Bitesize News – Expert Witness News – page 12

New consulting service will help law firms meet risk and compliance requirements

The Law Society is to extend its range of risk and compliance services for members. Launched at the Law Society’s annual Risk and Compliance conference today, the new consulting service will offer high quality advice and support specific to the needs of individual firms, helping them to meet developing regulatory requirements.

The aim is to provide clarity and reassurance to firms and in particular to provide COLPs and COFAs (Compliance Officers for Legal Practice and Finance and Administration) with the necessary guidance and help to exercise their risk and regulatory compliance roles effectively.

Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson said:

“We have offered a range of risk and compliance support services for some time including a risk and compliance membership package, which incorporates continuously updated information, diagnostic support and the Riliance software solution.

“Many members are telling us of their increasing concerns about fulfilling their regulatory obligations and are looking to the Law Society for more comprehensive advice and support. We have amassed considerable expertise in this area and are keen to share it with our members. This new consultancy service has been developed to meet their needs.”

Entry level service is via a telephone evaluation and assessment of a firm’s risk profile. The price, of £50, will be refunded if any further services are subsequently purchased.

Step two is a full day visit from a Law Society risk and compliance consultant, who after having interviewed key staff and reviewed documentation on site will provide traffic light scores against twelve risk and compliance priority areas.

Further steps, based on the assessed needs are optional and vary from a more in depth report with actions and priorities to fully tailored, bespoke consultancy services.

The new service was unveiled to over 250 delegates at the Law Society 2013 Risk and Compliance conference, in London today (Friday 15 March 2013).

Forensics Europe Expo: a focal point for the forensics industry

The debut edition of Forensics Europe Expo takes place 24-25 April 2013 at London’s Olympia venue. But what’s the thinking behind the show’s launch, and what can visitors expect to gain from attending? Event director Phillip Hunter provides the details.

What prompted the launch of Forensics Europe Expo?

The landscape for the forensics industry has changed considerably in recent times. Up until March 2012, the vast majority of forensic testing in the UK was done by the government’s Forensic Science Service.

Jackson reforms: the nitty-gritty is finally published

Picture of Lord Jackson for your Expert witness story On 13 February the Ministry of Justice laid down in Parliament a statutory instrument which sets out the Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules – often referred to as the Jackson reforms – spelling out in detail the future direction of civil justice when they come into force on 1 April.

Most of the content is what was expected. Reviewing the new rules, John Hyde wrote in the Law Society Gazette: "There are few surprises in the amended rules, and as expected changes to conditional fee agreements do not apply to insolvency-related proceedings, publication and privacy proceedings or a mesothelioma claim.

"All parties except litigants in person must file and exchange budgets by a specific date and courts can control parties' budgets if a costs management order has been made."

New rules restrict experts in child care cases

Detail from medieval depiction of the Judgement of Solomon to illustrate Your Expert Witness story Restrictions on the use of experts in family courts came into force on 31 January. It is claimed the new measures will enable child care cases are dealt with more quickly and effectively, so children and families are spared unnecessary delays and – significantly – the cost to taxpayers is reduced.

Family courts are now required to restrict expert evidence to that which is "only necessary to resolve the case" and to approve the questions that are to be put to the expert "to ensure they are focused on the determinative issues for the court".

Courts will also have to take account of specified factors before agreeing to expert witnesses reports. In care cases, those factors include the impact on the welfare of the child, the impact on the timetable for proceedings and whether the evidence which is needed is available from another source such as the local authority.

APIL predicts haemorrhage of personal injury staff

Picture of a car on its roof for Your Expert Witness story The great majority of personal injury firms are planning to cut staff numbers in the near future unless the government pulls back from plans to reform civil litigation, according to a report in the Law Society Gazette.

It quoted a survey carried out by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) which found that 118 of the 155 firms taking part were planning to cut their workforce this year.

According to The Gazette: "The survey formed part of APIL's full response to government plans to cut fixed fees for low-value personal injury work. The new recoverable costs for RTA claims valued under £10,000 would reduce from £1,200 to £500, whilst there are also fixed fees for claims up £25,000 and employer and public liability claims, which would be dealt with by an electronic portal for the first time."