£2m court dispute ‘highlights importance of legal documents in family agreements’
A father and son dispute being heard in London’s High Court is “a stark reminder” of the risks of agreeing significant family arrangements without clear legal documentation, a private wealth dispute expert has warned. Kate Harris, partner in the private wealth disputes team at Birketts LLP, said Harry Lambert’s £2 million claim against his father […]
Deadline for submissions and introducing your judging panel #BWAPAwards2026
With the deadline for entries now passed and final submissions for the British Wills and Probate Awards due tonight (10th July 2026), attention turns to judging each of the entries across the 22 categories. As ever the judging panel is drawn from across the private client and will writing community; the independent panel scrutinise each […]
Solicitor suspended for two years and fined £32,000 for misconduct
A solicitor who failed to complete a Firm Closure Notification (FCN) after being repeatedly contacted by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been suspended from practice for two years. A Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) fined Grenville Royston Young £20,000, ordered him to pay the SRA costs of £11,940 and banned him from practising for 24 […]
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t: Directive on the use of AI in law
Lawyers could be sanctioned for not using artificial intelligence (AI) where it has the potential to improve professional ability, and for misusing AI where its use throws up errors and hallucinations. A Legal Statement on Liability for AI Harms, published by the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT), has warned that lawyers who fail to use AI […]
Contempt of court appeal brought by law firm owner’s widow dismissed
The widow of a “giant of the legal profession in Birmingham” has lost her appeal against a 28-day suspended prison sentence for contempt. Sophie Fleming was previously found to have harassed the executors of her solicitor husband Brendan Fleming’s £8 million estate. In proceedings at the High Court in January, His Honour Judge Tindall described […]
Remember a Charity week returns with quirky campaign
Annual charity campaign Remember a Charity returns in September with a quirky national awareness campaign aimed at fondly remember loved ones (pictured). New assets and resources are available for member charities and partners, and a coordinated activation programme will take place across the charity and professional adviser sectors. The week takes place from 7th-13th September, […]
What happens to a small online business when its owner dies? The emerging challenges of digital estate planning
Imagine a sole trader whose entire business operates through Etsy, Stripe, PayPal, Google Workspace and Instagram. They die unexpectedly. Their executors may inherit the business in principle, yet find themselves unable to access the very accounts needed to continue trading. Yet English succession law has struggled to accommodate this shift[1]. Digital assets are often governed […]