This is essentially a half-term report, because I have not written an article for Legal News since Linda Lee’s presidential year began last July.
Once upon a time and not long ago, it was a matter of some pride that we in
As many of you are too painfully aware, the future of the legal aid service remains uncertain. The Law Society’s victory over the Legal Services Commission in the judicial review proceedings about the award of family law contracts last September was in the public interest (although, understandably, it infuriated firms which had succeeded in obtaining the new contracts, which were voided by this result), but it resolved nothing. In its wake the Ministry of Justice has published the green paper Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in
Ian Kelcey, the chair of the Law Society’s criminal law committee is visiting Capital Tower on 7 February to address us (and to seek our views) on improvements that can be made to the criminal justice system to ensure it is as fair, efficient and effective as possible. You may have heard Ian interviewed on Radio 4’s Today programme. He’s very impressive and will be an entertaining and informative speaker.
The news on non-contentious work is not encouraging either. Unregulated will-writers remain unregulated more than a year after the Legal Services Board became operative. That is a shameful omission on its part. The recent forecasts are for the property market to grow this year but with banks preferring to pay bonuses to senior staff than lend money to prospective purchasers and with so many prospective purchasers unable to afford to borrow 75% of the price of properties anyway, recovery still seems someway off.
Better news for property lawyers is the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS), a mark of excellence which the Law Society launched last autumn and which has the approval of mortgage lenders. Property lawyers are encouraged to join the CQS by 28 February so they can take advantage of the Law Society’s forthcoming publicity campaign which begins in April.
Worse news for property lawyers is the fear that lenders will require separate representation of buyers and lenders in a domestic conveyancing transaction. This would undoubtedly increase costs. Crucial to this issue is professional indemnity insurance (PII). Currently, PII covers corporate clients as well as individual clients and any reduction in the compulsory PII cover would result in lenders insisting that their panel solicitors had the additional insurance arrangements that they require which would cost the firm additional premiums. Since different lenders would impose different requirements, arranging this top-up insurance so it would cover the demands of all lenders for whom a firm worked would take up a lot of time as well as expense. It is therefore likely that reduction of compulsory PII cover would lead to greater use of dual representation for buyers and lenders. If the possible conflict of interest between buyer and lender was regarded as a significant issue separate representation would be sensible, but since the proposed rule on conflicts of interest in the SRA’s Architecture for Change consultation is unclear whether a conveyancer would be able to act for both buyer and seller which is a far greater danger, the probable growth of separate representation for buyers and lenders is an odd development.
The time for responding to the SRA’s consultation on outcome-focused regulation (OFR) passed on 14 January and we now await the next step in the progress towards OFR, which is the publication of the Handbook in March or April. I am a member of the regulatory issues subcommittee which responded to this consultation on behalf of
The big item of business for the last council meeting in December was the Law Society’s budget for 2011. I wasn’t at the meeting, but I have seen the papers and can tell you that the budget was approved as drawn. No surprise there - it’s not an easy read! The budget covers the cost of running the Law Society group ie Law Society, SRA, the services shared by both the Law Society and SRA, the rundown of the LCS and the payments due to the Legal Ombudsman, Legal Services Board and SDT.
NOMINATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 10 APRIL 2018!! Do you know a lawyer who has made an outstanding contribution to our local legal community, a junior lawyer who is one to watch or an...
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Our 2017 Admissions Ceremony to welcome recently qualified lawyers into the profession was held on 15 November in the Main Hall of Cardiff Crown Court. Our President, Rachelle Sellek led...
(...and judges that take selfies!) President of CDLS, Rachelle Sellek, was invited to the opening of the new legal year on the 2nd October 2017. We asked her to share this incredible experience...
We invite our members and the regional legal sector to join us on the 27 April for a night filled with entertainment, heritage and celebration of our successful, sustainable, innovative and...
President’s Golf Day in aid of Ronald McDonald House, Cardiff Friday 4 May 2018 Radyr Golf Club | Drysgol Road | Radyr | Cardiff CF15 8BS Programme 10:00 Tea, coffee &...
NUMBERS ARE VERY LIMITED, BE QUICK TO BOOK YOUR PLACE! Powered by Eventbrite
General enquiries
Michael Walters - Administrator
Cardiff & District Law Society
34 Ty Fry Gardens
Cardiff
CF3 3NQ
E: michaelwalters1@hotmail.co.uk
DX: 33029 Cardiff 1
T/F: 029 2045 3334
Mobile 07774 756 297
Membership enquiries
Steve Roberts - Membership Secretary
Cardiff & District Law Society
6 Castle Court
Cathedral Road
Cardiff
CF11 9LJ
DX: 33029 Cardiff
E: membership@cardifflaw.org
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