Part 2 – Keeping client trust: when is it acceptable to use technology in offering legal probate services?
Part 1 of this series discussed how new research produced by the Legal Services Board and the Solicitors Regulation Authority has uncovered the attitudes of the public and solicitors towards using technology within legal services. The results showed much concern from both parties regarding data security, the impact of replacing humans with technology and digital […]
Free Webinar: Legal Task Management with Clio
Managing an ever-growing “to-do” list is a challenge for a lot of law firm staff. If you’ve been trying to reduce your administrative workload, make task management more efficient, and ensure no essential task ever gets missed, the right legal software solution can make a profound impact. If you’re interested in learning how, a free […]
The Best Foundation: Why a new professional body is necessary
A new professional membership body for the estate planning sector has arrived and you are bound to have questions. What is the Best Foundation all about? How is it different to existing membership bodies? How can it benefit me and my business? How will it help members of the public? That’s exactly why the Best […]
IHT receipts soar to 14% above last year – HMRC
Figures released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on Thursday revealed that inheritance tax (IHT) receipts for the financial year 2021 to 2022 stood at £6.1 billion, representing a 14% (£729 million) increase from receipts received in the 2020 – 2021 financial year. This is the largest single-year rise in IHT receipts since the 2015 […]
SRA begins research into unregulated legal services sector
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has commissioned independent research to take an in-depth look into the unreserved legal services market across England and Wales. This comes just weeks after the Legal Services Board declined to undertake its own statutory review into the sector. The research will seek to: Better understand the size and scope of […]
Law Commission publishes digital assets reform proposals
The Law Commission of England and Wales has published new proposals to reform the law relating to digital assets. Digital assets, which include crypto-tokens — sometimes referred to as cryptocurrencies — and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), play an increasingly important role in modern society. The emerging technologies are used for an increasing variety of purposes, including […]
Government sets out policy on TRS data disclosure
The conditions for disclosure of data contained within the Trust Registration Service (TRS) have been set out by HM Revenue & Customs. All express trusts, except those registered as exempt as part of a narrow group of exclusions, must be registered onto the system by 1st September under the EU’s Fourth and Fifth Anti-Money Laundering […]
FCA names funeral plan providers who will not be authorised
The Financial Conduct Authority has published a list of 14 funeral plan providers who will not be authorised to sell new funeral plans once the new regulatory changes take effect on 29th July 2022. Reiterating the forthcoming changes, the FCA stated that “only funeral plan providers that we’ve authorised, or their Appointed Representatives (intermediaries who […]
Nominate your 2022 Industry Champion
Nominations for this year’s Today’s Wills and Probate Industry Champion are now open! Introduced in 2021 for the first time at The British Wills and Probate Awards, sponsored by Property Solutions Group, the Industry Champion recognised the individuals who went above and beyond to make the wills and probate sector a special place to work. […]
Legaltech adoption sees “40% of firms” receive PII discount
During a legaltech panel discussion hosted by Women in Wills on Thursday, it was suggested that up to 40% of firms are receiving a discount on their professional indemnity insurance (PII) renewal due to their adoption of legaltech. The panel consisted of Rob Hosier, Sarah Keegan, Emma Baddaley and Pippa Shepherd, focusing on three key […]
The importance of leaving clear instructions in wills
Family disputes frequently arise following the death of a loved one, and legal battles over the division of estates can be costly. Court battles over personal possessions which may have little or no monetary value can occur given the sentimental value attached to personal items, so it is essential to leave clear instructions in a […]
Cause of death is confidential information in Germany
Bernhard Schmeilzl is the co-founder of Graf & Partners LLP, a boutique German law firm with offices both in Munich and Regensburg, as well as a network of partner offices in the United Kingdom and the USA. Graf & Partners advise on German-British legal issues, specialising in inheritance and probate cases as well as international […]
LeO set to reduce complaints cut-off to one year
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced that it has accepted the Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO) proposed amendments to the Scheme Rules, including the reduction of bringing complaints from six years to within one year. During the LSB’s final meeting before summer on the 19th July, the Board discussed proposals by the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) […]
