Solicitors still dominant force in will writing market, study reveals
A new study has revealed traditional law firms and solicitors remain the most popular option for consumers in the wills and probate market. Specifically, 54% turned to a lawyer for their will in 2023, though this has slipped slightly from 56% in 2020 and 55% in 2018 and 2019 according to IRN Legal, conductors of […]
Solicitor fined for arranging property sale for woman who lacked capacity
A conveyancing solicitor has been fined £15,000 and been ordered to pay £23,650 in costs following her arrangement of the sale of a property for an elderly woman who lacked capacity in 2017. Rana & Co Solicitors’ Sonia Hunjan, admitted in 2001, was contacted three times by Slough Borough Council regarding the capacity of Hunjan’s […]
Will ownership stagnates as apathy reigns supreme
New research has revealed that will ownership in the UK has stagnated over the past three years with consumer apathy remaining a key reason for the lack of take-up. According to consumer research from IRN Legal Reports within the wills and probate market in November 2022, 35% of the adult population – or roughly 18.6 […]
HMRC publishes guidance on TRS non-registration penalties
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has published new guidance relating to non-registration or failure to maintain a trust on the Trust Registration Service (TRS). The guidance confirms that penalties will not be issued in all cases of non-registration. “Registering a trust is a new requirement and we recognise that trustees may not be familiar with […]
Government announces shake-up of private pensions through new reforms
A shake-up of private pensions has been announced by the Department for Work and Pensions aiming to create “fairer, more predictable, and better-run pensions”. The measures, announced by Minister for Pensions Laura Trott, include a consultation on a new and much anticipated Value for Money (VFM) framework, developed in partnership with The Pensions Regulator and […]
CMA action has “lowered funeral costs for bereaved families”
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has suggested its transparency rules in the funerals market have resulted in lower costs for bereaved families. The CMA said its rules were having a “constraining effect” on funeral prices after many years of real-term rises: indeed, the review found that funeral directors operating more than four branches charged their […]
Paralegals – where would we be without them?
In this latest episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by National Association of Licensed Paralegal’s (NALP) former CEO and now Patron Amanda Hamilton Starting out running paralegal training programmes in the 90’s, at a time when the term “paralegal” was starting to be used more regularly in the […]
Practical tips for professional attorneys and deputies: Part 1
Scott Walker, Consultant Solicitor at Richard Nelson Solicitors, shares his experiences and some practical tips for those working as a professional attorney or deputy | Part 1 Being a professional attorney or deputy changes you – both as a person and as a lawyer – that’s certainly been my experience. As I sat in my […]
Digital asset inheritance: Addressing the key challenges
Digital asset inheritance is something that can be overlooked in our industry. It’s challenging to secure and pass on digital legacies to beneficiaries in a simple way. There are a few key points that I believe need addressing: 1) Whilst some of us are comfortable with the fantastic technologies that are MPC, hardware devices and […]
