legal spy - UK law from the inside

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-343423032012-01-29T11:28:02.328-08:00legal spy - UK law from the insideAn insiders view of the UK legal world - no holds barred discussion on topics that you want hear about. Law as youve never seen it before before. Enough of the fluff - legalspy gives it to you straight!legalspynoreply@blogger.comBlogger891100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-58414018069436095182012-01-29T11:27:00.000-08:002012-01-29T11:28:02.344-08:00

PM attacks No win No fee lawyers Our dear old Prime Minister this week decided to have a go at us No win No fee folk by promising to cut legal costs on all personal injury claims below £25,000 in value. The plan broadly is to bump all non road accident related claims into a portal or computerised system which will mirror the current RTA system. Costs on RTA claims have been cut back

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-41961224164853862262011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-06T06:00:15.269-08:00

Patient safety - new measures to inform the public about mortality rates I am heavily involved in clinical negligence claims and something that always staggers me is the blissful ignorance that the general public have regarding just how dangerous hospitals can be. Most people genuinely believe that hospitals set high standards that are adhered to rigidly so far as care and quality of service is

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-78133548932899973762011-10-21T10:50:00.000-07:002011-10-21T10:50:03.024-07:00

Clinical Negligence Claims: The threat posed by reform The Law Society recently published a response to the much heralded No win No fee "reforms" being forced through by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). One of the more worrying aspects of the proposed reforms is the suggestion that legal aid will no longer be allowed for any clinical negligence cases. This puts the clinical claims in the same

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-19717398644499762422011-09-09T04:37:00.001-07:002011-09-09T04:37:38.861-07:00

Personal injury referral fee ban The big legal news today is that the government is looking to ban personal injury referral fees when they roll out the new legislation probably around autumn 2012. What this will do to the industry lord knows but if it really does happen there will be some casualties. A lot of personal injury law firms rely solely on referred leads and they will not have a plan B

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-9794893621512249862011-08-19T05:39:00.000-07:002011-08-19T05:39:16.463-07:00

Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) - How the banks got smart when it comes to selling this awful product I am just in the process of applying for a personal loan to finish off a house extension. Real pain but in order to spec up and make sure the interior is spot on, I need a cash injection. So I tried Santander and Sainsburys who currently lead the market as two of the best lenders with a

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-44930512786344123542011-07-18T03:25:00.000-07:002011-07-18T03:25:45.905-07:00

Crash for Cash - Panorama programme 11th July 2011 Very interesting programme on this week from the BBC Panorama team. They showed how the fraudsters in the motor insurance claims world scammed insurers out of millions each year by staging accidents. These gangs are clever and resourceful. They rake in money for vehicle recovery / repairs / storage and then switch attention to the personal

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-68348015276420133902011-05-31T03:57:00.001-07:002011-05-31T03:59:14.868-07:00

PPI Claims: Should you go it alone? There’s been plenty of scaremongering in the press in the past fortnight regarding the use of claims management companies for making PPI claims. We’ve already seen how the public can be taken advantage of by money hungry banks; my question is how can they now be trusted to repay what’s owed to their PPI claims customers if there are no legal officials involved

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-91360076702394293522011-05-31T03:54:00.000-07:002011-05-31T03:54:55.893-07:00

The RTA Claims Portal: 1 Year On Most readers will know that I was a vocal opponent of the RTA claims portal when it came into being more than 12 months ago. The portal is designed to be a simple mechanism entirely online that allowed both road accident solicitors and motor insurers to communicate via a database rather through expensive and wasteful correspondence which bogged everybody down.

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-58768282327717646262011-04-27T11:04:00.000-07:002011-04-27T11:04:52.525-07:00

The one bit of good news from the forthcoming No win No fee reforms Part 36 Offers Almost unnoticed in the furore caused by Ken Clarke's recent assault on No win No fee lawyers came the news that "Part 36 offers" are to be given more weight in litigated cases. Harking back to the early phase of the Woolf Reforms when insurers actually believed that P36 proposals mattered.Clarke's proposals

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-6038837457451980382011-04-03T13:29:00.000-07:002011-04-03T13:33:46.344-07:00

No win No fee witch hunt ... the winner loses Ken Clarke the Lord Chancellor announced this week that the government were to implement many of the recommendations presented by the Jackson Review 2010. This blueprint document set out radical reforms which apparently are badly needed in the No win No fee litigation sector.As a battle hardened personal injury litigator I can see why there is a

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-88622960901388327152011-03-06T11:01:00.000-08:002011-03-31T06:08:16.631-07:00

Whiplash Claim Advice ... watch out for the insurance company wolf in sheep's clothing I am seeing more and more examples of insurance companies seeking to buy off road accident claimants with cheap nasty offers before they even get chance to seek legal advice. The tactic is known in industry circles as third party capture. The objective of the insurer is very simple: to dispose of the claim

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-81889455231234845342011-02-08T14:39:00.002-08:002011-02-08T14:45:57.278-08:00

WARNING: Scammers could be trying to Hi Jack your law firms website and brand - A salutary tale As a medium sized law firm in a hugely competitive field we have learned how to market ourselves on the internet extremely effectively. We are, in my not so humble opinion, ahead of the game. Our web tentacles spread far and wide. We market on blogs, on niche websites and spend good amounts of dosh on

legalspynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-28076254061806612762011-02-03T14:19:00.000-08:002011-02-03T14:19:31.455-08:00

Employment Law Joke - Courtesy of Peter Kay "My friend got sacked from his fairground job recently - he worked on the dodgems and really loved it. He's suing his boss for for Funfair dismissal!!" [The Tour That Does'nt Tour Tour 2011]

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-30161291117718156382011-01-03T09:12:00.000-08:002011-01-03T09:12:54.277-08:00

Solicitors.com I dont often recommend legal websites - our firm owns a few and it would be just plain wrong to promote others when I dont even push our own. However when you come across a service that has probably the best domains in the business and actually looks pretty useful as well, it would be wrong not to give it a heads up: If you are looking for solicitors online give

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-69163749048997829052011-01-03T08:56:00.000-08:002011-03-31T06:07:30.837-07:00

What will the VAT rise and the forthcoming period of austerity mean for the legal industry..? Tomorrow 4th Jan 2011 VAT rises to 20%. Any bills raised by your lawyer for privately funded work will be a little bit more expensive from now on. Our firm has tried to be generous and we have processed as many bills as possible pre 4th Jan. There are some invoices that will be backdated for various

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-22590360235376393142010-12-10T07:24:00.000-08:002010-12-10T07:43:25.780-08:00

Winters icy grip can be good news for injury lawyers Every year I tend to comment on how the winter months are very good for the personal injury business. It is for example entirely predictable that the bad weather will lead to a rise in accidents and injuries suffered on the highway. Commuting to and from work in the dark leads to a rise in car accidents. Bad weather, particularly snow and ice

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-54794132553348293972010-11-23T14:28:00.000-08:002010-11-23T14:28:52.980-08:00

MOJ RTA Claims Portal Update Its been a while since I last mused on the subject of the MOJ portal. For the uninitiated this is the new IT claims database that records all new and active RTA personal injury claims valued at £10k and under. Solicitors must intimate all new claims to insurers via the portal and all activity (on cases where liability is not an issue) must be dealt with via the

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-2624483119218597382010-10-20T15:14:00.000-07:002010-10-20T15:14:52.046-07:00

Best strap line ever Seen on the side of a plumbers van in Harrogate: Dont sleep with a drip.... when you can have me! Can you imagine being able to advertise like that for legal services..??!! "We put the whip into whiplash claims" think of the fun you could have..!

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-79613640503111030362010-09-05T11:37:00.000-07:002010-09-05T11:37:01.497-07:00

Sweet September - Oh how I love thee...! September really is a fantastic month for personal injury business. The season starts tomorrow with all the kids back to school, holidays a distant memory and people focusing on the important things in life ie: compensation and redress. Aside form the immediacy of the claims that arise from road accidents where generally you find people signing up with

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-24271652526992809682010-06-25T16:22:00.000-07:002010-06-25T16:24:40.096-07:00

MOJ Portal Misery This is getting silly now This week we have unearthed the following gremlins and black holes within the MOJ Portal: There is NO mechanism within the portal process to deal with Pre Medical offers - no one thought to tell the MOJ planning team about the insurers tactic of making daft offers early on to settle claims quickly and cheaply. Such offers are outside of the

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-23980235058130092542010-06-10T23:52:00.000-07:002010-06-10T23:52:31.293-07:00

Rapid Claims MOJ Portal Update Allow me to continue venting my spleen regarding the shambles that is the MOJ RTA claims portal. Now that we are finally using the damn thing we have identified the following (additional) flaws: - The system looks like a 1980's intranet for a crap university - There are no filters whatsoever on the data columns - No clickable / sortable fields - No reporting

legalspynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-70622800026947139822010-06-02T05:14:00.000-07:002010-06-02T05:15:37.777-07:00

Polish migrants in the UK We have an interest in Polish legal matters and it would seem there is a complete lack of information for Poles who come to live and work in the UK. I have come across a new blog which highlights the issues facing Polish migrants in the uk and also this Polish information blog it is good to see the advice gap being filled for the (unofficial total) 750,000 ex pats

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-28368821650889584592010-05-26T05:46:00.000-07:002010-05-26T05:47:31.681-07:00

MOJ RTA Process Shambles ... Part II Charged with setting up the user account on the new RTA Portal for our firm, I was hugely excited to see a long awaited email pop up in my inbox from the IT administrators for the MOJ new scheme, Polaris UK Ltd. My excitement was soon tempered by the fact that the email suggested I had to call them to receive my new password. I knew what this would entail -

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-90353617696062187562010-05-20T07:30:00.000-07:002010-05-20T07:30:18.913-07:00

HIP packs are ditched by Dave & Nick Our wonderful new government have decided to suspend the use of Home Information Packs (HIPs) with effect from 21st May 2010. Whilst this will please most property lawyers and conveyancers, the reality is that a mini industry has sprung up over the last 4 years employing between 5-10,000 people in the production of the much criticised packs. The concept was

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-41755879950835231962010-05-11T05:52:00.000-07:002010-05-11T05:52:45.873-07:00

MOJ RTA roll out Shambles Our friends at the MOJ have completely messed up the roll out of the new RTA claims process. 11 days into the much heralded new scheme -as things currently stand - around 70% of law firms do not have a live portal user account / password. This means that 70% of firms cannot process their new cases through the MOJ database which is a fundamental part of the overall

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-3622726879201400532010-04-20T14:27:00.000-07:002010-04-20T14:28:41.957-07:00

Election fever hits the legal world The 2010 General Election has taken over. Its all lawyers are talking about following Cleggs demolition last week of Davo and Gordy. Whats interesting is that a hung parliament may completely stall any anticipated legal reforms as the policy makers argue the toss and fight for every inch of turf. Keep up to date with a the scribblings of an old pal of mine -

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-19416631586572079632010-03-11T13:33:00.000-08:002010-03-11T13:44:24.437-08:00

MOJ DELAYOur friends at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) have decided to delay the roll out of the much heralded road accident claims reforms. The implementation will commence on the 30/4.The above site which I believe is run by the IT co-ordinators at Polaris Plus (sounds a bit like a pension plan) has a countdown clock which I find quite amusing. Like the whole world changes when the sands run

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-77809017182958849332010-01-24T13:37:00.001-08:002010-01-24T14:08:57.572-08:00

The Jackson ReportThere really is no other subject being discussed out there in the personal injury world right now. This thing really is huge.Ive been around a while and Ive seen many changes. Woolf and Access to Justice, the scrapping of legal aid for (non clinical) PI work, the introduction of predictable fees for RTA's etc etc. It has been a changeable and quite traumatic past decade for the

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-33124922138950753612009-12-21T14:08:00.000-08:002009-12-21T14:36:58.356-08:00

Legal Spy Predictions for 2010This being the time of year for reflection I thought I would set out my thoughts and predictions for 2010. In many ways it is going to be a BIG year for the industry and for the country.MOJ Fast track RTA reforms will crash and burnThe insurers wont cope with the new regime, plain and simple. There will be a roll out of a revised version of the new process by the

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-67191139141847067682009-10-15T14:10:00.000-07:002009-10-15T14:40:59.643-07:00

The New Road Accident Claims Process 2010 - MOJHuge changes are on the way for lawyers who deal with road traffic accident (RTA) claims. From April 2010 the beloved MOJ are introducing a new claims process which will radically alter the way these claims are dealt with.Check this baby outA few key points from legal spy:The new process is geared towards reducing time and costs.If insurers can keep

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-8639725375092313452009-10-02T14:52:00.000-07:002009-10-02T15:05:05.614-07:00

Medical negligence claimsA pal of mine works in the grim world of clinical / medical negligence claims. He has asked me to plug his site which I unashamedly am more than happy to do.I used to work in med claims many years ago and have disturbing memories about the cock ups and generally poor attitude of some of the professional people who work in the NHS.The NHS is an extremely tough environment

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-2768152202798783282009-07-07T03:05:00.000-07:002009-08-27T14:02:26.034-07:00

Showing your age in the workplace.........how you know you are getting oldLegal Spy is getting a little long in the tooth. Whilst I still feel sprightly and have no worries about reaching middle age, there are times when you wonder whether you are leaving the rest of the world behind.Top 5 reasons why you can be made to feel OLD in the workplace in 2009:1) Not TwitteringDont get it - dont want to

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-22746548322300322382009-03-09T14:50:00.000-07:002009-03-09T15:13:27.812-07:00

The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies list - Would you believe 10% of the firms are law practices!This really did surprise me. The ST list which is based primarily on in depth research contributed to by employees contains more than 10 legal practices or related companies.Some big hitters are in there such as Pannones, Mills & Reeve and Freeth Cartwright. However there are quite a few firms

legalspynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-36547934747714480952009-01-19T14:06:00.000-08:002009-01-19T14:27:00.654-08:00

More people accessing legal services through the webOur friends at the Gazette have published research that suggests more people are using the web to find solicitors, rather than traditional means. Such people are known as "internet-empowered consumers of legal services" apparently.Whilst this research has been compiled by a firm jumping on the "go compare" bandwagon, it does raise an

legalspynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-28960061577915037572009-01-11T11:24:00.000-08:002009-01-11T12:01:08.681-08:00

Why dont solicitors write blogs?Ive blogged about this years ago so forgive any obvious recycling but this is an anomaly that remarkably still prevails and furthermore raises an interesting point about the differences in mentality between solicitors and barristers.At the our last partners meeting we discussed the merits of writing a blog for the practice.Our reasons for doing so follow a fairly

legalspynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-70816035751172657282008-10-29T15:40:00.000-07:002008-10-29T16:22:59.993-07:00

How is the Credit Crunch affecting the legal world?This isnt a heart felt meaningful conversation, just a bullet point PERSONAL opinion from a usually tetchy but recently quite chipper old buzzard (thats me by the way):PERSONAL INJURY - Frankly, times have never been better. More people want to claim, (sometimes for the wrong reasons), more people are aware of their rights and those that arent -

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-54419576897156442902008-07-24T08:42:00.000-07:002008-07-25T00:38:22.057-07:00

The MoJ are a bag of sh!teForgive the slightly crude title but the MoJ really are a complete waste of space.We personal injury practitioners and indeed our rivals in the defendant world have been waiting patiently for news of consultation process for personal injury reform. Reform which has been subject to much debate and both sides of the divide agree - is very much needed.Our erstwhile

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-59180703605201194572008-06-15T15:26:00.000-07:002008-06-15T16:01:11.917-07:00

Tough times for anyone involved in ConveyancingThese are troubled times and many industries are feeling the pinch with the credit crunch in full swing.People who know far more than I about these things claim this is only the start.My own sector - personal injury claims - is immune to recession. If anything such financial downturns create greater demand. Not so in other legal sectors.Im sorry to

legalspynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-49417725950601714672008-05-04T11:27:00.000-07:002008-05-05T00:57:38.599-07:00

Why not all claimants are "money grabbers"A recent survey by legal superpower Russell Jones and Walker (RJW) revealed predictably that most people believe that personal injury claimants are "Money grabbers" and that the UK is heading for a US style compensation explosion.This kind of crap was peddled back in 1999 /2000 when Claims Direct -CD- were in their pomp. (CD as a brand is now owned by RJW

legalspynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-24203612329384302522008-03-23T04:01:00.000-07:002008-03-23T04:24:35.125-07:00

Interesting times ahead...??I have decided after all these years to take a quantum leap into the unknown.After a career steeped in tradition and loyalty to those who are to be obeyed. Decades of doing a solid job without breaking any rules or really stretching my boundaries. Opting for security and safe career options rather than dangerous or even slightly risky ones - the time has come for a

legalspynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-55264596743986886312008-02-28T12:27:00.000-08:002008-02-28T12:47:38.058-08:00

Where'd February go??Its a funny month February. For me this year Feb's key moments involved:Half termValentines DayBarack ObamaThe earthquakeI almost failed to blog for a whole month as well for the first time in 2 years (and this is a piss poor effort)Funniest moment was when the wife woke me to announce the arrival of the earthquake - to which i replied dont be so bleeding ridiculous - then

legalspynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-77454727585025894842008-01-10T12:36:00.001-08:002008-01-10T13:33:08.243-08:00

A new broom sweeps cleanest - but and old one gets into the corners!10 reasons why age & experience count for an awful lot in LAWIm bigging up the forty-somethings here because we are sometimes in need of a little luvvin. The young pups walk away with plaudits just for chewing a bone the right way so occasionally you have to remind yourselves just why older is better when it comes to law.1) Long

legalspynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-2363305941992418982007-12-15T09:18:00.000-08:002007-12-15T11:07:37.980-08:00

The party season is upon us!Every year I provide a snapshot of the goings on at our xmas bash. One thing that can always be guaranteed is that there will be a SCANDAL of some kind involving two people you normally wouldnt expect to misbehave. This year didnt disappoint But more of that later My role at these events is always one of crowd control. It comes with the territory nowadays and this is a

legalspynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-30988825161016626792007-12-01T06:06:00.000-08:002007-12-01T06:09:41.281-08:00

If this doesnt make you laugh.......From Tim Kevans blog - the funniest cat clip ever:http://youtube.com/watch?v=nVM4fB6td9o

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-58610981926874126452007-11-16T12:50:00.000-08:002007-11-17T13:15:53.326-08:00

How much do solicitors get paid?Now here's a subject you wont see written about often, if ever on the blawg circuit.PAY!Bit vulgar for some but lets face it - you aint in this game for the love. How much is a 2 year qualified solicitor paid nowadays?We are recruiting right now and weve got the usual discussions going on with senior staff. We all read the Gazette and see the salaries on offer.

legalspynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-64888849674626190822007-11-09T11:45:00.000-08:002007-11-09T12:17:16.796-08:00

New legal blogsNot had a look around for fresh blood for some time. In the last 12 months that I have been blogging there has been a surge of new blawgs coming online.Here is a few that caught my eye:Pupillage and how to get it Law MinxLiadnan Law ActuallyOh how I pray for an insurer based blogger (or blawgger) to publish something - surely they must have something to say on that side of the

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-64289753332076674802007-09-26T14:28:00.000-07:002007-09-26T14:46:15.952-07:00

When partners get sackedHad a tough time recently. A senior partner got the bullet following a series of cock ups and issues with his team.It was sadly a slow death. First he was moved to an office fondly known as "the cellar". Then stripped of staff responsibilities and reporting duties. Finally he was bombarded with files which he was ill equipped to deal with.Its the classic law firm

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-83196366607052816202007-08-26T15:30:00.000-07:002007-08-27T01:33:39.357-07:00

Skeleton crews and coping with the holiday seasonAt this time of year as a manager of a team you have one major headacheHolidays - or as lawyers prefer to call it - annual leaveNow personally speaking I have two breaks every year one at Christmas for 10 days and one in early summer for two weeks. I dont as a rule take time during the year save for an odd day here and there. My reasons for taking

legalspynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-51318113826115068672007-07-13T12:41:00.000-07:002007-07-13T12:59:24.992-07:00

Wet weather claimsWhilst this summer is truly the worst most people can remember for wet weather, there is a flip side to the deluge. This will really piss some people off but its not bad news for every one - certainly not for injury lawyers.We have seen a rise in slipping accidents (in shops in particular) and road accidents. Usually you would expect these claims to peak around November-February

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-30962394007307496142007-06-28T13:35:00.000-07:002007-06-28T14:07:02.989-07:00

Why some personal injury clients suck!Im going through a bad patch at the moment regarding my faith in clients. Im referring to personal injury victims who can be classified in two very different categories :-Those that are GENUINE and those that are FAKEIts stating the bleeding obvious to some but here is my classification of both types:GENUINE clientsWill (usually) have injuries you can see,

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-78880759828857991242007-06-20T08:55:00.000-07:002007-06-20T09:12:43.573-07:00

PAT testing - is your firm up to speed?Portable Appliance Testing is not something I would like to bang on about on this blog but I have been charged with arranging the tests for our law firm - weve been a bit slow in embracing this legal requirement. A systematic PAT testing regime is an important part of general health & safety in the workplaceIts an odd situation because I say legal

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-24318893437154497452007-06-14T15:13:00.000-07:002007-06-20T09:13:33.317-07:00

Are there any insurer based people out there that blog?There is an increasing number of blawgers appearing in our little world (that be the UK legal world) but isnt it odd that you dont see many insurer based blogs.I raise this because in my game they are the opposition and generally I dont have a lot of time for people that I encounter in day to day combat. That said there are some excellent

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-11809049002674405232007-05-24T04:50:00.000-07:002007-06-20T09:14:11.848-07:00

HIPs ShamblesIts now official - the introduction of Home Information Packs will be delayed. Its hard to believe that the government have lost their bottle at the eleventh hour in such a pathetic way.RICS have done the damage with a judicial review application thrown in with sublime timing 2 weeks before the launch date of 1st June.Our senior conveyancing team have been mooting this prospect for

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-26363733300256068792007-05-20T12:08:00.000-07:002007-05-20T12:58:24.986-07:00

Whiplash compensation - a modern phenomenom People often sneer when you mention youre in the personal injury game. Its because we lawyers who dabble in the darker arts, are perceived to be the ones feeding the compensation culture in the UK.Now the sensible voices in the industry (ie APIL) will tell you that there is no compensation culture and that the numbers of claims are declining year on

legalspynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-50616763589376791462007-05-02T09:36:00.000-07:002007-05-02T10:07:53.129-07:00

Personal injury small claims court limit - a victory for common senseCharlie Falconer may have his critics but as far as Im concerned he's made a great decision in announcing that the small claims personal injury limit will remain at £1000.Defendant bodies (FOIL & the ABI) have been pushing for some time for the limit to be increased. They would prefer a new ceiling of at least £2500 which they

legalspynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-28072311097926665012007-04-18T08:09:00.000-07:002007-04-18T09:16:27.289-07:00

Home Information Packs (HIPs) - Squeaky bum time for property lawyers & conveyancersThis summers big legal news.Whilst the rest of the legal world in the UK is getting on with business as usual, our friends and colleagues on the property lawyer side of the fence are going through absolute turmoil.For those who dont know - from June the 1st 2007, anyone selling a residential property in England &

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-42180348017725570042007-04-05T03:10:00.000-07:002007-04-05T03:16:57.228-07:00

Looking for that perfect gift for a partner or colleague with just a smidgeon of humour........Carbolicsmokeball.comSometimes naff is good

legalspynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-44470652844087226542007-04-03T13:16:00.000-07:002007-04-03T14:14:02.076-07:00

What to do with a trainee who has no interest in your departmentTrainees - ive said many times on this blog - have a pretty hard time at most law firms. Its a rites of passage thing and unfortunately youve just got to get thru it.Most trainees will be better for it because things can only get better. Some trainees will leave the job as a result of their experience and frankly tosspots like that

legalspynoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-77442032580277668342007-03-20T13:08:00.000-07:002007-03-20T13:09:37.908-07:00

Car Park posturingI lease a car that I use to get to + from work and also own a separate family motor. The lease car is, shall we say the "nice" one and the family motor is used as a skip with every nook and cranny stuffed with the kids garbage. (something in this car reeks of sweat but despite searching high and low we cant locate what it is and have to apologise to any random passengers - one

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-83158632841043655082007-03-15T11:08:00.001-07:002007-03-15T13:45:05.081-07:00

All aboard the Eastern European "Litigation Express"There is something about people from behind what was the iron curtain. They really do know an awful lot about their legal rights.To say that they or at least their parents were possibly brought up under a totalitarian regime, this demographic are happy to jump on the compensation bandwagon for even the slightest reason. Im not saying they are

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-8685366139353902222007-03-04T12:06:00.000-08:002007-03-04T12:10:13.758-08:00

Heads up for this blog Its got to be one of the funniest around:http://www.babybarista.com/

legalspynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-11985948972584940252007-03-04T11:22:00.000-08:002007-03-04T12:05:56.297-08:00

A partners night out - when the senior men let their hair downWe have an eclectic mix of partners at our firm.Some are sharks who will eat you alive soon as look at you. Some are piranhas who hunt only in packs and when cornered alone just blow bubbles. Others can be as slippery as eels and contain more oil than the average whale carcass. They're the ones you have to watchThere are many good guys

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-49615680300633381042007-02-16T13:22:00.001-08:002007-02-16T13:47:39.037-08:00

Search engine optimisation - the price of visibility on the webWe have recently had a few consultations with a number of UK and US search engine optimisation (SEO) experts. For the uninitiated, seo is the art of making your website visible on the internet with a view to acquiring consistent levels of organic trafficIts a complex area. It is also a "new" industry and as such there are good bad and

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-74849721267261904412007-02-16T13:22:00.000-08:002007-02-16T13:46:29.714-08:00

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-27846033926133144932007-02-11T12:11:00.000-08:002007-02-11T13:03:02.924-08:00

Claims regulation - painful but necessaryThe personal injury sector is about to undergo radical change as the government attempts to drag the industry kicking and screaming into a new regulated environment.The legal profession has been crying out for this and by April 07 the regulatory body will finally bare its teeth. Here is the DCA website - its hard to find on their main site so bookmark the

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-40700589572414905732007-01-28T12:41:00.000-08:002007-01-28T13:49:15.627-08:00

Internet security and the all important client feedback / contact processOne of the enormous benefits for any law firm in having a web site is the opportunity to secure new business directly from the Internet.There is nothing quite like receiving a fantastic new case via an online feedback form or e-mail. This is even more satisfying when the case has come to you, not through advertising, pay per

legalspynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-39748653386332486502007-01-21T08:17:00.000-08:002007-01-21T13:27:19.615-08:00

The Personal Injury small claims limit - £2500? For those not too well versed in the key issues within the personal injury market, this year could be quite interesting for one simple reason. The "small claims" limits for personal injury claims is currently being reviewed and is subject to quite an intense debate.To give you a bit of background, in order to have an entitlement to costs you must

legalspynoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-49220479950072630252007-01-19T12:44:00.000-08:002007-01-19T13:04:28.288-08:00

Celeb Big BrotherIn my attempts to stay young and in tune with the "street" I have been watching Celeb BB.I am completely smitten with Shilpa Shetty who is probably the coolest, most composed, beautiful asian lady I have ever seen.She deserves better than the treatment dished out by the venomous Jade Goody.Shame that Jade's career is now over - she had done pretty wellfor a thick lass after being

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-81134059955977919192007-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:002007-01-18T13:51:50.379-08:00

Decent legal websitesAa little birdy tells me that I received a mention from Delia Venables of http://www.venables.co.uk/ via her monthly newsletter. In return Im happy to provide alink to probably one the best UK legal websites out there.Its a site that covers everything under the sun that comes under the "legal" banner. Take a look if you have a momentThis got me thinking about other USEFUL

legalspynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1166817748796162302006-12-22T11:44:00.000-08:002006-12-22T12:06:53.976-08:00

Break in!The other night my house was broken into. Back door lock barrell was snapped in half and knocked thru ( a process which takes 30 seconds apparently) but they failed to release the lock and so instead threw a brick through my kitchen window.My pooch was in the next room happily snoozing whilst I got robbed. Good job I love the bitchNever encountered this situation before and so absolutely

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1166001346802929912006-12-13T00:52:00.000-08:002006-12-13T01:15:46.816-08:00

The Christmas PartyYour average law firm xmas party is an event not to be missed. I speak from experience having enjoyed around 20 previously. They never disappoint.You can profile most people as follows:The senior menThe Men with power generally stay soberThey ogle / letchThey swap private jokes with "safe" peers about other partners, subordinates or big breasts They keep an eye on the free bar

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1165351964145721452006-12-05T12:40:00.000-08:002006-12-05T13:27:31.036-08:00

A Christmas "Personal Injury" Carol......Im feeling quite festive today, mainly because I unwittingly discovered my secret pressie from the missus hidden in the wardrobe. It was poorly concealed under a mountain of ironing, three cardboard boxes and behind a secret panel. It only took three hours to dig out and Ive told my other alf that she really shouldnt leave things lying around like that.So

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1164484233900402572006-11-25T11:36:00.000-08:002006-11-25T11:51:11.646-08:00

Bankruptcy - shark infested watersMiserable subject for a saturday night but its blogging or X factor and I definitely aint watching that crap.Our practice is moving into the insolvency field and I am leading a team putting our marketing strategy together.Our marketing initiatives are predominantly online (we are very good at securing free traffic) and so that is where our research has

legalspynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1163629725010998782006-11-15T14:16:00.000-08:002006-11-15T14:28:45.030-08:00

Moving officeWhat a painFirst comes the arguing over which office you would like to have. Youd be amazed how petty this can get - heirachy dictates the size of your workspace. The more clout you have the bigger the office and the snazzier the furniture.Some poor sod got placed next to a well used toilet. Plasterboard walls - thin as paper - you get the pictureThe further up the ladder you are the

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1161984919723806822006-10-27T14:00:00.000-07:002006-10-27T14:41:08.946-07:00

10 legal likes and dislikesOk its injury claim oriented but there again I am an injury lawyer - what did you expect!I hate>>1) Dithering partnersShall we take this case on? Shall we sue now or give the other side more time? I dont want to worry you but have you considered the worst case scenario here? Confidence right when you need it most2) Dithering clients"I might take the offer but would like

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1161202572704803692006-10-18T13:06:00.000-07:002006-10-18T13:16:12.720-07:00

Web Rage???!!!Story doing the rounds today :"POLICE warned internet users to protect their real identities after a man was convicted yesterday of Britain’s first “web rage” attack.Paul Gibbons, 47, of Bermondsey, southeast London, attacked John Jones with a pickaxe handle and knife, slitting his throat, after tracing Mr Jones to his house after an argument in an online chat room. " http://

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1160940767703860962006-10-15T12:18:00.000-07:002006-10-15T12:34:25.023-07:00

The legal perils of running a junior football teamI coach a junior soccer team and recently was asked about the benefits of setting up an accident book to cover any injuries suffered during games by our young players.The idea was that the club could record the events and treatment provided in order to protect them if anything went wrong and a parent of an injured child became a litigation

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1160428457564114542006-10-09T14:04:00.000-07:002006-10-09T14:14:17.576-07:00

Professional negligenceI have the task of setting up the prof neg unit in our firm. God awful jobI am old enough and wise enough to know that this really is the shitty end of the market as far as the legal world is concerned. Raking over the coals looking to slaughter your erstwhile bretheren for a mistake that may possibly have been one you might make yourself. No one is infallible - definitely

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1159542000910816592006-09-29T07:55:00.000-07:002006-09-29T08:01:31.653-07:00

Found another decent blawgCheck out the-twentysomethings blog - some great graphics and content, definitely knows how to use an image editor. Just starting out on a career in law (I hope I got that right)http://thetwenty-something.blogspot.com/

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1159473079244228082006-09-28T12:33:00.001-07:002006-09-28T12:51:19.253-07:00

Turkey Twizzlers - Jamie was right about the ingredientsHad a claim passed to me today - propsective client was a little cranky demanding s senior guy etc etc.His claim involved his son nearly chocking on a turkey twizzler. Now my first impression was that this being a child of 6 years of age, its possible for them to choke on a grain of rice let alone a whole god damn twizzler (have you seen

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1159299429013730462006-09-26T12:34:00.000-07:002006-09-26T12:37:09.023-07:00

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1159221018622334652006-09-25T14:09:00.000-07:002006-09-26T00:49:54.616-07:00

A client you can call a friend Or maybe that should be EX friend.Why friends and acqaintances do not make good clientsIf a friend or acquaintance (worse still an old colleague) asks you to handle a case for them - take my advice gently tell them to take their business elsewhere. Dont fall foul of the "client you can call a friend"This rant relates to PI claims in the main but you can apply the

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1159119159566714402006-09-24T10:20:00.001-07:002006-09-24T10:32:39.616-07:00

The Diaries of UK Law students There are not many decent UK law blogs around at the moment. But heres one that looks the business and reads really well. Check out http://uklawstudent.blogspot.com/On the subject of law blogs or Blawgs if you prefer - why arent there more of them in the UK? The vast majority are US based and whilst thats entirely predictable, I am quite surprised that we dont

legalspynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1159118303639240892006-09-24T10:06:00.001-07:002006-09-24T10:18:23.640-07:00

Europe thump US in Ryder CupNot really a golf fan but the Ryder Cup always stirs something in me. There have been so many close finishes over the years that it is essential vieiwing for any sports enthusiast. I am half irish and so had an even keener interest in this years event.Would the irish cock things up on such a global stage? Well you did half wonderIn the end after some awful weather -

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1158693752109125312006-09-19T12:03:00.000-07:002006-09-19T12:23:40.973-07:00

Settled a claim today involving an accident at workThe insurers insisted on messing around for months on liability raising daft questions about daft issues and refusing to concede primary liability.In the end they did but by then costs had escalated considerably.Net result - we ended up with three times the clients damages in legal costs. I dont say this with any glee - sure you are always happy

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1158220884937173142006-09-14T00:21:00.000-07:002006-09-14T01:31:20.816-07:00

The compensation BillMore and more claims management companies(CMCs) are starting to look over their shoulder regarding this piece of legislation.Our firm has been receiving calls from CMCs looking to jump on board as an "affiliate" using our name and regulatory protection. In principle this is probably a sensible idea but the difficulty is that any CMC who hasnt got their act together at this

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1158167513989120032006-09-13T09:29:00.000-07:002006-09-14T01:30:29.243-07:00

Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful wwwMy niche - in case you havent worked it out - is the ever controversial world of Personal Injury Law.Its the one area of law that has really embraced the web in terms of adapting to it as a new medium and marketing platform. A few years ago most law firms had no concept of the power that the web can bring to a (savvy) business. It doesnt matter what field /

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1158164911979847412006-09-13T09:20:00.000-07:002006-09-13T09:28:31.990-07:00

Just got this weeks email from thelawyer.comIs there ever anything for them to "reveal" other than stage managed press released merger and acquisition nonesense that I read each week.These kind of issues dont mean diddly to your average hardworking lawman. We'd rather hear about sex, scandals (particularly those involving senior staff), drugs and rock and roll. Now we all know there's plenty of

legalspynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34342303.post-1158163219152188062006-09-13T08:32:00.000-07:002006-09-13T09:05:11.840-07:00

First let me give you a little backgroundI love LawLaw has been good to me providing a job for life and a decent salary from the very start of my career.Law provides comfort and protection for each and everyone of usLaw deserves its place at the very heart of societyLaw really is KING as far as I am concerned.So why am I starting a blog with the intention of spilling the beans on the profession

legalspynoreply@blogger.com1