Subsidence: what it is and how to prevent it
When we think of issues in and around the home, the first few examples that may come to mind, might be roof damage, a leaky pipe, damp and mildew, or even the out- of-date décor. Subsidence however, is not necessarily an issue that instantly springs to mind. For property owners or potential buyers, subsidence is […]
Solicitor fined £20,000 for ‘reckless disregard and risk of harm’ in estate administration
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has fined a solicitor more than £20,000 for “a reckless disregard to the risk of harm and his regulatory obligations” over five years. Bryn Roberts, a sole practitioner at Evan Roberts in Machynlleth, Wales, was fined £20,148 and ordered to pay costs of £1,350. The SRA found Roberts had breached […]
Lords urge MPs for speedy return of assisted dying bill following ‘filibuster’ by opponents
A cross-party group of over 100 peers has criticised the “delaying tactics by a small minority” of lords who prevented a vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill earlier this year. In a letter sent to MPs, the lords said it had been “a great disappointment” that they had been unable […]
Two-thirds of UK adults don’t have a current will ‘because there’s nothing to leave’
Almost a third of people without a will believe they have nothing worth leaving behind, new research reveals. A national poll of almost 2,000 respondents commissioned by the charity Will Aid suggests 67% of adults either do not have a will or the one they have is out of date. The research found 57% of […]
One in eight aspire to pass down £500,000 or more to beneficiaries in will
One in eight people in the UK anticipate leaving £500,000 or more in their will to beneficiaries, new data reveals. Meanwhile the average amount those with a will expect to pass on is £260,000. The survey of 2,000 UK adults carried out by Co-Op Legal Services and released in alignment with the Remember a Charity […]
New collective mobilises SME and boutique firms to challenge COLP and COFA proposals
An alliance of SME and boutique law firms have called on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to rethink proposals to separate the compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) and compliance officer for finance and administration (COFA) roles from “individuals with unilateral management control”. The SME & Boutique Law Firm Alliance describes itself as “an independent […]
Lancaster firm doubles community fund to support local organisations
Lancaster firm Morecambe Bay Wills & Estates has doubled its community fund and raised more than £59,000 to support local organisations. The company, which incorporates Lancaster Wills, Kendal Wills and North Wales Wills, has doubled its fund this year to £15,000, extending support to organisations across North Lancashire, South Cumbria and North Wales. Along with […]
Your will bank is an asset. Are you treating it like one?
Wills are a fixture of practice life. Yet for many sole practitioners and small private client firms, the value held within a will bank is not always fully appreciated as an asset – at retirement, in a merger or acquisition, or simply as an untapped source of private client revenue. Finance expert Stephen Fuja explains […]