May 2017 Newsletter

CLC ANNUAL DATA REVIEW

This month’s newsletter begins with information about our annual data review. It’s important we have up to date information about you and your business so that we can share that with others such as panel managers.

Please read the following carefully and help us make sure that the licence renewal round in the autumn is easy for you to complete.

Practice Contacts

In June we will be contacting firms’ nominated Practice Contacts to help with our annual data review.

The data review ensures we have correct information about your business, its branch offices, and the individuals that work for you. It’s also an opportunity for you to tell us about any changes to your key personnel. Practice contacts will receive direct communications from the licensing team during June 2017.

You can check the data we hold on your firm by using the Find a CLC Lawyer service on our website.

Check your firm’s entry now

If you are aware of any errors or omissions please notify the licensing team by 26 May 2017 to ensure you receive the most accurate data in the June communication. Email licensing@clc-uk.org

Manager designations

As part of the data review we will be verifying that individuals hold the correct type of licence. Importantly, we want to ensure that Licensed Conveyancers or other Authorised Persons (e.g. Solicitor, FCILEx, Barrister) holding a Manager designation have the correct licence.

As a reminder a Manager is defined as an Authorised Person who meets one of the following criteria:

1.  if the body is a limited company, a director of the body listed on Companies House;
2.  if the body is a partnership, a person held out as a partner who may be an equity or salaried partner e.g. listed as a partner on the firm’s headed paper;
3.  if the body is a Limited Liability Partnership, an LLP member listed on Companies House;
4.  A Sole Practitioner.

If your circumstances have changed and you no longer meet one of the above criteria but hold a Manager designation please contact the licensing team on licensing@clc-uk.org by Friday 26 May 2017 to check whether you need to make any changes to your licence.

HoLP and HoFA changes

Have you changed your HoLP or HoFA recently and not notified the CLC? If the answer is yes then don’t forget you need to tell us so that the appropriate checks can be carried out and these individuals can be shown on the CLC website. To tell us about any changes email licensing@clc-uk.org  by Friday 26 May 2017.

Keep your email contact up to date

Help us to keep you informed by making sure that we have the correct email address for you. If you have changed your preferred email recently, be it your work or private email, please email licensing@clc-uk.org by Friday 26 May 2017 so that your records can be updated.

Changes to the CLC’s Accounts Code

There’s still time to have your say about our proposals for changes to the CLC’s Accounts Code – our consultation closes on Friday 12^th May.

Find out more

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Managing Complaints: Advice and insight from the Legal Ombudsman

If you missed our latest webinar, you can watch now at a time that’s convenient for you.

Darren Cox, an Ombudsman with LeO provides a lot of insight from their handling of consumer complaints about conveyancing. It’s full of useful tips and hints.

Watch now

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Avoiding return and rejection of applications by HM Land Registry

Have you read the useful practice guide from HM Land registry? There a lots of hints for avoiding problems with applications – most of which come down to human error.

Read HM Land Registry’s practice guide

Watch the CLC and HM Land Registry Webinar ‘Requisitions and how to avoid them’

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Data Protection

The new General Data Protection Regulation comes into force in 2018. Firms will need to review their policies and procedures to meet the new requirements. We’re preparing a Practice Note, but you might want to read our background briefing to familiarise yourself with the coming changes.

Read the briefing now

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CLC Annual Report and Financial Statements

We have now published our reports for the calendar year 2016.  It was a successful year for the CLC as we continued to improve our systems and processes, delivering a 20% cut in entity fee rates and garnering very positive feedback from the regulated community and our oversight regulator the Legal Services Board.

Find out more

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See us at the SLC roadshows later this month

Our Director of Strategy and External Relations, Stephen Ward, will be taking part in the Society of Licensed Conveyancers roadshows later this month and is looking forward to taking your questions about the work and approach of the CLC.

Find out more

CLC QUALIFICATIONS

Investing in your firm’s future

The new routes to qualification as a Licensed Conveyancer or Probate Practitioner, Conveyancing Technician or Probate Technician are proving very popular. Apprenticeships, distance learning and classroom courses are all available, so there is an approach to suit all learners.

Find out more

Technician Register

Following the introduction of the new Diplomas in Conveyancing Law & Practice and Probate Law & Practice at Level 4 and the conveyancing technician apprenticeship we are pleased to announce the new Technician Register will go live on Friday 6 May 2017. To find out more about how to register your staff visit the CLC website Trainee Lawyer page. The Trainee lawyer team will be contacting students by email to tell them about how to become eligible to register.