Latest news

Law firms lining up claims for motor finance mis-selling have had a busy week, with significant court rulings and a Financial Conduct Authority announcement.

Divorce applications submitted before they should have been and wrongly allowed to proceed due to an error in the courts’ IT system are voidable – but not void, the High Court has ruled.

EU states may prohibit external investment in law firms because of the need to protect lawyers’ independence, the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled.

The High Court has referred a barrister to the Bar Standards Board for launching a judicial review which was “abusive and bound to fail” on behalf of a client facing extradition.

The SRA has issued the highest fine since the limit went up to £25,000 among 14 handed out in recent weeks for breaches of the anti-money laundering rules.

Law firms need to be careful in marketing their services as ‘no win, no fee’, and in how they attract clients, especially in high-volume claims work, the SRA told solicitors today.

A judge has refused a lender’s application for summary judgment against a law firm in a case involving an “imposter who appears to have fraudulently deceived” both of them.

A solicitor accused by MI5 of being an agent of the Chinese government has lost her challenge to the assessment. She said her law firm had suffered “irreparable reputational harm”.

A well-known Shropshire law firm was negligent in the order agreements for a property development joint venture were signed, allowing one side to pull out, the High Court has found.

A young lawyer who changed dates on lasting powers of attorney and misled clients about when they were sent to the Office of the Public Guardian has been struck off.