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18 June 2025
Issue: 8121 / Categories: Legal News , Legal services , Divorce , Conveyancing , Wills & Probate
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Private law price comparisons published

Clients are paying more for legal services, but have more pricing transparency and a greater selection of remote options available

That’s the conclusion of the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) ‘Prices of individual legal services in England and Wales’ survey across 1,500 providers, published this week.

For straightforward divorce cases, about 65–74% of providers offer their services remotely, compared to 32% in 2020.

Price transparency has ‘significantly improved’ in conveyancing with 88% of conveyancers displaying their prices on their website, compared to 47% of divorce lawyers and 62% of wills, trusts, probate and estate administration services providers. 

For the cheapest divorce—about £750—go to Wales or Northern England. For assistance with estate administration where probate has been granted, try the Midlands and South-East England for value, at about £3,600.

Samuel Omolade, LSB head of strategy and research, said: ‘The LSB will continue to push for greater price transparency across the sector, making it easier for people to shop around, find prices and compare services.’

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Kennedys—Milan Devani

Kennedys—Milan Devani

Chief information officer appointment strengthens technology leadership

Maguire Family Law—Hannah Barlow & Sophie Hughes

Maguire Family Law—Hannah Barlow & Sophie Hughes

Firm strengthens Wilmslow team with two solicitor appointments

DWF—Ian Plumley

DWF—Ian Plumley

Londoninsurance and reinsurance practice announces partner appointment

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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