The Law Society is proposing a 1.9% rise in its share of the annual practising certificate (PC) fee for the 2025–26 year. Chancery Lane has put forward a proposed PC fee contribution of £37.5 million,
Law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore has appointed Damien Jones as a Partner in its Probate division, strengthening its team and expanding its capabilities in the South East. Jones joins from Knocker & Foskett, where
The global stock market upheaval following the imposition of wide-ranging tariffs by the US President may offer executors of estates an opportunity to mitigate Inheritance Tax (IHT) through a less well known but long-standing tax
A Yorkshire solicitor has achieved the highest accreditation for lawyers dealing with Health and Welfare cases within the Court of Protection. Jill McCurdy, Solicitor Partner at Ramsdens has gained membership to the Law Society’s Mental
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has highlighted that banks and building societies can improve how they treat customers affected by bereavement or registering a power of attorney. Since the introduction of the Consumer Duty, some
The Wills Act has remained largely unchanged for over 150 years. The Law Commission first tackled its reform in 2017, paused to address marriage law, and revisited it with a supplementary consultation in 2023. The
Millions of pensioners will receive as much as £470 more a year added to their State Pension due to the government’s’ ironclad commitment to the pensions Triple Lock throughout this parliament. This comes alongside the
A new petition is calling on the Government to reform outdated laws that treat pets as property in Court cases. Launched by Cooper & Co Solicitors of Canterbury, a firm which has been acting for
STEP has launched a report Attitudes to Wealth – a survey capturing the insights of global clients’ attitudes to wealth and tax from more than 900 private client advisors across 86 countries. This report comes
The private client and contentious probate legal sector is experiencing a period of growth, marked by a series of promotions and appointments. Morr & Co has announced the promotion of two lawyers within its Contentious
The Association of Lifetime Lawyers is set to host its highly anticipated National Conference on 8th October 2025 at The Shaw Theatre in London. The event will bring together industry insights to dissect a new
The Charity Commission has banned trustees of a charity after a statutory inquiry found significant financial mismanagement. Hampshire-based The Saint George Educational Trust was registered in 1994 to carry out activities that advance the Catholic
Key Later Life Finance, equity release adviser, said that the recent speech by Financial Conduct Authority Chief Executive, Nikhil Rathi, is “hugely encouraging” with its focus on later life lending and property wealth. Will Hale,
Probate intermediaries believe their clients are being treated unfairly by the system and are poorly served by the processes and platforms designed to help them, according to The Estate Registry. They stated that reform is
Legacy Futures has released findings from its recent training survey, shedding light on the challenges and needs of professionals in legacy and in-memory fundraising. The survey, conducted as part of Legacy Futures’ ongoing commitment to
Co-op Legal Services has delivered continued growth during 2024, while holding prices on its services for members and clients. The member-owned organisation achieved strong volume growth in 2024, with revenue up almost a quarter (24%)
After a two-year battle, Dr Alex Allinson’s, a former GP turned politician, assisted dying bill passed its final reading last week. The law, expected to take effect by 2027, will make the Isle of Man
A man has been charged with 64 offences following a major police investigation into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, where authorities discovered 35 bodies and a quantity of ashes, as reported by The BBC.
As the HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Reform Programme, established to help modernise the courts and tribunal system, comes to an end, the Law Society of England and Wales has played an influential role
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the performance of legal regulators. Speaking at a recent meeting, LSB Chief Executive Craig Westwood outlined the Board’s approach leading up to the next
There has been a 5% rise in contested wills reaching the courtroom between 2022 and 2023. According to Mark Woloshak, Head of Litigation at Howells Solicitors, this is a “trend that appears to be continuing”,
The Law Society of England and Wales has backed the amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983, which is a positive step towards ensuring that essential mental health services guarantee dignity, respect and access to
The two largest legal regulators in England and Wales have fallen short of expected standards, according to the latest annual performance assessment published by the Legal Services Board (LSB). The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and
Over-65s own property wealth of £2.944 trillion outright which could be put to use supporting their retirement planning and give a boost to the property market, data from Key Later Life Finance shows. Its data
National audit, tax, advisory and consulting firm Crowe has announced the launch of its new probate advisory service. The new offering enables Crowe to provide trusted guidance and comprehensive advice at every stage of life
People living with dementia are set to benefit from government-backed research designed to help them live more independently in their own homes. Four new research networks led by the UK’s top researchers, developers, health and
The Chancellor’s Spring Statement provided no further update on contentious inheritance tax (IHT) reforms or including the proposed inclusion of pension pots in estates from 2027. The lack of clarity comes despite significant pushback on
The FCA has launched a market study into how well the distribution of pure protection insurance products – which support families with financial commitments if someone becomes critically ill or dies – is working for
The majority of charity supporters in their 40s and over have written a will (at 61%) and just under one third (31%) of those with wills have included a charitable gift, according to new research
Changes to the outdated, antiquated process of writing a will might finally be around the corner, according to one industry insight, who says that, for too long the legal system has maintained a system that
Many people are forgetting to update key financial information following a divorce, which could have serious implications for their families’ financial futures, new research from L&G has revealed. One in ten people who have divorced
Ellisons has strengthened its Private Client team with the appointment of highly respected tax and trusts specialist, Peter Crix, as Senior Consultant. Based in Bury St Edmunds, Peter’s wealth of experience advising high-net-worth individuals, business