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NLJ this week: Consumer credit concerns

17 March 2021
Issue: 7925 / Categories: Legal News , Procedure & practice
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A recent Court of Appeal decision has highlighted the risk that settlement agreements could inadvertently become subject to consumer credit regulation, and thus rendered unenforceable.

Robin Kingham explores the implications of CFL Finance v Gertner in NLJ this week, commenting that: ‘The all-important question in Gertner was whether the payment of settlement sums in instalments provided “financial accommodation” within the meaning of section 9(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974’. If so, the settlement agreement would amount to ‘credit’, and would therefore fall within the Act’s scope.

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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