Sick of breakfast networking?
Chances are you started your business because you either love what you do, or you felt that you could make a difference to your prospective customers. Probably without considering the lure of cold bacon, warm orange juice and a room full of strangers at 8am. Networking is great, if only you can predict how many […]
‘Handsy’ colleagues and ‘boozy’ events: Where is the line?
The legal sector is changing. 100 years on from Carrie Morrison’s qualification as the first female solicitor, women now make up 53% of practising solicitors and 69% of applicants to law schools. The profession is made up of different races, religions, ages, genders, sexes; it welcomes the disabled and champions the neurodiverse. However, as is […]
Cross-border estates: Estate planning for European assets
It’s crucial that European assets are accounted for during estate planning. However, there is often a great deal of confusion about incorporating these assets into a Will. To help answer your clients’ frequently asked questions on the topic, Kings Court Trust’s latest blog covers: Is a foreign Will required for European property and assets? Do […]
EWCA rejects reversal of ‘entirely artificial’ tax avoidance scheme on grounds of mistake
The beneficiaries of a trust that engaged an offshore tax avoidance scheme that later saw its tax exemptions challenged by HMRC have had their appeal on the grounds of mistake rejected. Tax avoidance scheme The England and Wales Court of Appeal (EWCA) heard that the beneficiaries, part of the Bhaur family, entered an inheritance tax […]
High Court upholds ‘ingenious’ witnessing of will via car window
The England and Wales High Court has upheld the witnessing of a will through a car window in the early days of the pandemic. His Honour Judge Tindal found that Stanley, the 90-year-old testator, had the mental capacity to make the will and several other wills in the preceding years despite a diagnosis of dementia. […]
Government facing calls to extend loss relief amidst worsening probate delays – report
The government is increasingly facing calls to extend loss relief from 12 to 18 or 24 months as probate delays continue to worsen. This comes as recent figures revealed that probate applications remain delayed despite a slight decrease in the wait for paper applications. Sarah Lockyer, partner of the law firm, Nockolds, told This is […]
Inheritance tax receipts continue upwards trend into new financial year
Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts continued their record-breaking upwards trend into the new financial year, data released this week by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has confirmed. According to figures for April 2023, receipts during the month totalled £597 million– some £90 million higher than the same period only a year earlier. This follows a 2022/23 […]
British Wills and Probate Awards 2023: Entry deadline closing in
Friday 7th July – now just six weeks away – marks the deadline for entries to the British Wills and Probate Awards 2023, with final submissions due by Friday 14th July. The event is set to take place at a brand new venue, Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, on Wednesday 11th October 2023. The awards – now […]
Under a third of pension fraud reports investigated by police – study
Following the announcement that the government has launched a fresh plan to tackle fraud, new figures show that just 29% of pension fraud reports are sent for police investigation on average. The figures, obtained by Quilter, the financial adviser and wealth manager, from a freedom of information request demonstrate that over the last eight years […]