Q and As

I acted for the seller in a conveyancing matter where the buyer was unrepresented. I have just received a letter of complaint from the buyer who wants my firm to pay him compensation for the delayed completion. What should I do?

I act for a buy-to-let landlord selling a UK residential property. What's the deadline for paying CGT on properties that do not qualify for relief as the seller’s principal private residence?

My firm is moving to smaller premises and we need to reduce the number of files stored in the basement. Is there any guidance setting out how long we need to retain archived conveyancing files in storage?

Our new firm is preparing its anti-money laundering policies and procedures. We have in place a practice-wide risk assessment. Do we have to carry out a risk assessment on every new regulated matter?

I act for the claimant in a litigation matter in which he needs to swear an affidavit. Is a solicitor colleague in another department able to administer the oath?

What are the categories of fee earner as outlined in the Senior Court Costs Office Guide to Summary Assessment of Costs?

Is it appropriate for a solicitor to copy an estate agent into correspondence about the progress of a client’s conveyancing transaction?

I've been contacted by a firm acting for the daughter of a client who moved into a care home. They're demanding information about the circumstances in which my client gave instructions for her will and it was executed. Must I provide this information?

My client has agreed to settle a claim against them and pay the other side’s agreed legal costs. The opponent’s solicitors have sent me a note of their costs but it does not look like a proper solicitor’s invoice. Should they re-issue a proper invoice?

I am reviewing the standard information on our firm's invoices and have complied with SRA requirements and have also included the firm's VAT number. Is there any prescribed information that I must include on the back of the invoices?