Number of law firms in wills market drops 12% in four years, latest IRN report finds
The number of law firms in the wills market in England and Wales has decreased 12% in four years. Almost 600 law firms left the wills market between 2022 and 2026, according to the IRN UK Wills, Probate & Trusts Market Report 2026. During the same period, there was a fall of 11.7% in law […]
Changes to state pensions and carers allowance but no IHT reform in Autumn Budget
The chancellor John Healey has unveiled several Autumn Budget changes which will affect pensioners, carers and families across the UK in a budget described as “breathing space from rising costs, with major action on energy, driving and everyday bills alongside support for wages, housing and high streets.” Delivering the latest annual statement in the House […]
Technical amendments to IHT on pensions legislation welcomed
Two technical amendments to the inheritance tax (IHT) on pensions legislation, announced by the government in the Autumn Budget have been welcomed by STEP, the professional body of trust and estate practitioners. Following chancellor John Healey’s budget this week, Emily Deane TEP, Technical Counsel and Head of Government Affairs at STEP said she welcomed the […]
Daughter wins £127,500 for mother’s care costs amid sibling dispute
A woman who provided round-the-clock care for her elderly mother will be compensated £127,500 from the family estate, a High Court judge has concluded. Former auxiliary nurse, Bernadette Rogers, cared for her mother, who had dementia, at the home she shared with her retired GP husband in Bristol, for more than two years, from September […]
SME and high street lawyers alliance turns its attentions to client account proposals
Over 150 signatories have lent their support to calls for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to review its thinking on plans to remit a proportion of the interest earned on lawyers’ client accounts in England and Wales to the government to invest in wider access to justice, including legal aid. Fresh from their campaign to […]
SRA reports ‘continued improvement’ on AML measures
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) says the number of firms found to be non-compliant over anti-money laundering (AML) fell almost 10% this year. The independent regulatory body for solicitors found 78% of firms were either compliant or partially compliant, with the proportion of non-compliant firms falling from 32.4% last year to 21.9% this year. Of […]
How to prepare your estate planning business for acquisition
With the estate planning industry undergoing significant merger and acquisition activity the Today’s Wills and Probate podcast welcomes on one of the most active proponents to discuss what businesses can do to make themselves appealing to the acquisitive organisations. Tishya Ray, who leads corporate development and strategic partnerships at Octopus Legacy joins host David Opie […]