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25 September 2015
Issue: 7669 / Categories: Features , Property
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Stop the clock

nlj_7669_searchflow

Speed up house-buying with the personal touch, says SearchFlow

Moving house or business premises can be one of the more stressful processes in a person’s lifetime. One of the frustrations many consumers and businesses face when buying a house or commercial property is the length of time it takes to complete. Often, it is the search turnaround times during the conveyancing process that can be a challenge for solicitors and their clients. Not just in terms of the reality of the delay, but also how this can be perceived by customers.

Today, clients expect property transactions to move quickly, but some local authorities can take longer to return searches due to resource issues and a backlog of work. That can create tension for all those involved in the buying and selling of homes and commercial buildings.

Cut turnaround

There is, however, an option that can cut turnaround times while providing the same quality of search for residential and commercial searches. Personal Search Agency (PSA), a subsidiary of SearchFlow, offers an alternative to official searches that puts the entire

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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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