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NLJ this week: Budgets & biscuits

28 February 2025
Issue: 8106 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice , Civil way , CPR
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Is it spring already? In this week’s NLJ, former district judge Stephen Gold looks ahead to a cluster of changes due to take place in April. These range from an increase in the allowable costs for a medical report in low-value whiplash claims to two three-year budgeting pilots.

Speaking of costs, the Civil Way columnist is intrigued by the refreshments budget of a certain committee.

Gold covers Pt 23 applications and the right to challenge. He also reports on the latest in ‘special drawing rights’ and notes more ‘right to manage’ provisions in force from the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, which is ‘keeping [him] in business’. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—Ruth Clare

Freeths—Ruth Clare

National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Partner appointed head of family team

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return

NEWS
Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The dangers of uncritical artificial intelligence (AI) use in legal practice are no longer hypothetical. In this week's NLJ, Dr Charanjit Singh of Holborn Chambers examines cases where lawyers relied on ‘hallucinated’ citations — entirely fictitious authorities generated by AI tools
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
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