Free webinar: Capital Gains Tax: The pitfall executors don’t see coming
Kings Court Trust invites you to join their free webinar exploring one of the most commonly misunderstood areas of estate administration – Capital Gains Tax (CGT). While Inheritance Tax is often at the forefront of mind, CGT can easily be overlooked. Yet, if not properly understood and dealt with, it can create unexpected liabilities for […]
Free webinar: Intestate estates and missing beneficiaries: Managing risk and dispelling myths
Join Title Research’s Technical Manager, Simon Barber, for an insightful webinar exploring the risks, realities, and misconceptions surrounding intestate estates and missing beneficiaries. This practical session will help you better understand how to navigate complex estate administration scenarios with confidence, including: How missing beneficiaries are identified and traced Why intestate estates arise more often than […]
SRA seeks 29% funding increase ‘to move from reactive to proactive regulation’
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has proposed a £50 increase in individual practising fees, taking the annual fee to £240. Compensation fund contributions are expected to be set at £120 for an individual solicitor and £3,600 for an SRA-regulated firm. Individual combined fees, which cover the practising certificate fee and compensation fund contribution, would rise […]
‘No credibility’ for will writer after court found evidence of undue influence from dementia patient’s son
A will that was made by a woman living with advanced dementia just four months before she died has been overturned by the High Court. Master Katherine McQuail declared the 2021 will of Peggy Dalton invalid due to lack of proper execution, lack of testamentary capacity, and want of knowledge and approval. The judge also […]
SRA shelves CILEX transfer after four year delay
Controversial plans to transfer the regulation of Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) members to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have been shelved. The SRA, in a draft 2026-27 business plan published last week, confirmed that “some activity [it] had anticipated progressing next year will need to be paused” as it seeks to “prioritise work […]
Early bird entry deadline approaches for British Wills and Probate Awards 2026
The deadline to take advantage of early bird entry for The British Wills and Probate Awards, sponsored by Arken, is one week from today, on Friday 22nd May. After that date, the fee to enter the awards will increase from £129 +VAT to £169 +VAT. After registering there is no need to submit an entry […]
CLC provides updated guidance on the treatment of VAT on disbursements
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has published new guidance on the correct VAT treatment of disbursements. The guidance note brings together information and resources with the aim of supporting firms in determining how to treat different disbursements for VAT purposes. As well as a revised definition of the term ‘disbursement’, the guidance note includes an outline of relevant case law and links […]
Blended families fuelling inheritance disputes, STEP research finds
Lack of estate planning and communication within families is fuelling a significant rise in inheritance disputes, with blended families at most risk of conflict, according to research from STEP, the professional body for trust and estate practitioners. Of the 533 professional practitioner respondents surveyed by STEP, 41% said they had seen an increase in disputes […]
Contested estates are becoming more common – the financial cost to families isn’t talked about enough
As contested estates rise, the legal battle tends to dominate the conversation. But for the families caught in the middle, it’s often the financial paralysis that causes the most damage. Steve Gauke explains why, and offers a solution that’s often overlooked. One of the things that struck me early in my time working in […]