HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) data showed that Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts for April 2023 to February 2024 were £6.8 billion, which is £0.4 billion higher than the same period last year. The increase of

Inheritance recovery specialists have warned that charities are missing out on millions of pounds in legacy bequests which were overlooked by the original executors. In the past 18 months, two UK charities have received £125,000

A recent survey conducted by Opinium Research, commissioned by Dignity in Dying, indicates strong backing for a change in the law regarding assisted dying in the UK. Out of more than 10,000 respondents across England

Kirsty Limacher, Chief Legal Officer at The Association of Lifetime Lawyers is urging people to think about their digital legacy following new research revealing just 20% of UK adults over 30 have referenced digital assets

Thackray Williams, the London and Kent law firm, has bolstered its management and commercial teams with a number of new hires after witnessing a combined 82% increase in revenue for its employment and commercial departments

Some of the UK’s wealthiest families were landed with retrospective tax bills in the region of £1.4 million on lifetime gifts, according to latest annual figures. The families tried to make use of a rule

Krystel Marzan, a solicitor admitted in 2014, has been struck off after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found her guilty of passing off previously signed copies of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) as newly executed. Marzan,

The Charity Commission has recently shared early findings from its annual sector survey, revealing that 42% of trustees surveyed said their charity experienced poor service from their banks in the last 12 months. 6% of

The Law Society of England and Wales is encouraging the profession to continue to improve the progression and retention of women to senior levels, as it marks International Women’s Day. Data from the Solicitors Regulation

In a widely anticipated Spring Budget presentation on Wednesday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt left industry experts and the public intrigued as he steered clear of any mention of inheritance tax (IHT). Despite prior speculations suggesting that

A High Court judge has ruled in favour of a grandfather’s decision to leave the bulk of his £500,000 estate to his children rather than his grandchildren, amidst a family dispute. The late Frederick Ward

AIIC Group (“AIIC”), the holding company behind leading independent law firm Taylor Rose MW, has been named as the fastest growing legal and accounting services in Europe, according to the prestigious FT 1000 list of

Key Later Life Finance, equity release advisor, highlights the significant downturn in first-time home purchases, with figures dropping to a decade low of approximately 290,000 in the last year, a 21% decline from 2022 –

The Legal Services Board today announces the appointment of Tom Hayhoe as the new Chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel from 1st May 2024. Tom succeeds Sarah Chambers, whose term of office ends on

Ahead of the Spring Budget, probate brokerage firm Final Duties suggests that eliminating inheritance tax could be a strategic move for the Chancellor, as reported by Propertywire. This action is seen as a potential appeal

A Conservative peer, David Willetts of the Intergenerational Centre thinktank, has proposed a policy for the upcoming government to distribute wealth more evenly across the UK, as reported by The Guardian. This involves granting a

Executors are being advised by a leading barrister that they are legally obliged to reopen the files of administration where evidence of outstanding disbursements or bequests emerge after probate is granted. If they fail to

A recent Health and Social Care Select Committee report in the House of Commons reveals that countries allowing assisted dying have not seen a decline in end-of-life care. There is evidence of enhanced support and

In a recent development within a prolonged legal battle, the Court of Appeal in England and Wales has overturned a High Court ruling from August 2023 regarding the contentious will of Anna Rea, who passed

In England and Wales, inheritance disputes are reaching record levels, with specialist lawyers estimating around 10,000 cases annually, as reported by The Guardian. The year 2021-22 saw 195 cases go to trial, a significant increase

In a recent response to concerns raised about probate application delays, Lord Bellamy, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, outlined measures the Ministry of Justice is implementing to expedite the probate process. This comes

STEP has responded to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on the storage and retention of wills and other documents submitted in applications for probate. This consultation proposes a reform that will allow older wills and

An organisation that has helped over 2,000 charities to benefit from charitable gifting through wills has reported a surge in business as more people begin to leverage the accessibility of online wills. Founded in 2018

Comentis, a duty of care assessment company, has announced the launch of a “tech-enabled mental capacity assessment” for the equity release sector. Designed to ensure conveyancers and solicitors are suitably equipped to assess borrowers’ mental

The DWP set out plans to ensure the £1.4 trillion held by pension schemes delivers for savers and the economy. Plans include making surplus extraction easier for well-funded Defined Benefit (DB) schemes, alongside a public

The latest HMRC update finds that Inheritance Tax (IHT) has raised £6.3 billion through the current financial year (April 2023 – January 2024), an increase of 7% on the previous year through the same period