Stronger than expected law firm performance during the pandemic
Solicitors maintained services to their clients through successive lockdowns and many reported solid business performance for the first year of the pandemic, according to the Law Society of England and Wales law management section Financial Benchmarking Survey. In its 21st year, the survey looks at how law firms fared through the pandemic, providing an overview […]
Reeds Solicitors launches Court of Protection practice in Bristol
Leading national law firm Reeds Solicitors LLP (Reeds) has launched a Court of Protection service from its Bristol office. The Court of Protection team will be led by the firm’s head of Court of Protection and partner Sarah Griffiths-Jones who is currently based in Cardiff. Sarah will split her time between the Cardiff & Bristol […]
Law Society comments on SQE fee increase
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has announced the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) fees will be increasing by 3.4% from October 2022. SQE1 will rise from £1,558 to £1,622 and SQE2 from £2,422 to £2,493. Law Society of England and Wales president I. Stephanie Boyce said: “We understand that businesses and institutions across England and Wales […]
Law firm enters new era with change of management team
Boutique law firm, Hugh Jones Solicitors, has announced leadership changes to implement the next phase of its strategic journey. The Manchester-based Court of Protection and private client niche firm has appointed Liz Hughes to managing director, as the current MD Rachel Dobson retires, staying on as a consultant Director and remaining a shareholder and mentor […]
Knights completes on Yorkshire and East Midlands acquisition
Legal and professional services firm Knights has completed acquisition of Langleys Solicitors of York and Lincoln, in a deal worth £11.5 million. As one of the most well-known and substantial legal practices in York, Knights says the acquisition of Langleys will provide it with “a platform to realise the opportunity of the York legal market and expansion […]
Westminster-based Lee Bolton Monier Williams LLP appoint Access Legal
One of London’s oldest law firms is enjoying greater accessibility to data and applications after fully migrating to the cloud, supported by Oosha. The integrated cloud IT services provider, which is now part of law technology specialist Access Legal, was appointed by Westminster-based Lee Bolton Monier Williams LLP (LBMW) to help modernise its legacy IT system. […]
Hybrid working opens up new opportunities for widening commuter belts
In a national survey of full or part-time employed people 9 in 10 workers (92%), who now increasingly divide their time between home and the office, would be willing to commute further to buy or rent their desired property or live in their preferred location The survey also found that 69% of hybrid workers are […]
Former Scottish Financial Enterprise CEO joins Exizent
Exizent, the Glasgow-based law-tech whose innovative platform is transforming bereavement by connecting legal services firms with banks and the wider financial services community, has announced the exciting appointment of Graeme Jones as a Senior Adviser to the Board. Jones brings invaluable insight as a champion of the Scottish financial services industry, with decades of senior […]
Children of Monty Python star bring inheritance dispute case to High Court
The family of the recently deceased Monty Python actor and comedian, Terry Jones, are involved in a will dispute following his death, reports suggest. Terry Jones’ adult children are suing their father’s second wife Anna Söderström under the Inheritance Act 1975 which allows family members to seek “reasonable provision” from an estate. Although the details […]
New guidance seeks to improve disability inclusion in the legal profession
Employers in the legal sector have been provided with guidance by the Law Society and Cardiff University, outlining the reasonable adjustments firms and organisations could make to help them recruit and employ disabled staff. It follows the publication of the Legally Disabled?: The Career Experiences of Disabled People in the Legal Profession research by Cardiff […]
Arken.legal partners with Comentis to support legal professionals in the assessment of mental capacity
Arken.legal, the UK’s leading provider of expert digital solutions for the private client and estate planning industry, has today announced its partnership with Comentis, a new technology provider that helps legal professionals identify reduced mental capacity. Comentis’ unique software – the Cognitive Assessment Engine (CAE) – combines the latest technological advances with clinical expertise from […]
Access Legal drives customer-first strategy with significant new appointment
Law technology specialist Access Legal is continuing to champion customer centricity in the legal market, announcing the appointment of a new Head of Customer Success. Bishu Solomon Girma joins Access Legal with over a decade’s international experience in the legal industry, working across the UK and Canada. Beginning her career in law practice articling at […]
Shift in wealth drives ageing workforce
By 2030, 47% of all over 50s are forecast to be part of the UK labour force, according to a new report from Legal & General Retail Retirement (LGRR) and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). The ‘Working Late: Over 50s and employment’ report found that the growing trend for people working later […]
ILM Director appointed to Wills and Equity Committee
The Insititue of Legacy Management (ILM) has announced the appointment of Director Blerta Clubb to the Law Society’s Wills and Equity Committee. Blerta is a highly experienced legacy professional, and successfully won ILM’s Legacy Professional of the Year award in 2019 to recognise her passion, hard work and achievements within the sector. Speaking of the […]
The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on charitable giving in Wills.
Many clients chose to include one or more charities in their will. Often to receive small pecuniary legacies or in default if family and friends predecease, and other times as a main beneficiary. The advantages for the charities are clear. That said I have seen cases where a generous, well-meaning legacy can initially come as […]
50% fall in Sole Practitioners over the last 10 years
Solicitors operating as sole practitioners and partnerships are a dying breed, according to a new analysis from Arden Partners plc revealing the changing shape of the solicitor market. Arden’s analysis of Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) data reveals that the number of sole practitioners operating in England and Wales has decreased by 47% in the past […]
SQE: Qualifying work experience will offer trainees greater flexibility
Ahead of the 1 September launch of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), the Law Society has today unveiled guidance to answer common queries for law firms and organisations on qualifying work experience (QWE) for trainee solicitors. Under the SQE, candidates must complete two years QWE in order to qualify as a solicitor, as well as […]
Better Investment in Legal Technology
Legaltech innovation is vital for firms that care about their clients I have spent a long time working in innovating technology successfully. This has been in various sectors and technologies, and I have recently been reflecting on why this is. Questioning why we continue doing something that is often hard, when it doesn’t have to […]
Census data shows how life changed in England and Wales between 1961 and 2011
Using newly digitised census data, officials at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have assessed how life changed for people in England and Wales between 1961 and 2011. For example, census returns from 1961 showed that 68 per cent of people aged 16 and over were married, with a divorce rate of 0.8 per cent. […]
Women in Wills to host first in-person event in 18 months
The latest Women in Wills virtual meet on Thursday 29th July was hosted by Heidi Jenkins, Key Relationship Manager from Lawyer Checker. The networking group now has over 750 people in the LinkedIn group and regularly meets to provide support, inspiration and business guidance to the members. The latest meet had two inspirational speakers along […]
