The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued new guidance to companies operating a remote or hybrid working model asking them to provide evidence that any lack of centralised location or remote working does not or
The Government is investing in a £40 million initiative to cut carbon emissions of courts across England and Wales. The investment will see a range of new measures designed to improve the sustainability of HM
The deadline for submissions to the consultation started in July over proposed reforms to Lasting Powers of Attorney has now passed. The consultation was launched with the ambition of “(making) the service quicker to use,
With just a few days to go until The British Wills and Probate Awards 2021, sponsored by Executor Solutions, momentum is building toward the big day. And we invite you to join us on the
A review completed by the Solicitors Regulations Authority into law firm anti-money laundering failures has identified a 40% increase in the number of potential AML breaches reported to the SRA, with the number one area
In a national survey of full or part-time employed people 9 in 10 workers (92%), who now increasingly divide their time between home and the office, would be willing to commute further to buy or
Beneficiary that inherited a one-half beneficial interest in a house by survivorship, is ordered to return £80,000 in equity to the estate of his dead brother. In the recent High Court case of Beg v
The gender gap is no more obvious than in estate planning according to an analysis data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Fidelity Research by financial solutions provider Tower Street Finance. According to
The digitisation of HMCTS, a £1bn programme of reform, is being supported by a new national service following an extensive pilot and tender process. Beginning in October, a £10m investment will see We are Digital
Solicitors in England and Wales will celebrate Black History Month by embracing the ‘Proud to Be’ theme, which encourages Black people to celebrate and share the pride they have in their heritage and culture. Law
Following the outbreak of the pandemic last year I have had just two face-to-face mediations, all the rest have been via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. I spent hours in March through May 2020 testing out
Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears has been removed from the controversial conservatorship that has controlled her life for more than a decade. Judge Brenda Penny formally ended the conservatorship between Britney Spears and her father
The Tolkien estate has agreed to pay £7 million to HM Revenue & Customs after a ten-year dispute over proceeds from Hollywood adaptations of Tolkien novels such as The Lord of The Rings and the
Exizent, the Glasgow-based law-tech whose innovative platform is transforming bereavement by connecting legal services firms with banks and the wider financial services community, has announced the exciting appointment of Graeme Jones as a Senior Adviser
CILEx Regulation has announced that it has licensed its first Alternative Business Structure (ABS) in a move that is likely to increase further competition in the legal services industry and offer greater choice to consumers.
In the Today’s Wills and Probate podcast Episode 2, host David Opie talks to Chair of Solicitors for the Elderly Michael Culver and Institute of Legacy Management’s James Stebbings about what they would do if
Charity Fraud Awareness Week is coming up from 18th to 22nd October. Now in its sixth year, the week brings together everyone within the sector to talk about fraud, aiming to raise awareness of the
The British Wills and Probate Awards sponsored by Executor Solutions returns with a bang this year as the hybrid event comes to Birmingham’s newly refurbished Grand Hotel on 21st October. Hosted by ex-Royal Correspondent Jennie
STEP and the Microsoft-funded Cloud Legal Project at Queen Mary University of London have collaborated on a joint research project into estate practitioner views on, and experiences with, digital assets. The aim is to understand
One of the Midlands leading independent law firms has appointed a new CEO to help it capitalise on a record year of performance. Talbots Law, which employs more than 280 people across its six offices
The SRA has reprimanded and fined a solicitor who inadvertently helped a client to commit theft. The incident, which took place at the North East firm SJ Palin & Co Solicitors, caused the SRA to
Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s unveiling of the 1.25% health and social care levy that will come in to force in the 2023-24 tax year, experts are now predicting that wealth taxes such as inheritance
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) today announced that more than a thousand people have signed up to take the first ever Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) assessment in November. The new single rigorous examination means that
An online Willwriting service has moved to strengthen its service offering by introducing an additional layer of protection for its clients by ensuring all of its Wills are checked by a solicitor. FreeWills.co.uk was launched
A new digital estate planning service has launched to “help solicitors add value and create ‘stickier’ clients” according to it’s creators. Zenplans is a new digital estate planning service has been launched enabling solicitors to
Findings from a new report commissioned by UK Finance reveal that 52% of new mortgage lending is going to borrowers who will not have paid off their home loan before their 65th birthday. Longer mortgage
The family of the recently deceased Monty Python actor and comedian, Terry Jones, are involved in a will dispute following his death, reports suggest. Terry Jones’ adult children are suing their father’s second wife Anna
Tickets for 2021 British Wills and Probate Awards sponsored by Executor Solutions are selling out quick. This year’s event will be hosted as a hybrid ceremony; with an in-person awards ceremony which will also be
The high court has clarified costs principles in cases where challenges to a will are abandoned mid-trial. In the recent case of Goodwin v Avison, the testator, Tom Goodwin, was a businessman and farmer who
The 2021 SWW Conference is right around the corner and spaces continue to fill up fast, but don’t worry, it’s not too late to book! After the great success of the 2019 Conference, the SWW
I read with interest the article by Kate Johnson at Wedlake Bell in Today’s Wills and Probate in which she states her stance in relation to charitable giving within Wills. The suggestion was made within
People in Scotland leave more than £90 million a year to charity through gifts in Wills[1], according to a joint report released today by Remember A Charity, Legacy Foresight, the Institute of Legacy Management and