News
Failure to redeem charges on probate property sale cost solicitor "47, 000 at tribunal
16+ hour, 32+ min ago (456+ words) A solicitor has been given a 12-month suspension from practice, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay "47, 000 after failing to redeem nearly "200, 000 of charges on a probate property sale. The Solicitor's Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) said the case was a…...
CFIT unveils Open Property Roadmap to 'modernise UK home buying"
17+ hour, 16+ min ago (715+ words) The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology has published a roadmap for open property which it says sets out "a clear and credible pathway to transform the UK's home buying process. The Open Property Roadmap was commissioned by the Department…...
Completions static but pipeline of new homes likely to contract as a result of falling planning permissions
18+ hour, 9+ min ago (228+ words) Fragile consumer confidence, affordability challenges and global economic uncertainty" are impacting on builders" decisions to invest in new housing, according to the latest figures on new builds from the National House Building Council (NHBC). The English Housing Supply Q1 2026 data from…...
X-Press Legal Services urges law firms to get behind government cyber defence push
2+ day, 16+ hour ago (257+ words) X-Press Legal Services is calling on law firms to align with the UK government's latest action to strengthen national cyber defences, as the cyber threat landscape continues to intensify across the legal sector. The company has welcomed yesterday's government's announcement…...
GOV. UK launches tax adviser registration tool for firms to check obligations
3+ day, 10+ hour ago (384+ words) HMRC has released a new service for organisations to check whether they must register as tax advisers under the new rules effective from Monday 18th May 2026." The tool asks users a series of questions to determine whether or not a firm…...
'Macro headwinds' will lead to subdued property market in the short to medium term - RICS
3+ day, 3+ hour ago (327+ words) The housing market is in the "grip of macro headwinds stemming from the Middle East conflict" and, with interest rate rises on the horizon, the outlook for buyers remains challenging, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The…...
Kitemark for upfront information providers to be developed as new representative group launches
3+ day, 11+ hour ago (630+ words) A new group has been launched to standardise the production of material information and digital sales packs, under the umbrella of the Residential Logbook Association (RLBA). Upfront Information Group (UIG) has been established by the self-regulatory body of logbook providers…...
Conway v Conway: The risks of informal family property arrangements
4+ day, 11+ hour ago (684+ words) Gabrilla Banham and Stephanie Butler from the property litigation team at Birketts discuss the High Court's decision in Conway v Conway, which examined the intersection between s. 2. of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 and the doctrine of proprietary estoppel....
Leasehold complications lengthening transaction times, with conveyancing blamed for delays
5+ day, 11+ hour ago (543+ words) Average transaction times have extended by four weeks since 2019, according to statistics published by Connells Group this week. Leasehold transactions are driving much of the increase in average timescales, with a typical leasehold transaction taking 155 days to reach exchange in…...
Beyond paper and portals: What digital conveyancing really means for modern law firms
5+ day, 11+ hour ago (896+ words) As the rush to adopt AI solutions in the legal sector gathers pace, Ben Mills, commercial director at legal tech company Minerva, explains why the customer experience should lead the way when it comes to deciding the tools to deploy....