government, news, solicitors, statistics by tracey

‘Lawyers and justice campaigners have raised fresh concerns about the government’s court closure programme, alleging that the proposals are based on out-of-date travel times and other dubious data.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

LSB: criminal advocacy reforms “should not be designed around” any particular group of lawyers – Legal Futures

Posted October 7th, 2015 in advocacy, barristers, criminal justice, news, quality assurance, solicitors by sally

‘It is important that government plans to enhance the quality of criminal defence advocacy in publicly funded cases “should not be designed around one particular professional group”, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has warned.’

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Legal Futures, 7th October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Regulators issue consultation on minor changes to QASA – Bar Standards Board

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in advocacy, barristers, consultations, quality assurance, solicitors by tracey

‘Legal regulators Bar Standards Board (BSB), Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and CILEx Regulation, the three also known as the Joint Advocacy Group (JAG), are preparing for the implementation of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) by launching a new consultation today.’

Full consultation

Bar Standards Board, 1st October 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

SRA asks public for help in how it should judge solicitors’ behaviour – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) yesterday launched a massive public opinion poll to help it determine the correct baseline of solicitors’ behaviour on which it should base regulatory decisions.’
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Legal Futures, 1st October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

A & M v Royal Mail Group – ATE Premiums and Success Fees Under CPR 21 – Zenith PI Blog

‘A and M, aged 12 and 4 respectively, brought claims in damages for personal injuries and consequential losses sustained in a road traffic accident on the 31st July 2013. Agreement was reached with the insurers for the Defendant for both general damages and special damages through the usual minor injury claim portal process. Naturally, that agreement was subject to the ultimate approval of the Court pursuant to Part 21 CPR. DJ Lumb at the County Court Sitting at Birmingham was able to provisionally approve awards of £2115 and £2065 respectively on 14th August 2015. In addition, the Defendant agreed to pay the fixed recoverable costs calculated in accordance with CPR Part 45. The case had progressed in the standard way up until this point.’

Full story

Zenith PI Blog, 29th September 2015

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Solicitor who forged client’s signature on witness statement struck off – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor who forged his client’s signature on a witness statement has been struck off, even though the client himself expressed surprise that disciplinary action had been taken.’

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Legal Futures, 24th September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Diversity and the profession: a reply to Lord Sumption – The Lawyer

Posted September 23rd, 2015 in barristers, diversity, judiciary, news, solicitors, women by sally

‘Last night, Lord Sumption, a Justice of the Supreme Court, was trending on Twitter. This, I think, was a first. The furore was linked to an interview given by Lord Sumption to the Evening Standard.’

Full story

The Lawyer, 22nd September 2015

Source: www.thelawyer.com

SDT throws out allegations of forgery against fee-earner – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has thrown out charges brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) against a non-qualified fee-earner, deciding he had no case to answer and that the regulator should pay costs as a reminder to keep cases under review as they progress.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 22nd September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Demand for free help almost doubles since cuts to legal aid – The Guardian

‘The number of applications for legal assistance received by the Bar Pro Bono Unit has almost doubled over the past three years since widespread cuts to civil legal aid were introduced.’

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The Guardian, 13th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Barrister and solicitor set up groundbreaking BSB-regulated firm – Legal Futures

Posted September 10th, 2015 in barristers, law firms, legal profession, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A barrister and solicitor have chosen the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to regulate their niche firm that specialises in defending teachers and other professionals in disciplinary actions. It is understood to be the first firm consisting of a barrister and solicitor to become a BSB entity.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 9th September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Commercial Court Judgment on Solicitors’ Minimum Terms: What is related? – Hailsham Chambers

Posted September 7th, 2015 in insurance, news, solicitors by sally

‘A Commercial Court Judge has decided that 214 claims arising out of two similar property developments do not arise from “a series of related matters or transactions” for the purposes of the solicitors’ minimum terms and so cannot be aggregated. This has the potential to have a major impact on the approach currently taken in coverage work.’

Full story

Hailsham Chambers, 18th September 2015

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

Exams, ethics and roleplay: government reveals more details of solicitor apprenticeship route – The Lawyer

Posted September 4th, 2015 in legal education, news, solicitors by sally

‘The government has published the new assessment plans and standards for its ‘Trailblazer’ legal apprenticeships for qualification as a legal executive, paralegal or solicitor, with oral and written tests sitting alongside workplace assessment.’

Full story

The Lawyer, 3rd September 2015

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Sir Brian Leveson admonishes immigration solicitors – Free Movements

‘The latest in the increasingly long line of cases in which the judiciary has administered public dressings down for immigration lawyers is R (On the Application Of Akram & Anor) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWHC 1359 (Admin). The cases are often referred to as Hamid cases, after the first such case, Hamid [2012] EWCA 3070 (Admin).’
Full story

Free Movement, 2nd September 2015

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Funding Problems on the Horizon for family lawyers (and their clients) – Family Law Week

Posted August 27th, 2015 in costs, divorce, financial provision, law firms, matrimonial home, news, solicitors by sally

‘Stuart Clark, Associate Solicitor with The International Family Law Group LLP considers the implications of increased use of s.37 MCA 1973 in setting aside payments on account of costs in financial remedies cases.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 20th August 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

“Fundamentally decent” partner broke rules to keep firm afloat while waiting for legal aid payments – Legal Futures

Posted August 26th, 2015 in client accounts, disciplinary procedures, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘A former president of Bolton Law Society, described by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) as a “fundamentally decent man”, made 61 improper transfers from client account and used a personal credit card to keep his firm afloat.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 26th August 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

O’Brien v Shorrock and another – WLR Daily

O’Brien v Shorrock and another [2015] EWHC 1630 (QB); [2015] WLR (D) 366

The obligation under paragraph 19.4 of the CPR Practice Direction 44, since amended, was to inform the other party, by the notice of funding, of the date when a conditional fee agreement with retrospective effect was made rather than the earlier date when it came into effect.

WLR Daily, 12th June 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

This judgment could shake up how personal injury solicitors operate – The Guardian

‘A claim brought on behalf of two children hurt in an accident has thrown doubt on the use of success fees, and on the unintended consequences of scrapping legal aid in such cases.’

Full story

The Guardian, 21st August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk