Billing for Conveyancing Work - Rules, Regulations & Getting Paid

Introduction

You may be a good lawyer, but you also need to be a good business person - it is all very well completing a splendid job for your client but unless you are on top of your billing procedures it is all in vain.

There is the aspect of the firm’s profitability, retaining the confidence and goodwill of your client and importantly keeping to the rules to avoid the attention of the regulatory bodies which this virtual classroom seminar will explore.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• SRA review of firms and billing procedures
• Transparency failures - SRA steps up enforcement. RSA v AWH Legal/ Sal & Co/ Renney & Co [15 January 2021]
• Examples of cases in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal
• Will your bill get paid? Important items include preparing and presenting your completion statements, invoicing clients by email, avoiding doing work for nothing and turning away unprofitable clients
• Keeping in touch with your clients after completion, ‘cross selling’ other services, charging for copies, file and document retention
• SRA Code of Conduct, referral fees, 'false profits'
• Law Society Guidance and 2019 Protocol - ‘Price and Service Transparency’, client care information and publicising solicitors’ charges
• Council of Licensed Conveyancers on fees
• New SRA Accounting Rules
• VAT on disbursements and SDLT implications - the danger of tax savings schemes
• UK Finance Conditions - with a look at panels, mortgagees’ costs and separate representation
• The ultimate sanction - you can be struck off for ‘overcharging’
• What can a client do in challenging a bill - 'Solicitor accused of playing golf while charging £300 an hour wins libel damages' - Consumer Credit Act implications? The Legal Ombudsman
• The retainer letter and contractual bias - Minkin v Cawdery Kaye and Proctor v Raleys Solicitors - letter of explanation not good enough?
• Your business philosophy - why does a client instruct you anyway? Is it always the fee?
• Partnership problems - how do you agree to share the fees and payments between partners
• A typical explanation of a ‘quote’ from a leading firm to prospective clients

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.