Time taken to issue probate grants unchanged, but open case load up 19%
The time it takes to issues grants of probate is largely unchanged according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The latest Quarterly Family Court Statistics show probate grants took on average five weeks to be issued after the application was submitted between the months of January to March 2026, similar to […]
Solicitor struck from the roll after decade-long dishonesty invoicing estates for incomplete work
A private client solicitor has been struck off following admissions of dishonesty, improper client account withdrawals and systemic over-billing across probate matters spanning more than a decade. Mark Grenville Davies, former principal of Bennett Richmond Solicitors, was referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal after deliberate and sustained dishonesty in his estate administration work where beneficiaries […]
Cost of probate fee applications to rise to £526
The cost of probate fee applications is to rise after the government laid a statutory instrument before parliament detailing changes to court fees, set by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). A 2.6% increase, in line with inflation for 2024/25 will apply across 170 fees in HM Courts and Tribunals Service. An increase of 34% (equivalent […]
£126,000 costs order following failed cross-border inheritance dispute
A failed inheritance dispute has resulted in a costs order for £126,000 after an “estranged” daughter unsuccessfully sued for a share of her late father’s estate. Sarah Ducent’s father Herbert Ducent died in 2007, leaving his UK estate worth around £900,000 and a business and property in Jamaica, to his widow Dorothy, in a will […]
International jurisdictions added to financial profile search
Legal technology company Estatesearch has announced it has added international searches as an additional service to its Financial Profile search service. The change will enabling professionals to search additional jurisdictions across the world, including America, Asia, China and Europe. Firms will now be able use the International Financial Profile Search to reduce the risk of […]
Firms celebrate successes in all the latest private client news
The private client team at Ellisons are celebrating after being shortlisted in three categories at the Modern Law Private Client Awards 2026. The team are in the running for the Wills & Estate Planning Team of the Year, Probate & Estate Administration Team of the Year and Court of Protection Team of the Year awards, […]
The role of probate genealogy in international estate administration
In the last of the series on probate geneology, the team at Finders International explain the role of probate geneology in international estate administration, and share an illustrative case study. As estates increasingly involve beneficiaries living abroad or relatives born in different jurisdictions, tracing international heirs has become a complex but essential aspect of […]
Preparing for the inevitable: Planning your practice succession
Estate planners routinely advise clients on legacy and succession, yet many practices remain underprepared for their own transitions. W&P Legal’s Steina McKenna explains what estate planners need to think about to protect the future of their own businesses. Estate planners understand better than many the importance of forward planning. However, across the profession, many […]