The Association of Lifetime Lawyers National Conference 2024 takes place on Thursday 20th June 2024 at The Shaw Theatre, London. Five expert speakers will guide attendees through a colourful case study to explore the issues
LexisNexis Legal & Professional have released a new report – Bellwether 2024: Lessons on law firm growth – which reveals nearly two-thirds of small- and medium-sized firms plan to grow in the next five years,
A Norfolk law firm, Hansells, has been fined nearly £121,000 for distributing incorrect sums to estate beneficiaries and failing to rectify the issue for eight years, as reported by The Law Society Gazette. The Solicitors
A recent survey has uncovered significant knowledge gaps in retirement planning among the UK’s wealthiest individuals. Despite the high net worth of the respondents, many are surprisingly unaware about their retirement strategies and pension performance.
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has issued Requirements, Guidance, and a statement of policy to regulators to improve the way in which first tier complaints are handled. First tier complaints are the initial complaints that
The waiting time for probate applications has significantly decreased in the number of weeks from submission to grant issue for all probate applications – decreasing from 13.7 to 11.3 weeks, according to HM Courts &
The Isle of Man is moving toward potentially becoming the first part of the British Isles to legalise assisted dying, following pivotal parliamentary votes. Members of the Tynwald, the island’s parliament, are debating whether lethal
More than three in five (61%) UK homeowners – equivalent to 18.7 million people – are interested in releasing money from their home in later life to meet a range of financial needs, according to
The England and Wales High Court (EWHC) recently ruled on a case involving the will of Marjorie Thompson, who left the residue of her estate equally to fifteen charities, several of which were incorrectly or
The Law Society of England and Wales has expressed concern at the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) continued pursuit of regulating authorised and non-authorised members of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). The SRA’s consultation
Clients of McClure Solicitors, a Scottish law firm that went bankrupt three years ago, are expressing concerns about being at the heart of what could become the next major legal scandal, similar to the Post
Hugh James has announced its latest round of promotions, which includes the appointment of four new partners and the introduction of its new Legal Director role. Across the UK, 31 people have been promoted, reinforcing
The National Will Register is offering free will registration to everyone for the month of May with FREEWILLREG24. The National will Register exists to ensure unknown, untraceable wills are a thing of the past through
The Central London County Court has delivered its verdict in the case of Langley v Qin, a matter revolving around alleged predatory marriage. This case, notable for being among the first to follow the precedent
A recent report by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has proposed a novel approach to tackling loneliness among poorer couples in Britain: state-funded weddings, as reported by The Times. Citing the stabilising effect of
Exizent has announced its sponsorship of Today’s Media ‘Women in Wills’. Now in it’s fifth year, Women in Wills is a membership group for women working throughout the wills and probate industry focused on collaboration,
To coincide with the theme of language for this year’s Dying Matters Week, Funeral Choice has researched the UK’s understanding of funeral terminology. The funeral experts have identified distinct confusion around the most common funeral
CILEx Regulation has submitted its response to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s current consultation launched on 20 March 2024 which sets out their proposals for the regulation of non-authorised CILEX members, including CILEX students, affiliates and
New data released by the Legacy Futures group reveals that charity sector investment in legacy fundraising has grown considerably in recent years, likely reflecting both growing awareness of the importance of legacies in charity sustainability
A direct cremation company says it is leading the way in providing a new green option for customers to help reduce their carbon footprint. Distinct Cremations, whose parent company is Westerleigh Group, is believed to
Kingsley Napley LLP has announced four new partners as part of its annual promotions round. This brings the total number of partners at the firm to an all-time high of 87, of whom 43 (49%)
The recent surge in discussions surrounding assisted dying, ignited by Dame Esther Rantzen’s revelation of her terminal illness and her advocacy for legalising the practice, has sparked a parliamentary petition and a debate within Westminster
The ongoing inquiry into the Probate Registry by the Justice Committee has brought to light a series of challenges and potential solutions, as discussed by representatives from various professional bodies. With the aim of enhancing
In a recent High Court ruling, a firm of solicitors was instructed to cover 60% of legal expenses regarding a case involving the rectification and interpretation of a will. The case centred on the will
Level, a UK-based and FCA regulated lender within the family and private client law sectors, is targeting growth in the probate lending sector with the acquisition of Tower Street Finance. Level has also secured new
The Equity Release Council (the Council) is reminding advisers of their responsibilities under the next phase of the FCA’s consumer duty, which comes into force on July 31st 2024. The ‘closed book’ phase of the
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has set out its pro-innovation approach to the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal services sector. Published yesterday, the update explains the oversight regulator’s overall approach to technology
Finders International have won the prestigious ‘Best Probate Research Firm’ category at the 2024 ‘Probies’ – or Probate Industry Awards. Now in its sixth year, the Probies were presented by broadcaster Kate Garraway who awarded
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has issued guidance to regulators, pushing them to be proactive in creating an environment that encourages lawyers and law firms to innovate to help better connect people to legal services.
Esther Rantzen implores Members of Parliament to participate in a parliamentary debate concerning assisted dying, prompted by a petition signed by over 200,000 individuals advocating for the right of terminally ill individuals to seek medical
38,178 charitable estates were found in wills in 2023, the highest number recorded since tracking sector data in 2012, according to Smee & Ford’s annual trends report. The 2023 figure is the highest number of
HM Revenue & Customs data has revealed that a record amount of £7.5billion in Inheritance Tax was paid to the Treasury in the 2023/24 tax year. Total receipts for April 2023 to March 2024 were