Operational excellence: Where law firms’ sustainable growth will come from
As law firms reflect on the impact of the Autumn Budget and look to the year ahead, the pressures on profitability and capacity continue to intensify. Rising operating costs, wage inflation, professional indemnity increases and incremental regulatory demands are squeezing margins, while fixed-fee expectations place further strain on traditional billing models. At the same time, […]
The true cost of in-house software development for law firms
For successful law firms, technology has become inseparable from practice. Case management, compliance, billing and client collaboration all depend on digital platforms. Faced with this reality, some firms consider developing their own software in-house. At first, it seems attractive: total control, bespoke functionality, and a system designed to mirror internal processes. Yet beneath that promise […]
Grok AI is monetising abuse and government must act, Refuge warns
AI-generated image abuse is escalating at an unprecedented rate and the government and tech platforms must take urgent action to protect women and girls, the domestic abuse charity Refuge has warned. The call from Refuge comes in response to a growing number of users of the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, using […]
mfg Solicitors appoints Richard Port MBE to expand family team
Midlands law firm mfg Solicitors has strengthened its family team with the appointment of Richard Port MBE as partner and head of family in Birmingham. A highly experienced family law specialist with expertise in providing legal services to victims of domestic abuse and managing complex proceedings, Port advises on the full range of family law […]
Legal GiGZ launches ‘world first’ global directory of business of law conferences and events
Legal GiGZ, which claims to be the world’s first comprehensive directory of ‘business of law’ conferences and events, has launched a platform bringing together over 260 legal industry events across more than 40 countries. Founded by Shaun Jardine, a former law firm CEO and managing partner with over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector, […]
How to negotiate with a donkey: Tips from a family lawyer
When Harrogate Family Law partner Stephanie Douthwaite met two donkeys on a family day out, she gained an unexpected lesson in negotiation. Anyone who has ever tried to move a donkey that doesn’t want to be moved knows for sure that brute force is useless. Strangely enough, this makes the donkey an excellent teacher […]