By Lawyers has released 2 more AI prompts in the Purchase of Land and Sale of Land guides:

• AI Prompt for file information discrepancy review – this enables a practitioner to quicky compare information held in the matter to identify any discrepancies large or small. From spelling errors to omitted owners, this review will highlight issues before they cause delays.
• AI Prompt for letter to client summarising the lease – producing tailored information for the client, this prompt covers Building Safety Act considerations as well as more basic information the client needs to know about the lease.

By Lawyers AI prompts are developed for use with LEAP’s Matter AI and have not been tested or validated with any other software or AI platforms.

These new documents enable conveyancers to work more efficiently, and enjoy practice more. Explore the By Lawyers Conveyancing publication.

The By Lawyers Criminal Offences app reflects the Sentencing Council’s sentencing guidelines for offences in the magistrates and Crown Courts, including offences where there are specific offence-related guidelines, and those, such as Misconduct in public office, where the council’s overarching principles apply.

In the Offence Details tab of the app are the overarching principles as well as the elements specific to the offence that are derived from case law. Using the app means that even rare offences are at a practitioner’s fingertips.

The Prompt summarising the Criminal Offences Presentation Document summarises the responses and creates a suggested sentencing outcome for argument in court, ensuring practitioners have time to manage the paparazzi.

Explore the By Lawyers Criminal Offences app today.

From 25 February 2026, the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) regime will be fully enforced in respect of British dual nationals. While British citizens remain exempt from the ETA requirement, dual-national travellers must now prove their British citizenship on entry to the UK. In practical terms, dual-national children must travel on a valid British passport or hold appropriate right of abode documentation. A non-UK passport alone will no longer be sufficient, and carriers may refuse boarding where the correct documentation is not produced.

The change has significant implications for family law matters involving international travel. In particular, the previous practice of separated parents holding different passports and relying on either for travel is no longer workable for entry to the UK. The physical possession and validity of the child’s British passport is now determinative.

In response, a new precedent clause has been added to the Private Child Arrangements guide. The clause provides clear drafting to address day-to-day retention of passports, timeframes for release before international travel, arrangements for return of passports after travel, and the consequences of non-compliance. This addition ensures practitioners can proactively address passport control issues within child arrangements orders and reduce the risk of travel disruption arising from the updated immigration requirements.

The Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1691, 5 March 2026, together with the updated Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators has prompted several key updates. 

A brief summary for legal practitioners is available below and full details can be found in the Explanatory memorandum to the statement of changes in the Immigration Rules: HC 1691, 5 March 2026.

Increase to English language requirements for settlement

The English language requirements for settlement to B2 level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), will increase for several immigration routes including:

• Appendix KoLL; 
• Appendix Skilled Worker; 
• Appendix Tier 2 Minister of Religion; 
• Appendix Representative of an Overseas Business; 
• Appendix UK Ancestry; 
• Appendix Global Talent; 
• Appendix Scale Up; 
• Appendix Innovator Founder; 
• Appendix International Sportsperson; 
• Appendix Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection); 
• Appendix Long Residence;
• Appendix Bereaved Partner; 
• Appendix Private Life; and 
• Appendix Settlement Family Life.

This change is intended to ensure that people who come to build their lives in the UK can integrate into life here effectively. This will come into force on 26 March 2027 to give people subject to the new requirements time to take any steps necessary to meet them. 

Decrease to the stay period for those granted humanitarian and refugee protection 

Applying to individuals who claimed asylum or made further submissions on or after 2 March 2026, leave given to refugees will be reduced from five years to 30 months. An application for further permission to stay can be made before the expiry of this leave.

This is part of the first steps towards the new core protection offer for refugees that was announced as part of the Restoring Order and Control statement, and marks the start of a new regime to provide entitlements to refugees in accordance with international obligations. 

Employers sponsoring migrant workers now have expanded compliance obligations

New obligations include enhanced reporting, record-keeping, and safeguarding of workers’ rights. Guidance for sponsors is available at Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators.

To help practitioners navigate these changes when dealing with immigration cases, By Lawyers has published updated guidance and precedents including a new Sponsored Migrant Checklist to help advise clients who are sponsoring migrant workers. 

Visit our website to explore our Immigration guides and precedents.

The government has introduced a draft transparency regime for land control arrangements through The Provision of Information (Contractual Control) (Registered Land) Regulations 2026, supported by guidance on Contractual control agreements.

These regulations currently are in draft form and will come into force by way of a statutory instrument, to be announced.  

The regulations cover:

• new rights granted on or after the date that the regulations are made, which is expected to be in the first half of 2026;
• variations or assignments of all relevant rights on or after the regulations come into force on 6 April 2027.

The regulations were laid in Parliament on 9 March 2026. They will be made once they are signed by the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, after all the required parliamentary procedures have been completed. This is expected to happen in the first half of 2026.

If a contractual control agreement is created after the regulations are made but before 6 April 2027, the required information must be submitted to HM Land Registry by 6 October 2027.

If a right is granted, changed, or assigned after the regulations come into force on 6 April 2027, the required information must be submitted within 60 calendar days.

The new regime implements powers under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 to create a public register of contractual control agreements. It aims to increase transparency around who controls land for development, addressing longstanding concerns that these arrangements are currently opaque to local authorities, communities, and market participants.

The regime applies to a contractual control right over registered land where:

• the right enables control over the land's development or disposal;
• the land is held for the purposes of an undertaking, including a business, charity, or public function;
• the right relates to registered freehold land, or registered leasehold land with 15 years or more remaining at the time of the grant; 
• a control period of 18 months or more, including extensions, applies.

Agreements covered by the regime include:

• options;
• conditional contracts;
• pre-emption rights; and
• promotion agreements.

However, the regime does not cover:

• financial security arrangements and overage security;
• rights that do not relate to development of houses, or buildings with floorspace of over 100 square metres;
• short-term rights of under 18 months;
• obligations under s 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 limited to infrastructure, amenities, or services;
• national security or defence contracts; and
• leases of less than 15 years.

The obligation to register agreements falls on the grantee, likely a developer or promoter, with submissions to be made digitally via a regulated conveyancer through HM Land Registry.

Registration at HM Land Registry

Under the new regime, contractual control rights must be registered at HM Land Registry within 60 days of being:

• granted;
• varied;
• assigned; 
• exercised; 
• terminated, or having expired.

Mandatory information to be disclosed includes:

• the parties' details, including their full names, date of birth for individuals, and company registration numbers for businesses;
• type of agreement;
• key dates and description;
• title numbers and extent of affected land;
• start date and duration, including extension rights; and
• status changes.

Enforcement

• Non-compliance with the new regime will have practical and criminal consequences, including:
• the inability to protect an interest on title; and
• criminal liability under s 225 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 for:
• failure to comply; or
• knowingly or recklessly providing false or misleading information. 

Penalties for s 225 offences include fines and potential imprisonment.

Practical implications

For developers and promoters, the implications of the new regime include:

• increased administrative burden and strict 60-day deadlines;
• mandatory use of conveyancers for digital submissions;
• potential commercial sensitivity from disclosure of strategic land positions;
• risk of increased objections and scrutiny in the planning process; 
• shifts in strategy – for example, outright acquisition.

For landowners and the market, the new regime will:

• assist smaller developers and local authorities;
• increase competition for sites; 
• affect land values and site assembly costs.

At this stage, practitioners and their clients should consider:

• auditing current and pipeline agreements to identify those likely to be caught by the new regime;
• updating existing precedents – for example, options, promotion agreements, conditional contracts to address registration obligations;
• implementing internal tracking systems for 60-day deadlines;
• advising clients on confidentiality risks and strategic implications; 
• monitoring further HM Land Registry guidance on operational requirements.

The new register of contractual control agreements represents a significant shift towards transparency in land control in England and Wales.

With limited lead-in time and transitional provisions capturing agreements entered into before April 2027, practitioners should begin preparing immediately to ensure compliance and manage commercial risk.

On 13 March 2026, Mr Justice Peel and His Honour Judge Hess published the Financial Remedies Guide 2026.

The new guide consolidates and updates core documents for the Financial Remedies Court, aligning with the revised Practice Direction 27A, procedural updates, and other family justice developments. Notably, the High Court Efficiency Statement (2016) and the Efficiency Statement for Cases below High Court (2022) are merged within the guide.

The By Lawyers Financial Remedies guide has been updated accordingly.

With effect from 26 March 2026, the Sentencing Act 2026 provides for a presumption that a custodial sentence of 12 months or less will be subject to a suspended sentence, save in exceptional circumstances. The Act also extends the available maximum period for which a sentence can be suspended from 2 years to 3 years.

The changes are relevant to practitioners advising clients facing criminal offences, including motoring offences that attract custodial sentences. 

By Lawyers Criminal and Motoring Offences commentaries have been updated to reflect these changes, ensuring law firms have the most up to date information at hand.

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving efficiency and aligning with regulator recommendations, we are currently rationalising our compliance documentation.

The previous Client and Matter Risk Assessment and Conflict of Interest forms you may be familiar with have now been retired and replaced with a new Record of Compliance Checks. This updated document brings together several key requirements into a single, more streamlined format. It now incorporates:

• Client risk assessments;
• Matter risk assessments;
• Conflict of interest checks; 
• Identity verification;
• Source of funds and wealth check.

Previously, these requirements were completed across multiple separate forms. The new approach is designed to simplify the process, reduce duplication and save time.

In addition, ongoing compliance activity can now be recorded using the new Compliance Monitoring Form, ensuring that monitoring remains clear and consistent throughout the life of a matter.

Both forms are available in the Compliance documents folder, located within the A. Getting the matter underway section of each matter plan on the Legal Guides tab in the Forms and Precedent area.

The client-facing Client Details, Identity Verification and Source of Funds form has been replaced with a more comprehensive Client Details, Identity Verification and Source of Funds and Wealth form.

We expect this update will mean that practitioners and clients will only need to complete one core form per file, rather than several.

As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have any comments or suggestions on the new forms, we would be delighted to hear from you.