Legal Services

A solicitor has been jailed for 12 years for fraud by abuse of a position of trust following a private prosecution brought by his former client.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/solicitor-jailed-for-12-years-for-castle-fraud-after-private-prosecution

A very experienced solicitor who showed a “complete blind spot” with regard to his obligations to ‘know your client’ and recognise the risks of conveyancing fraud has been suspended for a year.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/solicitors-blind-spot-led-to-vulnerable-client-being-defrauded

It is “highly over-optimistic” to think the Legal Services Act will be reformed or replaced by the government in the next couple of years, the chief executive of the Legal Services Board (LSB) has warned.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/legal-services-act-with-us-for-one-or-two-decades-lsb-chief-says

An “old school” solicitor in his late 70s who overcharged three estates and a trust by nearly £500,000 to provide cash flow for his firm has been struck off.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/old-school-solicitor-used-500000-of-client-money-to-prop-up-firm

Property firms such as conveyancers and estate agents often rely on their people to complete AML checks, where staff manually verify identity documents.

https://propertyindustryeye.com/118416-2/

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) will make full use of the proposed new power to issue unlimited fines against solicitors and firms caught up in economic crime, its chief executive has warned.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/philip-sra-will-make-full-use-of-unlimited-fining-power-for-economic-crime

A criminal defence solicitor who said he certified two lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) “as a favour” for an elderly client who was a friend of his father has been fined £6,000 for failing to make the necessary checks.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/solicitor-who-certified-lpas-as-a-favour-is-fined-6000

A law firm that was non-compliant with the anti-money laundering (AML) rules for three years has been fined for showing “a disregard for statutory and regulatory obligations”.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/firm-fined-for-long-term-anti-money-laundering-compliance-failures

A solicitor convicted of seven counts of fraud, involving goods worth £10,600 – including fireworks and tickets for the Grand National – has been struck off.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/grand-national-fraudster-struck-off-as-a-solicitor

An experienced solicitor has been struck off for taking advantage of the widow of a deceased solicitor after being instructed to wind up his practice and deal with his estate.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/solicitor-took-advantage-of-deceased-lawyers-vulnerable-widow