The government is ‘reviewing the preventative steps taken’ in the course of probate applications to tackle inheritance fraud highlighted by the recent BBC podcast series uncovering criminal use of the Bona Vacantia list to identify
A north-west based will writing business has launched a new community fund to support grassroots organisations and ‘give back to the communities it serves.’ Morecambe Bay Wills and Estates, which also incorporates North Wales Wills,
Campaigners are calling for the urgent digitisation of adoption records in England as a television programme to on ITV has highlighted the scandal of mothers who were forced to put their children up for adoption
A new Ofqual-accredited paralegal qualification has been launched by The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP). The Diploma for Senior Associate Paralegals is the first Ofqual regulated Level 5 paralegal qualification and joins NALP’s suite
In this episode of Today’s Wills and Probate, host David Opie welcomes Dan Baines, Founder and CEO of Advanced Inheritance, for a deep dive into the growing role of probate lending in modern estate administration.
A son who was likely to have been disinherited in his late mother’s will as a result of his own divorce proceedings has been awarded 25% of the residual estate after his 1975 Inheritance Act
Nearly half of equity release customers could be considered vulnerable according to research conducted by the Equity Release Group (ERG), who are calling on the market to better identify and support vulnerable customers at an
A solicitor has been jailed and struck from the roll after stealing from vulnerable clients in a fraud involving Lasting Powers of Attorney. Alison Haley Griffiths, who specialised in wills and probate was convicted of
A new survey ahead of Will Aid month in November has revealed 56% have never written a Will, while one in 10 admit theirs no longer reflects their wishes. 2,000 people across the UK were
A court has imposed a restraining order on a daughter after her inheritance was placed into a family trust sparking tension in the family. Genevieve Oriel has been restricted from seeing her elderly mother, Hilda
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is proposing increasing its case fee from £400 to £600; in the first change to pricing since charges were first introduced in 2010. The Law Society of England and Wales have
Nearly two thirds of lawyers are now using artificial intelligence to support the in their roles; but appear to be doing it off their own back with 17% of lawyers saying their firm has a
A solicitor claimed the pressures of the pandemic brought about ‘misplaced compassion’ rather than any attempt to be dishonest in a recent Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal at which she was reprimanded for the failure to properly
A Manchester-based law firm has said it is moving to safeguard the long-term interests of clients following the launch of their own trust corporation. Private Client Solicitor (PCS) was founded by Tasnim Khalid in 2005
The Court of Appeal has delivered its verdict on a case involving a large pensions administrator mistakenly sending out Annual Benefit Statements (ABS) for Sussex Police to outdated residential addresses. Michael Farley & Others v
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned scammers continue to target those most vulnerable in society and those over the age of 56 according to recently released numbers from the regulator. The warning comes as
More than half of UK law firms are unprepared for the new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence coming into force under The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) in September, according to a new
Half of high net worth (HNW) individuals have included a gift in their will with Charitable Will Trusts and Donor Advised Funds used by one in three millionaires according to recent research. A survey of
Recently run roundtables to discuss the option of funding access to justice through interest on client account, first previewed in The Law Society Gazette, have created more questions than answers according to attendees. In July
Banks should be doing more to ensure a smoother probate process as new search identifies long waits, lost documents, mistakes and miscommunication impacting bereaved families and estate professionals. Research by consumer website Which? has found
Will Aid 2025 is formally launching with solicitors encouraged to take part in this years’ campaign. In its 37th years the initiative has announced two new charity partners with charities Shelter and Crisis set to
Midlands law firm Higgs has secured backing from August Equity, making it the first legal firm in the investor’s 48-strong portfolio. The Dudley-based firm, established in the Black Country in 1875, has 28 partners, 250
In this episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, David Opie welcomes a panel of legal experts to explore the recent Addison and Niaz case and its important implications for Larke v Nugus requests.
Cumbria-based Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors has announced Managing Director Peter Stafford will retire at the end of September, concluding more than 25 years with the firm and a decade as Managing Partner. Stafford will be succeeded
The shortlist for the British Wills and Probate Awards 2025, sponsored by Arken.legal, has been announced ahead of the black-tie celebration on 9th October. Now in its 8th year, the awards welcomes submissions from across
The latest inheritance tax receipts for July 2025 hit record levels at £844m; and £3.1bn in the four months from the start of this financial year in April 2025 to July 2025 – £0.2bn higher
An estate planner has been banned from the profession after admitting to falsely witnessing the signatures of a donor and two attorneys to a lasting power of attorney (LPA), rendering it invalid. Ian Heslop, who
The application fee to the Office of the Public Guardian for Lasting Powers of Attorney will increase later this year, subject to parliamentary approval. The Ministry of Justice has confirmed it intends to increase the
Following the news the government is considering introducing a national property tax in place of Stamp Duty, it has been further reported a ‘mansion tax’ is under consideration by the Treasury in an attempt to
The sudden death of a billionaire from swallowing a bee has resulted in succession uncertainty at one of the largest automotive component businesses in the world. Indian billionaire Sunjay Kapur was the heir to Sona
Later life lending could become a key part of retirement and legacy planning as the government seeks to levy greater tax on pensions and the ‘great wealth transfer’ sees as much as £3.7tn in property
This episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast is hosted by David Opie and features Lucinda Frostick, Director of Remember A Charity, and Meg Edwards, a solicitor specialising in trusts and estates disputes at