The British Wills and Probate Awards, sponsored by Property Solutions Group, returns in 2022 at the aptly titled Grand Hotel in Birmingham. The awards uniquely showcases the very best the wills and probate industry has
In this latest Today’s Wills and Probate podcast David Opie is joined by the CEO of Probate Protect, Chris Cauvain. Chris discusses the professional, and personal, journey which has led him to setting up a
Today’s Wills and Probate has partnered with Helen Forster of HTF Legal to provide live and on-demand legal training for private client practitioners and willwriters. Today’s Training was launched in 2020 with the intention of
In this latest Today’s Wills and Probate podcast David Opie is joined by Tom Stansfield. Tom is well known to many in the wills and probate sector through his roles with membership body The Society
The early bird rate is available for entrants to The British Wills and Probate Awards, sponsored by recently re-branded Property Solutions Group (formerly Executor Solutions). The 2021 event attracted a record number of entries with
In this podcast David Opie is joined by Charlotte Ponder, Legal Director at CTT Group (formerly Countrywide Tax and Trust Corporation) and Chris Jones, Managing Director and ICON-UK to discuss the progress being made on
HMRC figures show a £0.6bn increase in inheritance tax (IHT) receipts in the first half of 2021/22 than in the same period a year earlier. £3.6bn in IHT was collected between April and October 2021,
A consultation from the Payment Systems Regulator could see legislation introduced forcing banks to refund those affected by authorised push payment (APP) fraud. APP fraud is typically perpetrated by criminals impersonating trusted individuals and organisations
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched a consultation on its approach to financial penalties for law firms and solicitors with the aim of resolving cases more quickly and reducing the need to refer to
Third party IT service providers could be required to follow new cyber security rules such as the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Assessment Framework as part of new proposals to help businesses manage the growing
The first judgment on a reasonable provision claim under s.11 of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (the 1975 Act) has been given in the case of Sismey v Salandron. In the
The Ministry of Justice has launched a consultation to review third party access to funds belonging to those who lack mental capacity without the need to get permission from the Court of Protections. The consultation
Money laundering costs the British economy around £37 billion each year. And with the legal sector under increasing scrutiny (and SRA site visits happening right now) it’s something firms should be placing front and centre
Further details around the planned changes to the social care system have been published in a policy paper following the announcements by Prime Minster Boris Johnson in September. In “Build Back Better: Our plan for
Research and analysis conducted by Canada Life, the assurance and financial services organisation, shows that UK homeowners now have over £740 billion of available equity release. Canada Life’s analysis of figures for Q3 2021, taken
Flexibility has overtaken pay as the top priority for practitioners entering the jobs market, according to new research by legal recruitment consultancy, Realm Recruit. As part of its annual market research conducted in June 2021,
The Conservatorship that has ruled the life of pop singer Britney Spears has been lifted by a judge in Los Angeles. The decision on Friday 12th November 2021 brings to a formal end the personal
A study by the Marriage Foundation has revealed that couples who meet on dating apps are six times more likely to get divorced within the first three years of marriage. The survey of 2,027 married
The Law Society of England and Wales has launched a survey to inform its response to future consultations on extending the witnessing of wills via video beyond the end of January 2022. In July 2020
Two and a half weeks on from the highly successful British Wills and Probate Awards, sponsored by Executor Solutions there is still a warm afterglow around the event. Social media is awash with certificates and
The results from a survey of 2,000 people has found that Inheritance Tax is the UK’s most hated tax. 1 in 4 respondents said that they felt it to be the most hated tax, despite
A recent spike in contentious probate disputes is costing families their inheritance. According to research conducted by the private wealth law firm Boodle Hatfield, the number of contentious probate and Will challenge cases in the
Due to measures put in place to help stop the spread of Covid-19 HMRC has changed the way they deal with Inheritance Tax returns. If a person died on or after 6 April 2011 and
As a legacy professional who previously worked as a private client solicitor, I read with interest the recent articles about how best to approach the inclusion of a gift to a charity within a client’s
The Financial Conduct Authority have released figures which show that access to bank branches is decreasing, with 267 branch closures between April and June 2021. The impact on consumers means that 60.1% of the population
Within charities, legacy officers are aware that we can be seen to be ‘difficult’ beneficiaries. My view is that this is almost always down to poor communication on both sides, and I also firmly believe
Changes to the law due to come into effect in January are set to transport the world of wills and probate back in time to 1837. No, not 1987; all the way back to 1837.
The Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce has backed the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) 2021-2022 business plan and budget, and reiterated the joint key priorities for the Law Society which include anti-money laundering (AML), diversity,
Legacy Foresight have compiled their latest Legacy Market Briefing 2021 to the sector following the latest benchmarking and analysis of legacy giving in the UK via their Legacy Monitor Consortium. The report shares top-line findings
A survey of over 2000 adults aged 16+ had revealed that nearly 19% of people don’t understand British law and do not feel empowered to seek justice. Less than half (41%) of respondents said that
This International Stress Awareness Week, Exizent is shining a light on the added stress experienced by the bereaved, professionals, institutions and executors tasked with sorting out the administration involved when someone passes away. The inefficient
I’m a solicitor (qualified in 2006) and STEP member who was in private practice but now working as a Senior Legacy Officer at the NSPCC. While I was still working full time, I volunteered a