We are pleased to announce that a new Estates Disputes publication has been published. Comprising two guides, Estate disputes – Acting for the claimant and Estate disputes – Acting for the defendant, the publication contains all the commentary, precedents, and forms needed. Read more...

To enhance our Practice Management guide, a precedent Referral Fee Agreement has been added helping firms to comply with regulator requirements around transparency and due diligence when accepting introductions from third parties.

With every new costs management practice direction comes a new spreadsheet and the 122nd Practice Direction update was no different. According to the revised Practice Direction 3E, Precedent T should be used from the 1st October to advise the court and other parties about variations in the costs budget during claims. Oppressive behaviour is also mentioned in the new practice direction and parties who believe that they are being pressured into spending money unnecessarily can apply to the court for relief. The By Lawyers Debt Recovery publications have been updated accordingly and Precedent T is available in the matter plan. The opportunity was taken to enhance the commentaries with recent case law discussions regarding: Security for costs applications relating to the economic consequences of COVID19. Reasonable adjustments which allowed a vulnerable witness to provide evidence. Choice of expert to provide evidence. The costs consequences of withdrawing a Part 36 Offer. The admissibility of ‘without prejudice’ material in limited circumstances. We invite you to explore the updated Debt Recovery – Acting for Claimant and Debt Recovery – Acting for Defendant publications. Comments and feedback are always welcomed.

A sharp increase in the number of property raffles over the last few months has prompted the enhancement of the Sale of Land commentary with discussion of the pitfalls and problems surrounding this unusual method of sale. Covering areas such as gambling legislation and advertising standards, practitioners who are approached by clients interested in a seemingly swift sale can now read this practical advice. We invite you to explore this updated publication. Comments and feedback are always welcomed.

The By Lawyers Estates Guide has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and conveyancing practice. The extensive review was performed by our author Marcella King. As with all our authors, Marcella takes a practical approach, drawing on her considerable experience to cover all aspects of procedure, with a focus on practical tips that will help solicitors and conveyancers confidently run a probate matter. The commentary has been expanded, and a new To Do List has been included. We invite you to explore this updated publication and to consider the wealth of assistance the guide offers for solicitors and conveyancers acting in the administration of an estate.

As the first steps when opening a matter are so important, we have reviewed this section of our commentaries. Read more…

AI prompts are transforming the way legal documents are drafted. When crafted with technical precision, prompts can greatly enhance the utility and credibility of AI-generated content, especially when the AI relies exclusively on data contained in client matters, without incorporating outside sources. Read more...

While the Autumn budget delivered this week by the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, was arguably a step forward for feminism, it was more notable for the significant changes to tax. Read more…

Part of our series of common legal questions and their answer, we look at the rights of an employee. Read more...

Part of our series of common legal questions and their answers, we look at the Law Society’s code for completion by post. Read more...

Part of our series of common legal questions and their answers, we look at the difference between holding a deposit as stakeholder or agent for the seller, and holding to order on the sale of land. Read more...

There is a newly added section in our commentaries, offering a streamlined summary of the key steps legal practitioners follow throughout the legal process. Read more…

Part of our series of common legal questions and their answers, we look at the legal requirements for signing a Lasting Power of Attorney. Read more...

Breaking news for London's family law practitioners: His Honour Judge Hess has announced major changes to the case management process for the capital's courts. Read more...

This comprehensive publication takes the practitioner through the stages involved in advising a client on a low-value road traffic accident claim for personal injuries, including whiplash, and other damages. It covers the stages of commencing a claim under the relevant pre-action protocols, use of the online portals, responding to a compensator’s offers and settling the matter. The publication also covers the stages of issuing proceedings if the matter falls outside the pre-action protocols. Read more...