The Law Society of England and Wales has launched a consultation on proposed updates to the Conveyancing Protocol, which provides a framework for residential conveyancing. The draft revises the 2019 edition to reflect digital working practices, changing lender requirements and developments in leasehold and commonhold transactions. It strengthens guidance on client verification, source of funds checks, cyber security and fraud prevention, while encouraging earlier information sharing and clearer communication to help clients understand the process and manage expectations. It also addresses digital identity checks, document exchange, HM Land Registry applications and lender portals, while retaining solicitors’ professional responsibility for their work. The proposals aim to improve transparency, efficiency and risk management. The consultation closes on 14 January 2027.

The Law Society of England and Wales has announced an extension of its funding contribution agreement with the Ministry of Justice to support immigration and asylum solicitor accreditation. The deal, originally introduced last year, will now run until 31 December 2025 and has been expanded to cover exam and application fees for casework assistants and trainee casework assistants, in addition to senior caseworkers. This initiative aims to alleviate financial burdens on immigration firms, with individual savings of up to £782.40 for initial accreditation and £482.40 for reaccreditation (for senior caseworkers). For casework assistants there will be a saving of £717.60 for accreditation, and for trainee casework assistants a saving of £277.20 The Law Society views this as a positive step towards addressing capacity issues in the sector and encouraging talent retention, following recent legal aid fee increases.

The Law Society has highlighted the update to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) anti-money laundering sectoral risk assessment. The SRA has identified vendor fraud, pooled client funds, third-party managed accounts and irregular methods of transferring funds as the core emerging sectoral risks. With reference to vendor fraud, which often involves fraudulent impersonation of a property owner, the Law Society has stressed the importance of law firms exercising caution where clients are not met face to face, ensuring that the vendor’s title is properly established and properly scrutinising any identity documents to make sure they appear authentic and show no apparent signs of being forged or altered.

The Law Society, as part of its consultation and engagement around the new fifth edition of the TA6 property information form, has hosted two webinars addressing areas of concern and questions from its members. The first webinar, ‘Understanding the TA6 – the legal position’, explores the changes introduced in the form and their impact on the legal position of sellers, buyers, solicitors, and licensed conveyancers. It addresses topics such as the obligations and liabilities of sellers and solicitors, contractual liability, and clause 6 of the Standard Conditions of Sale, as well as the status of ‘caveat emptor’, among other topics. The second webinar, ‘Digital developments in residential conveyancing’, examines the impact of digitalistion on residential conveyancing practices, reviewing recent and upcoming changes, such as digitisation in HM Land Registry, digital identity verification in property transactions, and developments in conveyancing forms, among other aspects.

The Law Society is inviting members to contribute to its responses to two separate consultations—one on home buying and selling reform, and another on material information in property listings—launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). To gather member input, the Law Society has launched a ten-minute survey enabling feedback on digitisation, material information requirements, and data accuracy compliance, with the option to participate in focus groups. The Law Society also encourages members to respond directly to the MHCLG consultations and reaffirms its commitment to continued advocacy as the reforms progress. The survey will close on 21 November 2025.

The Law Society has issued the new TA6 property information form (6th edition), which significantly streamlines the property information process by reducing the number of sections from 25 in the 5th edition to 15. Sections that have been removed include those on council tax, asking price, tenure, ownership and charges, physical characteristics, building safety, restrictive covenants, coastal erosion, accessibility and coalfield/mining areas.

The Law Society has issued a practice note on professional undertakings, which considers case law concerning undertakings given by corporate entities, including companies and limited liability partnerships authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the circumstances in which courts may enforce those undertakings. It also provides guidance on the risks associated with giving and accepting undertakings, including where another party is not an officer of the court and where personal undertakings are given or accepted.

The Law Society has issued an update on the TA6 Property information form, following the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT)’s withdrawal of its material information guidance on 8 May 2025. The Law Society is urgently seeking clarification from NTSELAT on the implications of this withdrawal for its members and the wider conveyancing profession. In the interim, work to improve the TA6 form will proceed as planned, and conveyancers can continue using either the fourth edition (second revision, 2020) or the fifth edition (2024) of the form, both of which remain compliant with the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

The Law Society of England and Wales has joined leaders from across the professional services sector in writing to Chancellor Rachel Reeves to oppose proposed tax increases on limited liability partnerships (LLPs). The joint letter, signed by representatives from organisations including the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, City of London Corporation, and TheCityUK, warns against applying employer national insurance or equivalent charges to LLPs. The signatories argue such measures would damage a growing sector, deter international investment and undermine the government's stated support for professional services as a growth partner.

The Law Society of England and Wales has joined LawCare, the Solicitors' Charity and the Mindful Business Charter to launch the Solicitor Wellbeing Alliance, aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing across the profession in England and Wales. The Alliance seeks to provide a more co-ordinated approach to wellbeing support, helping solicitors and law firms access existing resources, guidance and services. Its activities include improving awareness of and signposting to available support, working together on shared priorities, sharing insights into trends and emerging wellbeing issues and providing a unified voice to influence organisational culture and working practices. The launch follows findings from LawCare's ‘Life in the Law 2025’ research, which found that 50% of respondents had experienced anxiety over a 12-month period, 60% had poor mental wellbeing and 43.4% reported that work significantly influenced their mental health and wellbeing. The Law Society states that Alliance members will work together over the coming year to develop and deliver practical outputs to improve awareness of support, share learning and encourage action on wellbeing within legal organisations.

The Law Society launched a six-month research consultation on the TA6 Property information form (5th edition) (2024) on 10 July 2024. The research consultation will include engagement with stakeholder groups including conveyancing and legal groups, local law societies and Law Society licensees, an online survey to capture views on the wider policy changes in residential conveyancing, the TA6 and the experience of using it, focus groups with conveyancers to understand their current experience of using both versions of the TA6 and the concerns on key areas of change, deep dive online webinars exploring key areas of concern including liability and digitisation and user experience testing of the new form.

The Law Society has launched a consultation on a practice note regarding climate risk and conveyancing. This follows the Law Society’s April 2023 publication of its climate change guidance. The proposed practice note seeks to provide practical details for conveyancers on managing and understanding how climate risk affects their practice. A panel discussion on the practice note will be held at the Law Society’s Property Conference on 16 October 2024. The consultation closes on 31 October 2024.