The Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast was launched in 2022 with the aim of introducing listeners to the organisations and individuals who contribute to the success of the wills and probate sector. Over the previous four series, and 75 episodes the podcast has covered topics from the great wealth transfer, digitisation and modernisation, free and low cost will schemes, the interrelationship between charities and law, the principles of running a legal firm and mental health and wellbeing… and much more.
With over 14,000 downloads since launch it has established itself, alongside Today’s Wills and Probate, as the go-to resource for wills, tax, trust, probate and estate planning professionals for news, view, insight and best practice.
Over the course of the latest series Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast host David Opie has welcomed members of the Law Commission’s modernising Wills law advisory panel on to the podcast; national legal charity LawCare; and even discussed combining running an estate planning business with being a full time jazz musician!
The standout podcast of the year was undoubtedly the discussion with Professor Nick Hopkins, who led the Law Commission’s work on modernising Wills law, on 10 years of work to reach the landmark report in May of this year. Spanning 500+ pages, Hopkins explained the objective behind their work was to present the government with a coherent legislative proposal which had been designed and considered in the round, acknowledging its impact on other areas of law and taking that into account.
Another top listen in 2025 was a discussion on the impact of Addison & Anor v Niaz [2024] EWHC 3124 and its implications for Larke v Nugus requests. Lucy Scourfield and Shannon Thompson at Forbes Solicitors and Norman Lamb, a barrister from Nine Chambers discuss the case and the broader tension between legal privilege and the duty to disclose, offering clear guidance on best practices for both contentious and non-contentious practitioners when responding to Larke v Nugus requests.
Improving process and procedures in wills and probate was a key theme of this year’s discussions with AI-driven probate services, estate valuations, estate clearances, inheritance tax planning, probate property, and genealogy all benefiting from investment in technology and innovation.
Mental health, wellbeing and charity were other themes this year as Today’s Wills and Probate supported WillAid, Remember a Charity and LawCare in their efforts to improve ways of working across legal services.
The Today’s Wills and Probate podcast will return in 2026 with a raft of new guests and discussion topics; should you wish to be involved in the podcast either as a guest or to sponsor, please contact David Opie on 0330 1000 839, or email david.opie@todaysmedia.co.uk. In the meantime you can catch up on all the episodes from previous series on the Today’s Wills and Probate website, and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and Amazon Music. Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment.
