Successful Court Mediation Scheme Now Extended

As everyone knows the Society ran a very successful Small Claims Mediation scheme between 2002 and 2008 which was brought to an end by the MOJ who substituted its own scheme. However, following the Briggs Report, that scheme has been restricted to cases of up to £3,000 in value and cases over that figure are now being referred to our mediators including cases well outside the Small Claims limit. Initially this was under a Pilot Scheme which started in February 2018 but the Court has now ordered that our scheme shall now become an official part of the court process in the South West!   A document is now appearing on Court notice boards and flyers are being se...

Meet Kathryn King, new Law Society Council Member for West Country & Gwent

What made you want to serve on The Law Society Council?   I have been involved in The Law Society’s Junior Lawyers Division (“JLD”) for a while and have met some incredible people who inspired me to do more for the profession as a whole rather than just the JLD. They opened my eyes to the possibility of serving on Council and although I never dreamed that anyone would vote for me in the election, I am immensely proud to have been proved wrong.   The challenges we face are evolving. The way we work is adapting. Council, in my opinion, also needs to adapt in order to be more representative of the profession and to fulfil its purpose. I hope that I can...

Professional Indemnity Insurance Market Update by Lockton, DASLS new affiliated broker partner

Whilst the Solicitors PII market has become more challenging it is perhaps not quite as hard as people predicted it to be, at the moment. Despite this, with 1st October approaching, things are likely to get even tougher.   There are certain elements and profile of practice whereby the market has hardened, which will naturally have an impact on the pricing that certain firms receive. The worst affected legal practices in terms of premium or rate increases are likely to be those with claims issues or if they are involved in perceived higher risk areas of practice such as Conveyance and Commercial work, even though they themselves may not have experienced any...

Meet Scott Bowen, new Law Society Council Member for West Country & Gwent

What made you want to serve on The Law Society Council?   I am a Criminal Law defence Solicitor Advocate and from early in my career I took exception to the way respective Governments undervalued our Justice system and used it as an easy target to reduce the budget afforded to it.   I initially became involved in local action including a sit in at our local Magistrates Court. I thereafter attended the infamous vote of no confidence at The Law Society. My Council Member at that time quite properly said that I would achieve nothing by shouting from the side lines and if I wished to make a difference I would have to get on the pitch and get involved.   I h...

Have a proper break this Christmas by LawCare

Many of us will take time off over Christmas but it can be very difficult to switch off, especially when technology has made it so easy for us to stay connected. Here are our tips to make your break as relaxing as possible.   Prepare   Discuss your workload with colleagues; if the office is open whilst you are off find out who will be covering your work - it might be best to pass your work over to several people. Let clients know as early as possible that you are taking some time off and who they should ask for in your absence.   Set expectations   Use the last day or two before your holiday to clear the decks, put ongoing work into a holding pattern...

Support Through Court

The Personal Support Unit (PSU) will in future be known as Support Through Court.    The new name, coinciding with the charity’s 18th birthday, is designed to convey more effectively the service the charity offers, which is increasingly vital at a time of extensive cuts to legal aid.    The charity has a rebranded service leaflet to pass on to any litigant in person in need of assistance.  As noted on the leaflet, we are now able to provide support for LiPs with hearings in Torquay County Court (by appointment).     To request printed copies of the leaflet and for any Support Through Court queries please contact Matt Bass on exeter@supportthrough...