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02 March 2012 / Deborah Evans
Issue: 7503 / Categories: Opinion , Legal services
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Proceed with care

Deborah Evans warns against too much change, too soon

Too much change, too quickly, is dangerous. While there are many areas the government would like to reform, it is not necessary or sensible to do it all within the same year. The government should be urged to proceed with care, understanding the impact of each change before imposing the next, and asking itself regularly whether further change is necessary.

As well as the sweeping reforms of conditional fee agreements (CFAs) in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill, and the removal of legal aid for clinical negligence, personal injury lawyers face the impact of the introduction of alternative business structures (ABSs), the ban on referral fees, review of fixed fees, destruction of the after-the-event insurance market, and just to top it off nicely an extension of the road traffic accident (RTA) portal coupled with a couple of new portals to help control David Cameron’s perceived health and safety “monster”.

Referral fee ban unworkable?

ABSs (such as the Co-op) will

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles

Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles

Bell Yard Kysen appoints senior legal PR and ex-government communications adviser, Liz Giles

Clarke Willmott—Lee Edwards

Clarke Willmott—Lee Edwards

Clarke Willmott boosts Southampton commercial property team with addition of partner Lee Edwards

Lime Solicitors—four promotions

Lime Solicitors—four promotions

Lime Solicitors announces four promotions

NEWS
The Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, and Solicitor General, Andy Slaughter KC MP, marked the 25th anniversary of Pro Bono Week by joining lawyers, charities, students and parliamentarians at events celebrating voluntary legal work
Witness evidence can be compromised by AI before a solicitor sees the draft, leaving safeguards focused on authorship incomplete
Possession claims are entering a new digital era, with procedural traps awaiting practitioners who assume familiar rules still govern every step
The Environment Agency can prosecute offences beyond environmental legislation where proceedings support its statutory functions, the Divisional Court has confirmed
A polished legal defence may owe more to artificial intelligence than legal merit—and creditors risk paying the price in delay and expense
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