Client money is once again under the spotlight, with two consultations live at the time of writing. Both focus on how law firms hold, manage and account for client funds, and how this may change in ways that are both structural and financial. For many conveyancing and client-money intensive practices, this goes to the heart of operating model, compliance risk and client trust.

The long-awaited Dentons appeal will be heard in March 2026 and is being closely watched across the profession. The outcome goes directly to the standard by which AML breaches are judged as professional misconduct.

Over recent years conversation around AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the legal sector have been dominated by complex regulatory considerations: data protection, liability models, contractual risks, to name but a few. Compounding this is the sheer volume of new AI tools now being marketed to the profession, all of which regulators must evaluate and address through new regulation or updated guidance.

Source of Funds (SoF) and Source of Wealth (SoW) checks are not new concepts for conveyancing teams. What has changed significantly is the regulator’s scrutiny and the expectation that firms can demonstrate compliance beyond simply collecting documents. The Regulatory Framework: What Firms Are Expected to Do

Hybrid, remote working, WFH, job sharing and co-working, are all flexible working terms now commonplace when discussing a firm’s approach to employment contracts. Indeed, the Employee Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, enables all UK employees to request flexible working from day one of employment. How flexible working must be applied is clearly set out on the government website, however, the Act does not contain any provisions that are specific to law firms, nor does it prescribe detailed compliance mechanisms for the profession.