What the “Failure to prevent fraud” law means for UK businesses
A new era of accountability On 1 September 2025, the UK introduced a major shift in corporate liability with the …
Insight
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has released its Risk Agenda 2025, offering a comprehensive overview of the most pressing risks and regulatory expectations facing conveyancing and probate professionals. This year’s agenda is not just a regulatory update—it’s a strategic guide for firms to reflect on their practices, culture, and responsibilities across the legal landscape.
Let’s explore the key themes and what they mean for compliance professionals and regulated firms.
Ethics and ethical conduct
The most prominent shift in this year’s Risk Agenda is the introduction of six new ethical principles in the CLC’s revised code of conduct. These principles go beyond technical compliance and place a strong emphasis on integrity, fairness, and public trust. They include duties to:
- Act with honesty and independence
- Serve clients’ best interests within legal and ethical bounds
- Uphold the rule of law
- Maintain high standards of conduct
- Collaborate transparently with regulators and peers
- Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion
This ethical framework reflects a broader movement across the legal sector to embed values into everyday practice. It’s a response to high-profile scandals and a recognition that compliance must be rooted in doing the right thing—not just following the rules.
Applications to HM Land Registry
The Risk Agenda highlights a troubling trend—avoidable errors in title change applications are costing firms time and money and causing reputational damage. According to HM Land Registry, 22% of applications required requisitions, often due to basic mistakes like incorrect names.
These errors can delay transactions by up to 15 working days and cost the sector millions in lost fee-earner time. Worse still, poor performance in this area has led to firms being removed from lender panels.
The message is clear: post-completion work is not an afterthought. Firms must treat it as a core part of their service, with robust quality control and accountability.
Complaints handling
Effective complaints handling is another area under scrutiny. The CLC urges firms to treat complaints as an opportunity to improve service and demonstrate professionalism, acknowledging that poor handling can escalate issues and damage client relationships.
The Risk Agenda encourages practices to review their complaints procedures, ensure staff are trained, and adopt a culture of openness and responsiveness.
IT resilience and cybersecurity
As conveyancing becomes increasingly digital, IT resilience is now a critical compliance issue. The Risk Agenda warns of rising cyber threats and the need for secure systems, backup protocols, and staff awareness.
Firms must ensure that their IT departments are maintaining a robust technology infrastructure to protect client data and maintain business continuity. This includes secure storage, encrypted communications, and regular system audits.
AML and sanctions are still a priority
While AML and sanctions received slightly less focus in this year’s agenda, the CLC makes it clear that these remain high-risk areas. Compliance failures are still common, and firms must maintain vigilance in client onboarding, transaction monitoring, and reporting.
The agenda reinforces the importance of understanding beneficial ownership, conducting enhanced due diligence where required, and staying up to date with sanctions lists.
Ongoing competence- a new approach
The CLC is introducing a refreshed model for ongoing competence, moving away from traditional CPD hours toward a more dynamic, reflective approach. Lawyers are encouraged to plan their development based on the risks and challenges they face, using the Risk Agenda as a guide.
This shift aligns with broader trends in professional regulation, where competence is seen as a continuous journey rather than a box-ticking exercise.
Ready to take the next step?
The CLC’s Risk Agenda 2025 is a powerful reminder that compliance is not static—it’s a living, evolving responsibility. From ethics to IT resilience, the agenda challenges firms to look inward, assess their culture, and commit to excellence in every aspect of their work.
For professionals in conveyancing and probate, this is an opportunity to lead with integrity, embrace best practices, and build trust with clients and regulators alike. Use this Risk Agenda as a springboard to review your firm’s practices, refresh your training, and reinforce your commitment to ethical, resilient service. Small changes today can make a big difference.
Need support enhancing your compliance processes? Get in touch with our team to set up a free demo or to discuss further how Veriphy can help you protect the integrity of your business.
