blawgcast: Recent Episodes
Lawmark Creative
It is a criminal offence and contempt of court to carry out ‘a reserved legal activity’ unless you are entitled to do so. In other words: thou shall not conduct litigation unless you are a solicitor.
There is, however, a statutory defence of ignorance.
The High Court in London recently considered a case of a paralegal and an honest mistake.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2023/03/para-illegal/
Have you ever considered the distinction between a solicitor executor and an executor who is a solicitor?
The High Court in London recently reviewed the circumstances where an executor is entitled to a professional fee for the administration of an estate.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2023/02/solicitor-executors-charging-clauses/
A solicitor’s equitable lien:
…is a judge-made remedy, motivated not by any fondness for solicitors as fellow lawyers or even as officers of the court, but rather because it promotes access to justice. Specifically it enables solicitors to offer litigation services on credit to clients who, although they have a meritorious case, lack the financial resources to pay up front for its pursuit.
per Lord Briggs in Gavin Edmondson Solicitors Ltd v Haven Insurance Co Ltd[2018] UKSC 21at §1
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2023/01/fixed-fee-agreements/
New Year’s Resolutions are a funny thing. We all start out with best intentions knowing full well we are unlikely to see the Month out.
This year, however, why not try something a little different? Take 2023 as your line in the sand to really concentrate on how you can embrace social media to build your law firm brand.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2023/01/happy-new-year/
A field in Down. A home in Tyrone. A Courtroom in Belfast.11 years ago, Rihanna may have found love in a hopeless place. The Court of Appeal in Belfast recently dismissed a “hopeless” case of even greater vintage.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/10/when-youve-said-all-you-got-to-say/
A “statute bill” is a solicitors’ invoice which complies with the provisions of the Solicitors Act.
Whether final or interim, it must be “signed” by, or with the authority of, the solicitor or attached to a covering letter so signed and referring to the bill. (Section 69 (2A)).
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/11/solicitors-statute-bills/
Cancel Cultureis the stuff of headlines these days, often in the context ofWoke.
An Employment Tribunal in London recently considered a question of jurisdiction on a £3m claim for unfair dismissal arising from “ill-advised” comments on social media.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/09/21/has-cancel-culture-caught-up-with-counsel/
Can an employee who has already resigned be unfairly dismissed? The Employment Appeal Tribunal in London recently considered this question in the context of Pay In Lieu Of Notice (PILON).
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/08/10/pilon/
You are having a nosey at a competitor’s website. The content seems familiar. Too familiar.
The High Court (Circuit Commercial Court) in Leeds recently heard an application for a Norwich Pharmacal order to disclose the identity of a ‘cut and paster’ of web content from a Bradford solicitors’ website.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/06/28/cut-and-paste/
Neighbour disputes can be emotive. When that neighbour wants to build a stadium behind your home, emotions will run high.
The High Court in Belfast recently considered what may be the final chapter in the saga of Belfast’s Casement Park.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/06/21/gaame-on/
When do “obvious similarities” outweigh “important differences”?
This was a question recently considered by the High Court in London in a high-profile copyright claim.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/04/07/divide-opinion/
Ryanair does seem to court controversy, if not thrive on it.
The Supreme Court in London recently considered the airline’s shift to cut out the middle-man on flight delay compensation claims.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/03/31/lein-on-me/
People make mistakes. Even lawyers… sometimes.
Whether you blame the represented or the representative was a question of statutory interpretation recently considered by the Supreme Court in London.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/03/30/one-thing-or-another/
Referral marketing can help you improve your brand trust and thus gain repeat customers.
Without a doubt, this is one of the ways you can gain an unfair advantage over your competition.
But how do you go about getting referrals for your business?
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/03/09/word-of-mouth/
When people think about email marketing, the first thing that often comes to mind is that it is a strategy for big businesses. And for those who think that email marketing isn’t worth their time, it is worth mentioning that it has a return on investment of 4400%. (Not a typo!)
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2022/02/09/email-marketing-101/
If you are used to writing your own web content, then you probably know just how much the internet is saturated with similar information. There is just so much information that it is hard to create something that stands out from the crowd.
This is where 10X content comes in. Your goal here is not to create content that is better than the top 10 highest rankings on Google. No sir! The goal is to create content that is 10X better than any on the first page of Google.
Doubtless, that is easier said than done. So, where do we begin?
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2021/11/24/10x-content/
With Black Friday behind us, online retailers will be focusing all the more on the big push to Christmas over the next few weeks. We’re now told not to venture out to work unless you really have to, but still, Shop Local. In a landscape of such confusion, you might find these top tips helpful when shopping online whatever the time of year.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2021/12/01/christmas-2021/
Have you ever noticed the pouch on the back of a barrister’s gown?
Legend had it that it was originally a purse into which refresher fees would be deposited to keep Counsel on their feet. This ties in with the notion that a barrister is not entitled to sue for their fees.
The High Court in Birmingham recently considered a case where a barrister sought to sue their instructing solicitor for non-payment of fees.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/11/01/patently-due/
I was an early adopter of Facebook for law firms. I’m not sure I ever really considered why but, if potential clients were on a platform, then I guess we should be there too.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/09/29/facebook-for-solicitors/
If a solicitor undertakes to do something, does that make it a “solicitor’s undertaking”? This was a question that was recently considered by the Supreme Court in London. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2021/08/04/when-a-solicitors-undertaking-isnt/
If you are reading this, chances are you already have a LinkedIn account.
Is it working for you? Here are a few ideas to help you to get on the right track…
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2021/06/30/linkedin-for-lawyers/
Fans of Father Ted will be familiar with a big red button accompanied by a “Do NOT Press” sign.
The Supreme Court in London recently contemplated the appropriate penalty for the deliberate pressing of a button in a case of contempt of court.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmarkcreative.com/2021/06/01/contempt/
Online reviews aren’t all bad. In fact, 82% of all law firm reviews on Trustpilot give 5 stars.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/05/27/five-stars/
Are you still time recording? * If you answered Yes, well done! The next question is: what do you do with that data? * If you answered No with perhaps the caveat that either “I know I should” or “I don’t need to: my work is all fixed/agreed fee”, the next question is: how can you know it is worth your while?
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/04/27/reflecting-value/
It is Thursday morning, 32nd March 2021. You are back in the office for the first time in over a year. A colleague has left his desktop unattended. You notice he is also logged into his Facebook account, despite the company policy.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/04/01/april-fools/
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) has been described as the new CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). It is all very trendy these days with origins seeming to lie in a 2004 UN Report: Who Cares Wins.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/03/25/esg/
The Supreme Court in London recently considered the appeals of two “sleep-in” care workers.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/03/23/sleeping-on-the-job/
Criticism can be hard to take. You’ve worked hard to build your brand and are rightly quite proud of it. A bit like a ‘favourite’ child. If someone else doesn’t quite see things the way you do, how should you take it?
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/02/23/negative-feedback/
Clarifying your Brand Think of your Brand not as “John Smith & Co. Solicitors” but as what people say about your firm when you are not in the room. What sets you apart from the otherwise identical firm across the street?
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/02/02/consistency-is-key/
New Year’s Resolutions are a funny thing. We all start out with best intentions knowing full well we are unlikely to see the Month out.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2021/01/12/happy-new-year/
Running your own firm can be challenging at the best of times. You are expected to be an expert in finance, human resources and marketing.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2020/11/26/cant-someone-else-do-it/
If you are reading this, chances are you already have a LinkedIn account. Is it working for you? Here are a few ideas to help you to get on the right track…
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2020/11/12/linkedin-for-lawyers/
You are advised not to go Trick or Treating this year. Nor, presumably, should you take a drive to test your eyesight. Advice is one thing; Regulations are another. It the difference between ‘should not’ and ‘must not’.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2020/10/29/is-halloween-cancelled/
Being a lawyer on #Insta can be a bit like #DadDancing. You might think you look cool, but everyone else is likely seeing something different.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2020/10/27/instagram-for-lawyers/
Does your law firm have its own Twitter account? Here are my top Twitter tips to get you started…
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://lawmark.uk/2020/09/22/twitter-tips/