The Law Society has issued comprehensive guidance in response to the High Court judgment in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] EWHC 2341, which has generated widespread uncertainty within the legal profession. The Law Society’s practice note aims to assist solicitors, law firms, and legal businesses in understanding who is authorised to practise litigation under the Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA 2007) and clearly defines the line between conducting litigation and supporting an authorised person.

The Law Society of England and Wales has made recommendations in response to the Treasury Select Committee’s inquiry on Russian Financial Sanctions. The Law Society has said that these would benefit the legal sector. The recommendations include clearer guidance on the timing for licensing and the licensing grounds being too narrow as well as the external counsel disclosure obligation being reassessed. Regarding the latter recommendation, the Law Society has said that ‘the current disclosure obligation has disincentivised some UK companies from conducting sanctions compliance risk assessments; and has had no obvious countervailing effect’.

The Law Society of Scotland has published guidance on improving disability inclusion in the legal profession. The advice and information has been produced by members of the Scottish legal profession, including some members who have disabilities, and representatives from small and big firms. The guidance explains the importance of developing a positive culture around disability, disability inclusive recruitment, role models and lived experience, engaging colleagues in disability-related issues, reasonable adjustments, spoken and written language use in the workplace, non-visible disabilities and fluctuating and recurring conditions.

The Law Society of England and Wales has opposed the government's proposed creation of a Single Professional Services Supervisor (SPSS) in its response to HM Treasury's consultation on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing supervision reform. The Society expressed its concerns that shifting supervision from the Solicitors Regulation Authority to the Financial Conduct Authority could lead to operational risks, increased costs and potential threats to client confidentiality.

The Law Society has summarised government consultations on home buying and selling reforms, which cover four key areas: material information requirements for sellers and agents before marketing; technology adoption, including digital property logbooks; the introduction of earlier binding agreements based on the Scottish model; and professional standards for estate agents. Additionally, the new TA6 Property Information Form (6th edition) will become mandatory for Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) members from 30 March 2026. Both reform consultations will close on 29 December 2025 and the government plans to publish a roadmap in Q1 2026.

The Law Society of England and Wales has addressed the evolving role of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in legal practice and the ethical challenges faced by solicitors. Speaking at the Legal Geek Growth conference, the Society’s Chief Executive, Ian Jeffery, outlined the strategic focus on supporting responsible AI adoption through expert guidance and a dedicated working group. This initiative aims to assist firms in integrating new technologies, ensure solicitor representation in regulatory discussions, and promote ethical standards. The Society welcomed the UK government’s continued support for LawTech UK, recognising its potential to help small and medium-sized firms adopt legal technologies and reduce the country’s unmet legal needs.

The Law Society has outlined its next steps in the TA6 form consultation, for which the deadline to sign-up was 16 August 2024. The Law Society previously confirmed that an independent research agency will carry out direct member engagement exercises and analyse the feedback.

The Law Society has outlined proposed updates to the Conveyancing Protocol, marking the first revision since 2019, with a focus on reflecting digital working practices, regulatory developments and client care expectations in residential conveyancing. The proposals include changes to address increased use of online portals, the impact of artificial intelligence on additional enquiries and enhanced emphasis on transparency, cost clarity and cyber security. The update will also reflect recent legislative and regulatory developments, including leasehold reform and the HMRC tax adviser registration regime. A draft revised protocol is expected to be published for consultation later in 2026.

The Law Society has outlined its support measures for property solicitors navigating regulatory and legislative changes affecting the sector. The organisation is engaging with government residential conveyancing reform proposals through two consultations and has published a climate change and property practice note to address climate risk advisory requirements. The Law Society has released guidance on generative AI use and is providing analysis of legislative developments including building safety, leasehold and commonhold reform, renters' rights, anti-money laundering and stamp duty land tax changes. The organisation is promoting adoption of the updated TA6 property information form, with a transition deadline of 30 March 2026, and will hold a free online event in January 2025 to support implementation. The Law Society described 2025/26 as potentially the most significant year for the property sector since the Property Act was passed a century ago.

The Law Society has paused work on a proposed separate material information form, following the withdrawal of guidance on material information by the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) on 8 May 2025. Any future progress on the form will depend on whether the Competition and Markets Authority produces or endorses new guidance. However, the Law Society’s work on the TA6 (6th edition) form will proceed as planned, as it does not include questions based on the withdrawn guidance and is therefore unaffected by NTSELAT’s announcement. The new TA6 form will be made available to the Law Society’s licensed third-party suppliers from October 2025, with rollout to members scheduled to take place between October 2025 and January 2026. The new form will be mandatory for Conveyancing Quality Scheme members from March 2026.

The Law Society has postponed the compulsory implementation of its updated form TA6 for accredited Conveyancing Quality Scheme members by six months, until January 2025. The updated form reflects new guidance on material information by the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team. The delay in compulsory implementation will enable the Law Society to consult further with members on the updates.

The Law Society, in its weekly update on the latest developments and debates in Parliament, has provided an update on the Committee Stage of the Renters’ Rights Bill in the House of Lords on 28 April 2025. During the debate, peers expressed concerns about court capacity and the potential strain the Bill’s reforms could place on an already overburdened justice system. In response, the Minister for Housing, Baroness Taylor, stated that the government does not intend to delay tenancy reforms to assess the current state of the court system. She asserted that mandating courts and tribunals to undertake such assessments would detract from their preparations for increased caseloads and procedural changes. Taylor also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the justice system is adequately prepared for the upcoming reforms. In addition, the Law Society confirmed that it will continue engaging with both the government and the opposition to address its concerns regarding court resourcing and capacity.