Proposals for regulation of the funeral sector are to be developed in the wake of the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors scandal in Hull. Robert Bush was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a total
After a slow start to 2026 the equity release market returned to growth during the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest report from the Equity Release Council (ERC). The Q2 data showed total
Fewer than one in 20 estates are subject to inheritance tax (IHT), with the average effective tax rate paid by taxpaying estates at 13%. The rate reflects the impact of exemptions, reliefs and tax-free allowances,
A report into the differing guidance provided by regulators in the wake of the Mazur case has highlighted how “insufficient cross-regulator engagement” resulted in inconsistent interpretations of the Legal Services Act and the subsequent guidance
A Foot Anstey client who sent abusive emails addressing them as “w**kers” and “b*tches” and threatening to “beat the sh*t” out of them has been jailed for 28 days and ordered to pay costs of
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated he would prefer to “fix” palliative and social care before committing parliamentary time to the assisted dying debate as part of his efforts to reform social care. In a
A judge has criticised an “unusual and troubling” delay in the administration of an estate, caused by disagreements between five siblings and resulting in the body of their mother being stored at an undertaker for
A card game has been created to help firms tackle the challenge of training and maintaining understanding around source of funds. The brainchild of two compliance consultants, the game “helps fee earners and support staff
An estate can have US estate tax reporting obligations even where the deceased was not a US citizen or resident, a specialist in cross-border shares has warned. UK firm Share Data says estates that include
Ciara Furey is a lifetime planning solicitor with Maxwell Hodge Solicitors. She advises a wide range of clients on wills, trusts, probate, lasting powers of attorney, and deputyship applications. What was your career path
Newly formed private equity backed legal services firm Orwins has announced its latest acquisition, with Newcastle-based Clarke Mairs joining the group. Formed earlier this year and backed by Scottish PE firm Aliter Capital, Orwins was
A disinherited nephew faces up to two years in jail after the High Court found he had breached an injunction granted to Foot Anstey in December 2024. Mr Justice Griffiths found Sean Stimson to be
Genealogists have warned that the rising popularity of home DNA tests could trigger will disputes and create a moral judgement about what constitutes family in inheritance matters. Consumers are increasingly using commercial at-home DNA testing
Assisted dying has been legalised in France, subject to approval from the country’s Constitutional Council. The National Assembly voted by 291 to 241 to back the much-debated bill, which had already been rejected three times
Rhiannon Russell is a senior associate in the private client advisory team at Birketts. She has worked as a private client solicitor for more than 10 years, advising clients on a range of matters from
Following the accession of Andy Burnham to Labour leader, the Law Society of England and Wales has called on the new prime minister to work with the legal sector to support growth across the country.
Private equity house CKM3 has invested in Oxford-based Hedges Law through a new legal services vehicle, Oak Legal Group, it has announced. Oak Legal Group formally launches as a “deliberate step to build something fundamentally
An open letter signed by industry leaders and politicians has called on the government to speed up progress on making digital wills legally valid. Seven cross-party MPs, including Wera Hobhouse MP, Matt Bishop MP and
The High Court has refused permission to appeal a ruling that declarations of trust made by a multi-millionaire accountant in favour of his wife must be set aside. Mr Justice Richards said the application from
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has signalled it will shift a greater proportion of contributions to the Compensation Fund on to individual solicitors following its consultation on the 2026/27 business plan. Where currently 50% of
An independent review of the Legal Service Board (LSB) commissioned in the wake of regulatory failures including Axiom Ince and SSB Law has concluded the organisation has “lost its way in recent years” and has
Proposals by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to introduce mandatory ethics training for all solicitors would be “unworkable and costly”, the Law Society of England and Wales has said. Further plans to re-introduce requirements to record
At TWPFest in June, a roundtable discussion examined the role of compliance in wills and probate and estate planning. Led by host Darren Leggett, managing director of Property Ladder Group, the delegates shared their views
Later life advice needs to evolve ahead of the inclusion of unused defined contribution (DC) in estates, Key Equity Release has warned. The inclusion of unused DC pensions in estates from April next year is
Author and comedian Harriet Beveridge will share Olympic-winning performance strategies at The Legal Conference 2026. The co-author of the best-selling book Will It Make The Boat Go Faster?, which tells the story of the team
A good practice review into Consumer Duty by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found when products are designed with consumers’ needs firmly in mind, they can support good outcomes – helping people make informed
A family has recovered more than £160,000 in care home fees after their late aunt was found to have wrongly paid privately for care that should have been funded by the NHS. The settlement from
Josh Fenton-Hawkes is an associate and the head of the wills and probate team at Sills & Betteridge Solicitors in Sheffield. He is a skilled and knowledgeable wills, trusts and probate executive with over 13
An industry coalition of e-signing platforms, qualified trust service providers (QTSPs) and UK-certified digital verification service (DVS) providers has called on the government and HM Land Registry to address what is says are errors in
A father and son dispute being heard in London’s High Court is “a stark reminder” of the risks of agreeing significant family arrangements without clear legal documentation, a private wealth dispute expert has warned. Kate
With the deadline for entries now passed and final submissions for the British Wills and Probate Awards due tonight (10th July 2026), attention turns to judging each of the entries across the 22 categories. As
Lawyers could be sanctioned for not using artificial intelligence (AI) where it has the potential to improve professional ability, and for misusing AI where its use throws up errors and hallucinations. A Legal Statement on