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13 November 2019
Issue: 7864 / Categories: Legal News , Property
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Home buyer trends: qualifications over price

Solicitors and law firms rather than online volume conveyancers are the preferred option for conveyancing advice, and qualifications rather than price are the main criteria.

DIY conveyancing where individuals complete the process themselves without professional advice remains very limited, according to a report by IRN Research, ‘Residential Conveyancing Consumer Research Report 2019’, on 562 consumers who bought residential property in the previous two years.

More than 90% of paid fixed fees, although the final fee charged for nearly 25% was more than originally quoted. 55% shop around for conveyancers.

More than a quarter of conveyancing clients took advantage of unbundling of services. More than a third had 24/7 online access to a portal where conveyancing progress could be tracked, while access to a telephone helpline was there for around one in five. 

Issue: 7864 / Categories: Legal News , Property
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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