Experts divided over landmark case that sets out binary test to protect vulnerable borrowers
The Supreme Court has ruled a bank had a duty to investigate whether a woman was acting under the influence of her partner when the couple took out a remortgage, in a landmark case that extends protection for vulnerable people at risk of economic abuse by their partners. The ruling has divided experts, with some […]
Court has no role in rewarding ‘meritorious conduct’ in inheritance dispute case
Central London County Court has rejected the claims of a sister who said her hyper-sensitivities prevented her from being able to move out of her mother’s house and split the inheritance equally between the other two sisters. The case centred on the claims of Sharon Duggan who claimed she was entitled to a greater share […]
Acquisition of WSL sees Octopus lay claim to second spot in estate planning sector
Octopus Legacy claim to have become the second largest estate planning firm in the UK in less than three years following the acquisition of WSL Will Writing. Founded by Sam Grice, Octopus Legacy started out life as Guardian Angel, set up following the unexpected passing of his Mum. Guardian Angel was acquired by Octopus Group, […]
Rallying call as HMRC pauses IHT30 clearance requests
The confirmation HMRC is not currently processing any IHT30 clearance requests has been described as ‘deeply concerning’ by the profession with calls to petition regulatory bodies and Parliament to avoid further consequences for clients. The comments come from Adam Scott, a partner at Trethowans who adds that with planned date for the resumption of the […]
Tech suite to tackle trilogy of contentious risks
A dedicated contentious probate practice has launched a suite of products which it says will ‘help those drafting and making wills minimise the risk of them being the subject of later claims on death.’ Two of the services are going live immediately with the third to follow before the end of Summer 2025. They have […]
Dormant Assets scheme pledges a further £330m to community causes
A government scheme to use assets from dormant accounts to ‘drive meaningful change’ for communities has exceeded expectations with £1bn worth of funding unlocked. This week it has announced a further £440m is being divided between social causes which break down barriers to work for disadvantaged young people, tackle problem debt, and social investment wholesalers; […]
How has the rising number of dementia patients in the UK affected contested probate cases?
The increasing prevalence of dementia in the UK is not only reshaping the health and social care landscape but also exerting a visible influence on legal practice, particularly in the area of contested probate. Dementia now affects nearly one million people across the country, up from 850,000 in 2015. University College London forecasts that this […]