More people than ever are ‘unbundling’ legal services, with one in five consumers dividing the tasks that need to be carried with their solicitors. The highest incidences of the practice were found in probate, trademarks,
The government has released the latest official statistics related to the diversity of the judiciary, prompting the president of the Law Society of England and Wales to call for ‘significant progress to level the playing
Property Solutions Group has announced the appointment of Jonathan Maskew as Non-Executive Director as the business says it continues to expand its national footprint and invest in services that support legal professionals and their clients
Official statistics show the number of fathers aged over 60 is on the increase, as the numbers of children born to younger parents falls. Office for National Statistics (ONS) numbers show a 14% increase in
A new collaboration between Probate.Auction, CLSQ, Move With Us and The National Will Register has been launched to ‘support and advance’ the probate sector through education, networking, and shared expertise. The Professional Probate Partnership (PPP)
The new chair for the Association of Lifetime Lawyers (ALL) has been appointed after Michael Culver stepped down in June after six years in the role. Jade Gani has been confirmed as the new of
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s annual AML and sanction data collection will start this week, with firms required to provide information about AML and financial sanctions activity and how it’s managed. All regulated firms must provide
The Unclaimed estates page on the gov.uk website has been temporarily withdrawn, with a message simply stating “Due to an administrative issue we have temporarily removed the unclaimed Estates list from our website. Further details
Stourbridge headquartered Talbots has announced the acquisition of Tinsdills Solicitors, in what it describes as a ‘strategic expansion’ into North Staffordshire and Cheshire . Talbots’ offices stretch across the Black Country, Birmingham, Coventry, Shropshire and
The modernisation of wills law is in the hands of the profession who should build on the momentum of the Law Commission’s report to ensure the proposals make their way into statute. In a presentation
The Supreme Court has ruled on a case concerning the transfer of assets for the purposes of estate planning in a landmark divorce case. Standish v Standish has been through the courts system with a
The deadline for entering the British Wills and Probate Awards 2025 is nearly upon us with just a week to go until entry closes on Friday 14th July. Firm then have a further week to
With Glastonbury Festival well underway, there are reports of founder Sir Michael Eavis’s plans to pass on the multi-million pound event and the wealth it has personally generated to his daughter and avoid a sizeable
Trusts are playing a larger role in future estate planning in the wake of reforms which will bring pensions into scope for inheritance tax (IHT) from 2027… and the sector must be prepared for the
Two of estate planning’s best known personalities have joined forces in a move they hope will ‘redefine the landscape’ of estate planning and asset protection. Strategic Asset Protection, launched by Mike Hiner, has appointed Jonathan
Super-regulator, The Legal Services Board (LSB), has announced Chief Executive Craig Westwood will leave the organisation after just a year in the role having tendered his resignation citing personal reasons this week. Westwood was appointed
One in three people intend to write a will but haven’t yet, and one in five say they have no intention of writing of will according to a survey of 2,000 adults in the UK.
South-east based Rix and Kay are the latest firm to have been acquired by Knight PLC, the third in as many months after the acquisitions of Birkett Long in May and IBB Law in March.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have announced what it describes as ‘once in a generation’ reforms to the advice firms are able to provide around pensions, investments, and savings. In an effort to tackle the
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which also regulates some probate providers, is conducting a survey on the state of the probate market. In the latest Family Court Statistics Quarterly covering January to March 2025
Farmers and business owners have instructed law firm Collyer Bristow to serve proceeding on the Chancellor of the Exchequer and HMRC for a Judicial Review of the government’s decision not to consult on the planned
The Probate Registry is currently taking an average of five week to issue a grant after the application has been submitted; around twice as quick as the same period a year ago. During January to
After reports in the last week the Government is considering a u-turn on its policy of charging inheritance tax on global assets for up to 10 years after an individual last reside in the country,
The government has confirmed its commitment to supporting and investing in the legal sector, laying out its plans in the 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy shared this week. In a statement to Parliament, the secretary of
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have appointed a new Chief Executive Officer to replace the departing Paul Philip, who leaves after nearly a decade in the role. Philip retires later this year and will be
Another sizeable increase in inheritance tax (IHT) receipts is further evidence of the impact of inflation and frozen nil rate bands pulling more estates into the ‘IHT net’ say financial planning and legal commentators. IHT
With the deadline for entry into the British Wills and Probate Awards 2025 just a few weeks away on Friday 11th July, Today’s Wills and Probate considers what makes a standout entry for awards programmes.
The government has acknowledged Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulations ‘are seen as a major burden’ to professional business service firms, and has pledged to reform the controversial rules by the end of the year. Writing
Research from UK professional services firm S&W has found that more than half of business owners polled have, or are planning to, cut staff numbers in response to the increase in employer National Insurance Contributions
Premier Solicitors in Bedford has achieved the accolade of the highest donating firm to Will Aid this year, raising £63,725 for the longstanding will-awareness campaign. Will Aid has been running since 1988 and raises money
A ‘reverse mentoring’ toolkit developed by LawCare and the University of Leeds aims to help law firms and legal organisations become more inclusive, supportive and fair places to work. The term refers to junior employees
MPs have voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which would in certain circumstances legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. After some last minute concerns by those in favour