Post Budget Analysis and Response
What you need to know! It was anticipated the March Budget would be further delayed following the departure of Sajid Javid, however the new Chancellor, Rishi Sunak has confirmed the budget will go ahead as planned on Wednesday 11th March. In response to this, we will be running a free webinar to cover as much […]
Are Middle Names Required In An LPA Form?
It’s important to ensure the utmost of care is taken when creating a Lasting Power of Attorney document as having an application rejected will at best incur additional costs and time. If the donor decides to wait to have their LPA registered, a rejection could result in it being rendered completely useless if they now […]
Deputies Need Court Approval To Start CoP Litigation
As reported in the Law Gazette, last week the Court of Protection (CoP) ruled on guidance to those acting as deputies on behalf of incapacitated clients, informing them they should seek permission before beginning litigation. The ruling came after the CoP heard three cases where proceedings had been issued, and costs incurred without the client […]
Introducing Title Research’s New Podcast Series For Legal Professionals: Topical Talks.
Topical Talks with Title Research is a podcast about estate administration, probate and other areas of interest in the Wills and probate sector. In each episode, the specialists at Title Research speak to a highly regarded individual from the industry about their specialism and current popular topics of conversation. Episode one speaks to Spanish Solicitor […]
Pension Relief Changes Announced In The Budget
Following rumours that Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak would axe pension tax relief, today instead Sunak announced that the point at which tapering of the allowance kicks in from £200,000. Any person with an income under £200,000 will now not be affected by the tapered annual allowance. The Chancellor, in his speech, announced: “To […]
Pension Pay Gap Woes
Research from Profile Pensions has revealed that the pensions gap between men and women, is far worse than the gender pay gap, which is attempting to be rectified. During their research, Profile Pensions analysed over 20,000 customers and discovered that on average women in the UK face retirements with 39% less in their pension pot […]
1,000 Grieving Families Used Children’s Funeral Fund Last Year
Since the government launched the Children’s Funeral Fund for England (CFF) in July, over 1,000 grieving families have used the scheme. The fund has paid over half a million pounds to families who have lost a child under the age of eighteen and are in need of financial support with funeral and burial costs. The […]
Fraudsters Steal £6 Billion Per Year From Pension Sector
The pension sector is losing an estimated £6 billion each year to fraud. When broken down, private pensions are losing £4.9 billion each year whilst public and government pensions are losing £1.1 billion according to ‘The Estimate of the Annual Cost of Fraud Affecting UK Pensions’ report Crowe and the University of Portsmouth Centre for […]
What To Do If You’re Not Mobile Enough To Visit A Solicitor
Increasingly, many private client firms are looking at how to provide a more user-friendly service for their clients seeking help with their Wills, trusts and probate matters. You’ll probably hear firms cite, expertise, their leadership status in certain specialisms, their location, and the technologies they are using to provide faster turnaround times at less cost […]
Wills & Probate Report: Where is the Industry Headed?
Digitisation, CRM, Blockchain, automation, cyber security – just a few terms taking the spotlight amongst the ‘what’s next?’ conversations across the legal technology industry. Enabling efficiency through technology is a no-brainer for businesses that are looking to grow, without sacrificing excellent service. But how quickly is this happening? Are clients’ expectations shifting towards increased technology […]
Equity Release Products An Attractive Prospect
The increased number of products and plans available to homeowners is encouraging a lot more younger people to use equity release products. Over the last four years, the number of 55-year olds researching equity release products has increased by 330 per cent, according to Age Partnership. During the same period, enquires from homeowners over the […]
Online Wills
I enjoyed an interesting evening at the Wills & Probate Summit from Today’s Wills & Probate at the end of February. The format was unusual in that dinner and drinks came before the serious debate, which made for a lively exchange of views! The hottest topic was online Wills and the room was divided between […]
We NEVER Under-Value Probate Property
An online search for ‘selling probate property UK’ produces an overwhelming 1.72 million results, with the first few pages full of companies that either buy probate homes for cash or auction them off. A seven-day turnaround is a recurring headline; all you need to do is put in the postcode. It would be easy to […]
Kingsley Napley Vlog 3: Undue Influence
Kingsley Napley has attempted to offer a user friendly consumer vlog by looking at the frequent issues arising in the creation of a valid Will. In the third instalment of our “Contesting a will” series, I explain what is meant by undue influence; Was the testator being unduly influenced before making their will? For further […]
Marking International Women’s Day In The Industry
Yesterday marked International Women’s Day which celebrates and highlights women’s achievements throughout history and how far we have come in gender equality since the Sex Disqualification Act was passed in 1919. Even though gender equality has advanced since the Act there is still a clear gap between women in law and women in senior leadership […]
Half Of Non-Decent Homes Placing Elderly At Risk
Over two million people aged over 55-years are currently living in sub-standard homes. According to the ‘Home and Dry’ report, carried out by the Centre for Ageing Better and Care & Repair England, 4.3 million homes do not meet ‘basic standards of decency’ because of ‘serious hazards’ which can affect an occupant’s health and well-being. […]
Retirees Face Nearly £20,000 Retirement Income Shortfall
Senior homeowners will need an annual retirement income which amounts to more than double of today’s average of £17,212. According to a report released by the Equity Release Council and Key, it has been revealed that older homeowners will need an annual retirement income of £35,196. However, the report found that mature homeowners are struggling […]
Almost Half Of Homeowners Lack Valid Will
Almost half of all homeowners do not have a valid Will. According to a recent survey conducted by Royal London, 44 per cent of respondents who owned property did not have a valid Will in place, potentially putting the home at risk. A fifth of respondents claimed they had not made a valid Will because […]
Previous Winners: Why Entering Industry Awards Are Important
Are you undecided as to whether you should nominate a colleague or your firm for the 2020 British Wills and Probate Awards? We understand that entering industry awards ceremonies are not top of your agenda as resources are often stretched but it is not just the winning that counts (although that is a bonus!) – […]
Landmark’s Financial Asset Search Service Helping Probate Professionals
Landmark’s Financial Asset Search service introduces both active and inactive consumer credit data for probate professionals Landmark Information, the property, land and environmental data specialist, has today announced that, for the first time, probate professionals can now access Experian CAIS (Consumer credit Account Information Sharing) data as part of its trusted all-in-one LandmarkFAS (Financial Asset […]
