The personal injury compensation claims sector is shrinking as a direct result of government reforms a government body has claimed. The scale of this contraction, according to the Claims Management Regulator, a body managed by the Ministry of Justice, is significant. The CMR has confirmed ‘notable decreases’ were ‘suffered’ in the personal injury claim sector during the year. Continue reading…
Campaign groups urge government to urgently reimburse employment tribunal claimant fees
Campaign groups have called on the government to act as a matter of urgency to reimburse claimants who have employment tribunal fees, following the Supreme Court declaration that such fees were unlawful. Justice Minister, Dominic Rabb, had said immediately following the judgement that the government would take action so that claimants could be reimbursed, but so far no further clarification of this matter has been issued. Solicitors groups have warned that should the government make the arrangements for reclaiming fees too complicated, then this will only serve to further restrict true access to justice. Continue reading…
Supreme Court rules employment tribunal fees unlawful
The government was forced to re-evaluate its justice policy last week after a humiliating unanimous defeat in court. The Justice Department has now announced the abolition of employment tribunal fees after the Supreme Court ruled them unlawful, and will be forced to repay a figure estimated at around £32 million. Continue reading…
8-week consultation which could lead to the banning of ‘unfair charges’ on buyers of new-build leasehold houses
Are you considering buying a new-build property in the near future? Are you concerned that the property you might potentially buy could be subject to leasehold charges and escalating ground rents? If you are, then there may be some good news around the corner. The government has begun an 8-week consultation which could lead to ‘unfair charges’ on buyers of new-build leasehold houses being banned in England and ground rents could also be dramatically reduced. Continue reading…
Conveyancing searches: why are they necessary for a house or flat purchase?
Searches are a necessary and crucial part of the conveyancing process. Although they are not a legal requirement for a purchase of a property, particularly if you are a cash buyer, your conveyancing solicitor would normally recommend that these searches are carried out so that you know all the essential information about the property and land you are buying. If you are buying the property with the help of a mortgage, then your lender will usually insist on searches being carried out. Continue reading…
How can you make complex commercial conveyancing transactions straightforward?
Anyone who has bought a domestic property and lived through the property conveyancing process will tell you that they can, at times, be fraught with difficulties. What should, on the face of it, be a simple transaction, can, if handled badly and inefficiently, turn into the stuff of nightmares. But if you think domestic conveyances are problematic, just imagine what legal complexities are often involved in a commercial conveyance. Commercial sales and purchases can quickly slither out of control unless you have access to the very best conveyancing advice. Continue reading…
SRA seeks to canvass public opinion on the conveyancing process
Have you recently bought or sold a house? How did you find the process? Did the property conveyance run smoothly, or were you left dissatisfied or irritated by the whole experience? These are the crucial questions that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will be hoping to discover when it canvasses the opinions of 1,000 house buyers and sellers who have recently had a property conveyed. Continue reading…
Conveyancing Group urges the government to put leasehold reform back on the agenda
Conveyancing bodies, comprising the Conveyancing Association, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, Bold Legal Group and the Society of Licensed Conveyancers, have combined forces under the banner The Legal Sector Group, and delivered a list of alternative initiatives for a ’21st century’ leasehold process to the new housing minister, Alok Sharma. Continue reading…
Commercial/Corporate Paralegal Required – Mossley Branch
Due to continued expansion, the Commercial Property and Corporate Department at Harold Stock & Co. Solicitors is looking for a paralegal to join the team. Continue reading…
What is chancel repair liability and could it affect the property you’re thinking of buying?
Have you ever heard of the legal term chancel repair liability? The chances are the answer is probably not. Not too many people have, and even fewer actually understand what it actually is. Yet, if you’re thinking of buying a property, it’s a search issue, just like the other more-common local, environmental, drainage and mining searches, that your solicitor may need to look in to during the course of a domestic conveyance. So what is chancel repair liability? Continue reading…
