Report Reveals Average Age Of Will Consumer Rising
A report released this week has confirmed that the baby boomers’ cohort have been confirmed as the Will industry’s biggest consumer. An online Will writing software solutions provider for legal service providers, Willsuite, has undertaken research analysis in the Will writing industry to gain a general overview of the Will statistics in England and Wales. […]
Brother Face’s Jail Over Distribution Of Sibling’s Fortune
Three brothers and a nephew are involved in a bitter family dispute, after it transpired that one of the brothers gave away their deceased sibling’s £400,000 estate to the poor and needy. Peter Ivory, aged 58, faces jail, after allegedly following his brother Mick’s death bed request to not let the rest of their family […]
Inheritance Tax Proposals Could Impact Bank Of Mum and Dad
Suggested changes to UK inheritance tax could have a potential impact on the property sector. Earlier this month, an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) encouraged the Government to consider making serious reforms to inheritance tax (IHT) in order to reduce the burden for the increasing number of middle-class families being dragged into the inheritance tax threshold. […]
Research Shows Funeral Costs Are Continuing To Soar
Have you spoken to your clients about the average cost of funerals? Whilst it can be a difficult conversation to have, many people are unaware of just how much a funeral can cost. The average funeral now stands at £4,418.* Often people rely on savings or have an insurance plan in place to cover funeral […]
Trusts…One Is Good, But More Is Better!
Leaving assets to a single Trust is a better solution than leaving assets absolutely, but is it the best solution when there are multiple beneficiaries? Multiple Trusts provides both your clients and their beneficiaries with even more flexibility.. So why use Multiple Sibling Trusts? Complete autonomy and better management We all know that if all […]
UK Probate Research Awards 2020: Winners Announced
The world of probate research was formally recognised and celebrated when examples of excellence and best practice were praised at the 2020 UK Probate Research Awards on 6 February at London’s DeVere Grand Connaught Rooms. Winners spanned the breadth of the UK, and internationally. Presented by the BBC’s Nikki Bedi, the Awards, supported by the […]
Law Society And Bar Council Find LeO Budget Increase Unacceptable
Following the announcement from the Legal Ombudsmen (LeO), that there would be a 20% rise in the budget, increasing it from £12.3 million to £14.8 million, the Bar Council has launched an ‘outspoken attack’. The LeO has stated that the increase in budget in the next financial year will “radically” improve the time to deal with complaints and “eliminate […]
Kingsley Napley’s Consumer Vlog 1
The first vlog in this series looks at a particular issue of contesting a will in the modern world. The video focuses on the problems arising from more people living with Dementia. As this figure continues to rise, more disgruntled beneficiaries or those omitted from a will are looking to exploit this illness to highlight […]
When The Missing Should Stay Missing – Probate Insurance
Missing beneficiary insurance is usually obtained following a failed attempt to find a missing person who is due an inheritance. The personal representative, in an attempt to find them, will often instruct a genealogist or tracing agent to write to last known addresses and interview family and friends of the missing person. There are occasions, […]
Kingsley Napley’s Vlog Series Enlightens Consumers
In a technology driven world, how does your law firm inform, educate and communicate with clients? Kingsley Napley’s Laura Phillips, a Senior Associate who specialises in Contentious Trust and Probate Disputes, has looked to utilise YouTube to create a series of informative vlogs. Laura Phillips introduced the series by explaining her motivations were to briefly […]
Leading Wills And Probate Firms Begin To Dominate Market Share
A recent consumer research report has estimated that four leading Wills and probate organisations are showing signs of market share dominance. The Wills and Probate Consumer Research Report 2020 from IRN research has revealed that the top brands are beginning to “take a noticeable market share of this fragmented market.” – with the top four […]
What Should An IT Department Do In Relation To Cyber Security?
UK law firms are now starting to realise that responsibility for cyber security doesn’t just lie within the IT team, and that technical controls alone can’t protect a business from today’s attacks. I often see the phrase ‘cyber security is a people issue not an IT issue’. It’s true that this needs to be a […]
Solicitor Overcharged On Estate Bill Thrown Out By Tribunal
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal cleared a solicitor who was accused of overcharging a client when administering an estate. The private client practitioner was acquitted of the alleged misconduct after the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) failed to prove that the professional had overcharged on an estate bill. Solicitor, Derwent Campbell, endured a three-day hearing only to […]
Magic Circle Law Firm Reveals High Retention In Qualifying Trainees
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s head count keeps growing as they retain nearly all of their qualifying trainees for spring 2020. Founded back in 1743, the firm has confirmed it will retain 90 per cent of its newly qualified talent by making offers to 36 out its 39 qualifiers. Legal Cheek said that: “Freshfields became the first […]
Certainty The National Will Register Features In The Mental Capacity Law Report
We are seeing a significant increase in the number of enquiries to locate missing Wills, in life, for non-deceased Testators. We are therefore very pleased to have been invited to contribute a short article on this month’s issue of the Mental Capacity Law Report. Attorneys and deputies have a duty to act in the ‘best […]
Majority Of Older People Fund Retirement with Equity Release
In their quest to stay in their much-loved homes, 80 per cent of over 55’s chose an equity release mortgage to fund their retirement. According to new research from Standard Life and Age Partnership, this high percentage of over 55s opted for equity release so they did not have to downsize. Another reason for not […]
The 2020 British Wills And Probate Awards Are Coming!
On this Valentine’s Day, we are excited to announce that the British Wills and Probate Awards 2020 will be returning for an exciting third year. This year the highly anticipated event, moves to a new venue. It will be hosted at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, on Thursday 22nd October 2020. Arken.legal (UK) Ltd, a […]
Exploring IHT Planning Options And An Introduction To The Super Gift Trust!
Join our team of technical experts to find out more! Supermen Webinar 62 – Exploring IHT planning options and an Introduction to the Super Gift Trust! Inheritance Tax is an evocative subject and one that is currently receiving significant amount of financial media attention and therefore public interest. Whilst there are many complexities in this […]
Please Don’t Leave A Message After The Tone
Claire Smith, Head of Business Development at Moneypenny explains why firms should leave voicemail in the last decade and make 2020 the year to invest in a more modern solution. Voicemail has been a firm fixture in both our personal and professional lives since the early 80s. It’s something that the majority of us will […]
Paws For Thought: Provisions For Pets In A Will
Britain is clearly a nation of animal lovers – with 50% of UK adults owning a pet. Approximately 10.9 million pet cats and 9.9 million pet dogs exist (not to mention 900,000 rabbits). But what many pet owners don’t realise, is that (regardless of how much a part of the family they are) in the […]
