Chancellor considers caps on lifetime gifting to plug budget black hole
It has been reported Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering capping lifetime gifts in an attempt to plug the £50bn hole in the public finances. First reported in the Guardian, the proposals could see the current rules around lifetime gifting, which enable unlimited amounts of money and assets to be gifted to friends and relatives without […]
Bigamist’s estate to be split between ‘former’ and ‘current’ spouse after high court claim
A man who was legally married to his previous partner and married a second is at the centre of an inheritance dispute following his death from cancer in 2020. Accountant James Dinsdale’s £1.8m estate is the subject of a high court battle between his ‘current; wife, beautician Margaret Dinsdale and his ‘previous wife Dr Victoria […]
No holiday for AML enforcement as SRA shares details of penalties totalling £275,000 in July
Decisions shared by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in July reveal 13 firms have been fined a total of £275,170 for AML breaches dating back to 2011 – with one firm fined £114,006. Amphlett Lissimore Bagshaws in London received the hefty sanction for failing to implement adequate policies, controls and procedures (PCPs) and failing to conduct […]
Genealogy firm acquired by Edwin Coe LLP as market consolidation continues
Hoopers Genealogical Researchers (Hoopers), a long-established genealogy firm has been acquired by law firm Edwin Coe LLP marking the end of independent operations for the business which was founded in 1969 and can trace its origins back over 100 years. Hoopers was founded by Gertrude Christensen – a relative of the current partners of probate […]
Half of consumers have no idea about IHT liability on death
Half of consumers have no idea how much Inheritance Tax (IHT) they could be liable for on death and only a quarter really understand IHT completely according to a survey by Charles Stanley. The wealth management firm conducted a survey of 3000 consumers, aged over 18 and with above average pre-tax salary of £33,000 and […]
Legal Ombudsman shares enhanced guidance on remedies for earlier complaint resolution
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has published enhanced guidance on remedies that sets out five questions to assess whether a remedy is appropriate. The updated guidance is aimed at supporting service providers to identify and apply appropriate resolutions at an earlier stage and has been issued in response to findings from the 2024/2025 financial year. Many […]
Could Digital Pensions Dashboards ease the burden of estate administration for executors?
Whilst work began on the UKs first pensions dashboard many years ago, 2025 has seen a huge amount of progress with hundreds of pension providers and schemes now connected to the pensions dashboards ecosystem, covering over 60 million pension records, with a further c.40 million to go by 31st October 2026. It’s hoped that the public will […]