Today's Conveyancer Podcast

In an exclusive interview with the Today's Conveyancer Podcast Circe Law CEO Jade Gani explains why a newly-launched alliance is taking the Solicitors Regulation Authority to task on changes to the compliance regime, explaining how the proposals will disproportionately impact small and medium sized law firms. 

As one of the founders of the SME & Boutique Law Firm Alliance Gani explains the group is not opposed to protections which would reduce the risk of notable recent failures including Axiom Ince and PM Law, but raises concerns the route proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority would not only not be effective, but would disproportionately impact boutique and high street law firms with a knock-on impact on access to justice, consumers choice, and diversity in the law.

As it stands, from January 2027 law firms with a turnover over £600,000 or over £2m in their client account will be required to separate the roles of Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) and Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA) from those with "unilateral decision making" responsibilities in the firm.

The group say they have asked for the rules changes to be paused while evidence of what risks are posed at the thresholds proposed is gathered. Gani adds the proposals are unworkable in smaller firms, around 15% of the overall number of regulated law firms, where there are no suitable alternative postholders.  

So contentious is the debate, the Alliance has said it would call for a vote of no confidence in the leadership at the regulator should the proposals go ahead. 

In an open letter and subsequent meeting with the SRA the group has proposed a number of alternatives which they say would have a more proportionate and effective impact. 

In response the SRA has said it agreed with the need to better protect the public by strengthening the safeguards around client money and was "committed to continuing the conversation on this important issue" before responding further. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

Over the past five year InfoTrack have been charting the progress of technology adoption in conveyancing through its bi-annual Digital Conveyancing Maturity Index. 

The survey asks a series of question about the technology conveyancing firms use through the various stages of conveyancing, and the report is designed to help law firms track their technological progress against competitors and the wider industry.

Although InfoTrack Chief Operating Officer Sam Jordan won't be drawn on this year's top scoring firms (the report is published on 1st October) there is a distinct change in the latest results as medium to large law firms have now overtaken the small and medium-sized firms who were initially the most agile adopters in previous reports. The shift is attributed to larger firms implementing integrated, firm-wide platforms which take time to embed and adopt. Interestingly adds Jordan, data shows that firms participating in the index multiple times see their scores improve at a much faster rate than first-time participants.

What Jordan does divulge is some of the methodology and a breakdown of where in the transaction technology adoption is most mature. Onboarding and post-completion remain the most digitally advanced areas, largely as a result of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, pre-completion remains the least digitally mature; and while while 50% of firms have transitioned away from email to manage inquiries, only 15% utilise shared digital workspaces between buying and selling firms according to the research. 

This year's results highlights the rapid acceleration and adoption of AI-enabled technologies, devoting a whole new section of the report to AI with the discussion exploring how firms should focus on specific "jobs to be done" and let technology naturally solve those administrative pain points. 

The report serves as a reminder that widespread digitalisation is an inevitable evolutionary step for any thriving business sector and conveyancing is most certainly on that journey. The full findings and rankings of the latest survey  will be published at the Digital Conveyancing Summit on 1st October.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

The latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast explores how a former premier league footballer became a campaigner and law firm owner, championing redress for for people impacted by fraudulent overseas investments.

After falling victim to a property investment scam himself, former Arsenal, Southampton and Manchester City footballer Neil Heaney set about seeking justice. 

Heaney's story starts after he and a group of other investors became victims of a large-scale property fraud in Spain that resulted in significant financial losses. The experience exposed the difficulties individuals face when trying to pursue legal remedies in another country. Heaney is at pains to point out overseas investment scams are not limited to wealthy individuals or sports professionals. While footballers often attract headlines, he notes that ordinary consumers can be equally vulnerable. 

The experience was the inspiration for launching his own law firm Judicare which deals solely with specialist international legal support

While the podcast explores some of the key lessons before people should consider before entering any overseas investment or property transaction, including conducting searches on companies and developers, and looking beyond attractive marketing materials and sales pitches, many problems could be avoided if people sought specialist legal support before committing their money.

What started as a personal mission soon evolved into a broader service as other investors approached him for help with disputes in countries including Bulgaria, Greece and the Dominican Republic. Recognising a wider gap in the market, Heaney gradually built Judicare into an SRA regulated specialist international legal practice supporting clients across 15 jurisdictions.

He now spends much of his time working and interviewing lawyers in foreign jurisdictions to support his work which is focused on "before" and "after" legal issues. The "after" work involves assisting clients who have encountered problems such as fraud, failed developments, inheritance disputes or other overseas legal challenges. The "before" work focuses on helping individuals safely purchase property abroad, guiding them through due diligence, legal checks, contracts and completion processes. The firm also advises on probate matters, inheritances, wills and residency applications where assets or interests are located outside the UK.

Concluding the discussion Heaney explains how the set up of a new affiliate programme, the JLaw Network, will provide firms with an opportunity offer international legal support through a trusted, SRA-regulated partner.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

The Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes back Ed Boulle to discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence in home moving and legal services. 

Boulle addresses the common misconception that AI in conveyancing means replacing lawyers with chatbots or automated client interactions. Instead, he argues that the real value lies in solving the conveyancing sector’s longstanding capacity and consistency problems. Conveyancing firms face fluctuating workloads but have a finite number of qualified staff. When transaction volumes rise, service levels can suffer; when they fall, firms carry significant fixed staffing costs. AI then can help reduce this dependency on headcount by automating routine processes and enabling lawyers to manage larger caseloads more effectively while maintaining service standards.

This is the hope for the newly launched, AI-assisted law firm Farringdon, a CLC-regulated conveyancing law firm established as a testing ground for new AI-driven workflows and technologies. The decision reflects a long-term belief that AI will fundamentally reshape property transactions and by operating within the conveyancing process itself, future Orbital product development can be shaped by the firsthand insight into industry challenges

One such innovation is the recently launched “Sale Ready Report" which enables a more proactive approach says Boulle by using AI to analyse title information, protocol forms and supporting documents through the same lens as a buyer’s solicitor, allowing firms to conduct meaningful reviews much earlier without committing substantial staff resources.

Boulle is firmly of the view AI tools could ultimately drive more profound changes in conveyancing practice, significantly reducing transaction times and creating a more efficient property market... time will tell. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

Having completed half of 2026 it's a good time to sit down with regular contributors Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney of Landmark and Ochresoft respectively to look at what has happened in the property market over the first half of 2026, and what it's in store for the second half. 

Looking at Landmark's own data, there is a really mixed picture. Listings remain reasonably strong, but demand is falling, evidenced by falling number of sold properties. Conveyancers remain steady but be careful reading too much into comparisons with 2025 warns Gurney. The run up to , and immediate aftermath of the end of SDLT incentives significantly distorts the first half of 2025.

Many of the demand side challenges discussed in previous podcasts remain; it will be interesting to see how the Summer, a traditionally quieter time for the property market, pans out, and whether the country benefits from a "Burnham bounce" given the imminent arrival of a new Labour leader, and prime minister.

Listen in for the latest market insight and opinions. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

Having supported a high profile conveyancing firm secure investment Lanterna Consulting co‑founders Simon Farthing and Shona Kaye are well placed to tackle the topic of how law firms can present themselves to secure private equity investment. 

Investors are looking to scrutinise scalability, data foundations and operational maturity they explain. Firms without a coherent technology strategy risk being overlooked.

In a wide-ranging discussion the pair explore how outdated systems, patchy adoption, and decisions driven more by anecdote than strategy hold firms back. Kaye notes that many firms still rely on platforms decades old, propped up by internal developers and workarounds that mask deeper structural issues . The market, they argue, is now at a crossroads. Traditional, on‑premise systems remain deeply embedded, but modern cloud‑based, low‑code platforms are rapidly maturing and firms must decide whether to evolve or be left behind.

Private equity, they say, is looking for alignment between business strategy and tech strategy, between user needs and leadership assumptions, and between ambition and capability. Success involved getting the right people in the room; department heads, everyday users, and those who understand the firm’s unique processes.

The concept best‑of‑breed ecosystems has emerged, where a core case management “system of record” is enhanced with specialist tools. Integration, data quality and API openness now matter as much as functionality.

So how can firms make the right technology decisions to enhance their prospects of private equity investment? Listen in to find out...

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

In a post on social media Marc Lansdell, founder of Evolve Law and the guest for this Today's Conveyancer Podcast, boldly stated his firm had put up conveyancing fees; and he had not seen any loss of work or negative impact on his business. 

Despite difficult market conditions Lansdell explains how the decision was reasonably straightforward once he understood his own data, and the potential impact any increase might have. By analysing conversion rates against fee levels, the firm identified a point where higher fees could generate greater profitability without materially affecting instruction volumes.. as a result average fees increased by c. £500 per matter, which more than offset the c. 2% reduction in conversion rates. 

But higher prices only work if you consistently deliver what you say you will. The practicalities of selling higher-priced conveyancing services include strong review profiles, trusted introducer relationships and consistency in service standards.

Data driven decision making is a key topic of discussion, acknowledging that when the business was small, some of the decisions might have been more based on gut and instinct. Now though nearly all major business decisions at Evolve Law are informed by detailed performance metrics. He adds he has harnessed AI to help with business intelligence and management insights, enabling faster and more informed decision-making. 

Evolve have also invested in a training academy for staff; adopting a "grown you own" approach at a time when recruitment is one of the biggest challenges facing conveyancers. The academy goes beyond legal training, combining technical conveyancing knowledge with customer service skills, business development awareness, wellbeing education, and an understanding of firm finances. The aim is to create well-rounded conveyancers who are equipped for the demands of modern legal practice. Lansdell argues that successful conveyancers need far more than legal expertise; they must be able to communicate effectively, manage workloads, understand clients, and maintain their own wellbeing. 

Refreshingly candid, Lansdell shares how he sees a  modern conveyancing firm can navigate market pressures while investing in growth, innovation and long-term sustainability.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

The planning landscape is shifting at pace and for conveyancers, the risks are no longer confined to the red line on a title plan. That’s the warning from DevAssist founder Paul Addison and OnPoint Data co‑founder Jeremy Dorkins in the latest Today’s Conveyancer Podcast, where both argue that future development risk is now a core part of modern due diligence.

Addison launched DevAssist to tackle what lies outside the red line. As he puts it, “there’s a 46% chance… something could be happening just outside those boundaries”, something capable of affecting views, amenity or value. With the government’s accelerated push for housing, those odds are only rising.

The National Planning Policy Framework has been “injected with steroids” with the re‑introduced five‑year housing supply requirement triggering a surge in opportunistic applications. Councils unable to demonstrate supply face the tilted balance, where “benefit outweighs harm” and large schemes on greenfield land become difficult to resist.

Yet most buyers remain unaware of the deeper planning pipeline and you know just who they are going to blame when they find out their view is about to be blighted. Bird & Bird made it “abundantly clear” that solicitors must report on planning data or searches says Addison. "If something untoward does happen… the first point of call will be the conveyancing solicitor" adds Dorkins. 

The podcast is a must listen for conveyancers who don't know their greybelt from their SHELAA.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

How do law firm owners pass on their business? Their culture and legacy? At a time when private equity investment is increasingly popular and offers a potentially lucrative route to exit, firms are also exploring the opportunities presented by alternatives; including Employee owned Trusts (EoTs). 

As Mark Slade former CEO and current CTO of Fidler and Pepper explains in this latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast, his firm has recently opted to become an EoT.

He candidly discusses how the directors began to explore their succession planning; initially a trade sale was an option. He says they explored private equity too. But the more he and co‑owner (and brother) Matt explored these routes, the more uneasy they became. Redundancies. Loss of identity. Earn‑outs. Reporting to new bosses. The risk of being “kicked into touch” after decades of service. None of it aligned with the firm they had built.

The success of another firm prompted Slade to look into EoT and he discovered what it offered was what he and Matt were looking for.  A future shaped by the people who built the business; protection for long‑serving staff; flexibility for his co-directors, a structure that rewarded loyalty and performance; and importantly, a legacy bigger than any partner.

It's not a "quick-win"... the payout is long‑term. The business must continue to perform. Succession still matters. But the reaction from staff, who were aware of plans to look at what the future of the business looked like, was immediate and emotional. 

Slade concludes an EOT deserves a serious look for firms looking at their succession planning.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

After a baptism of fire when just 16 days into her new role as CEO of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) Jennifer Coupland was thrust into one of the biggest crises legal services has faced since the Legal Services Act with the Mazur ruling and subsequent appeal.

In a wide ranging discussion on the Today's Conveyancer Podcast, Coupland discusses how she handled the immediate aftermath of the decision, the appeal, and how she plans to shape the organisation going forward after plans to bring CILEX under SRA regulation were shelved.

She leads CILEX after a successful period running the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, transforming the perception of apprenticeships into a respected and sought-after career route. She sees strong parallels with CILEX’s model of “earning while learning,” which she believes is vital for improving diversity and accessibility in the legal profession.

Although CILEX was ultimately successful in its Mazur appeal, the ordeal was a "really, really tough 10 months for some of our members" says Coupland who adds the case exposed outdated aspects of the Legal Services Act 2007 and advocates for a sector-wide review to modernise legislation.

Through the course of the podcast she also highlights the need to improve consumer understanding of legal services, particularly awareness of specialist providers and the importance of quality, regulation, and affordability. Internally, Coupland has navigated challenges around potential regulatory alignment with bodies like the SRA, ultimately pausing plans but maintaining a commitment to reducing duplication and complexity.

Looking ahead, CILEX’s five-year strategy focuses on growth, education, influencing legal reform, and raising the organisation’s profile, with member engagement seen as crucial to its future direction. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack