Some high end agents break rank over duty change (EAT)
While the vast majority of estate agents appeared delighted at George Osborne’s reform of the stamp duty system, high-end agents were distinctly less enthusiastic.
Big legal brands unveil new marketing campaigns
Quality Solicitor’s campaign aims to encourage the over-50s to make wills.
SRA rejects bid to give law firms open access to BARCO (LF)
A request by the Bar Council for law firms to be given automatic access to BARCO was rejected by the SRA.
Lawyers escape sanctions in ‘Google tax’ budget (LSG)
George Osborne has spurned demands for punitive measures against professionals responsible for designing aggressive tax-avoidance schemes.
Agents will have to give more information when selling flats (EAT)
Agents selling leasehold flats will have to give information about service charges and ground rent on property details.
Will new tax proposal hit second home market? (EAT)
HMRC has released proposals for implementing new Capital Gains Tax rules which will crack down on UK residents electing second homes as their main residence as well as targetting non-UK […]
CMA wants big shake-up in property management (EAT
The Competition and Markets Authority says some leaseholders have experienced “significant problems” over high service charges and poor standards of service when it comes to residential property management.
Speculation grows that Osborne will reform stamp duty (EAT)
Speculation has grown overnight that Chancellor George Osborne will reform stamp duty in today’s Autumn Statement.
Unbundling – a necessity for consumers or risk to professional standards? (LF)
The potential for unbundling legal services to help consumers – and particularly litigants in person – is to be examined in a research project being commissioned by the Legal Services […]
Phone scams hit solicitors, with four firms losing £2m (LF)
Four law firms have recently lost £2m from their client accounts after falling victim to scammers who tricked them into disclosing bank security information over the telephone.
BSB to regulate entities from January (LSG)
The Bar Standards Board will move a step closer to parity with the solicitors regulator next year when it begins regulating entities.
SRA Chair wins lifetime achievement award
The Chair of the SRA Board, Charles Plant, has been honoured by the City of London Law Society at the British Legal Awards.