LPA delays beginning to ease, data reveals
New data on the timeliness of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) applications* has revealed that the well-documented delays affecting the process are beginning to ease. Answering a parliamentary question from Labour MP Beth Winter regarding LPA applications, Mike Freer, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, provided monthly data for 2022 and the beginning of 2023. […]
‘First of its kind’ subscription estate planning service launched
A national estate planning business has launched what it describes as the “first of it’s kind” subscription estate planning service. Simpler Law, part of Lincoln-based HAIG Consumer Group, have launched its “Simpler Infinity” plan; a monthly subscription which it says provides a family and estate Will, a Lasting Power of Attorney, estate administration, ongoing consultations […]
Son’s will forgery claim against elderly mother rejected
The High Court has rejected a man’s claim that his 92-year-old mother forged his late father’s will after he brought her to court. As reported in the Law Society Gazette, Master Clark “accepted the evidence of the solicitor who drafted the will in 2000 over the ‘circumstantial’ evidence of ‘marginal relevance’ submitted by the disinherited […]
Government sets out plans for ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence
The government has set out its plans for the “failure to prevent fraud” (FTPF) offence contained in a recent amendment to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. The offence is intended to mirror existing failure to prevent offences and will cover a set of core fraud offences such as fraud by false representation, fraud […]
Inheritance tax ‘desperately needs to be reformed’
By Simon Hodges, Director of Profession at STEP Today’s Wills and Probate readers will be all too familiar with the public perception of inheritance tax (IHT) as being too complex, ineffective and unfair. It’s certainly our view at STEP. With high property prices and a nil rate band that has been frozen since 2009 (and […]
70% of Private Client Practitioners Identify Unknown Assets following Estatesearch Due Diligence Searches
Estatesearch is now the largest provider of Asset & Liability Searches in the UK and has been pioneering new data and technology to help private practitioners identify assets and liabilities since 2018. In a recent customer survey, 70% of respondents stated Estatesearch had helped them identify assets that they would have been otherwise unaware of. […]
‘I’m an inheritance tax expert, and this is what you need to know if you’ve inherited a property with one or more siblings’
Heather Pollard, Head of Underwriting at Tower Street Finance explains the issues that can arise when receiving a shared inheritance, as well as how to navigate them. When dealing with bereavement, disagreements with surviving family members about assets that have been inherited jointly can cause further stress at an already difficult time. This is particularly […]
‘Amazon Law’ set to replace ‘Tesco Law?’
Co-Op Legal Services has suggested it is now the largest regulated provider of wills, estate planning and probate services. The claim comes following the release of its annual figures which show revenue growth of 19% to £46.3 million in 2022 and profits of £8 million, an increase of 60%. Co-Op Legal Services was one […]
Legal aid: ‘A decade of cuts’
It has been 10 years since the government took an “axe to legal aid” and justice is increasingly out of reach for those in most need, as evidenced by new maps from the Law Society of England and Wales showing expanding legal aid deserts. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) […]
