June 2017 Newsletter

Prepare for the new data protection regime

The General Data Protection Regulation comes into force next year and we all need to prepare for the new regime.

We’ve published a concise Practice Note setting out the key considerations for CLC firms. It advises on the steps that you will need to take to comply with the new regulations.

Find out more

Consultation: setting regulatory fees

Your feedback and responses to our consultations are vital.  They help ensure that we maintain high standards of regulation while supporting innovation in the delivery of conveyancing and probate services.

Now we have launched a consultation on the objectives and principles that should govern the setting of licence and practice fees. This follows a 20% reduction in entity fee rates in 2016.

Find out more and have your say

Streamlining and strengthening practice authorisation

We are also consulting on proposals to streamline and strengthen the policies and processes for licensing entities to carry out conveyancing or probate work.

We are seeking views on our intention to:

• Require all firms – not just Alternative Business Structures (ABS) – to appoint a Head of Legal Practice and Head of Finance and Administration.
• Issue entity licences for Recognised Bodies (RBs) for an indefinite period (as is already the case for ABS firms)
• End differential application fees for new RB and ABS entities
• Make improvements to the authorisation process, simplifying the information to be submitted and revising the ‘fit and proper’ test for managers, owners, HoLP, HoFA and CLC Lawyers to ensure it is proportionate and targeted

The first proposal will bring greater clarity to accountability for compliance in Recognised Bodies without significantly increasing the regulatory burden. Our other proposals will reduce the regulatory burden and lower barriers to entry to the market with no reduction in our high levels of consumer protection.

Find out more and have your say

Renewing your licence or your practice’s licence

Licences must be renewed by 1^st November 2017. Feedback on last year’s renewal round was very positive. Now we need your help to make further improvement this year.

Getting ready for licence renewal

Over the summer we are checking we have the right contact person within each firm for practice licence renewal and the bulk renewal of individual licences this year.

We will be contacting all Manager CLC Lawyers and Heads of Legal Practice (HOLP’s) by email to confirm the details of their Nominated Practice Contact (NPC) who will be the main point of contact for practice and bulk renewals. You should expect to receive the email from the Licensing Team in the week of 12th June.

We will also be contacting all individuals on Wednesday 14th June for verification of your place of work. Make sure you look out for the email from the Licensing Team.

Feedback on last year’s licence renewal process was very positive. We need your help now to make further improvements this year.

Read on for more important information about licence renewal 2017.

Simplifying your licence number

We have been maintaining multiple format ID numbers for practices and individuals since we migrated to a new database in 2015. Now we are tidying up those formats.

We are planning a transition to the new numbering system over the 2017-2018 licensing year.

Individual licences

All individual licences will move to the new numbering system by 1st November 2017. Examples of existing numbering formats are illustrated below:

• 1234(5) (if your licence number is currently displayed in this format, it will not change)
• 1234(5) / 123456 (licence numbers in this format will change to the new, simpler format)
• 1234(5) / 1A3B5C7 (licence numbers in this format will change to the new, simpler format)

Practice Licences

All Practice licences will move to the new format by 1st November 2018.

We know that some of your practice’s marketing material may display your current Practice Licence number and we have set this longer timetable to ensure you are able to continue to use your existing stock and to provide sufficient time for you to plan for the changeover in your marketing materials.

An example of how your new licence number will be displayed for the 2017-18 licence year could be “Licence Number: 1234(5) (Previously 1234/567891).”

If you are planning on creating new marketing materials you can opt to have the new number on a reissued licence any time before 1st November 2017 by emailing licensing@clc-uk.org.

You will need to use your new 4 or 5 digit licence number in your marketing materials by 1st November 2018

Professional Indemnity Insurance Renewal

Your firm should already be well on the way to finalising PII insurance for the next twelve months. We’ve got helpful resources here.

Latest Scam alerts

There’s now a dedicated page on our website bringing together notices of scam alerts.

If you become aware of a scam targeting CLC lawyers, please let us know at clc@clc-uk.org and we will publicise it to the profession to help avoid problems.

See news of latest scams