New research undertaken by Direct Line Life Insurance has found that a significant proportion of probate lawyers are finding the rise of digital banking is making it more challenging to identify assets during estate administration.
Our ‘Technical Corner’ brings you information that will help you to continue to grow and develop in your career. This month’s technical corner article comes from Amy Bell, Director of Teal Compliance. If you have
In the latest Today’s Wills and Probate readership survey, 9 in 10 legal advisers said they now include the option of charitable bequests in their Will writing service, helping to grow and normalise legacy giving.
Our ‘Technical Corner’ brings you information that will help you to continue to grow and develop in your career. This month’s technical corner article comes from Emily Deane TEP, STEP Technical Counsel. If you have
Following the announcement that the Ministry of Justice has moved to legalise wills witnessed by video leading industry figures have warned of important nuances that practitioners need to be aware of to ensure their processes
We are pleased to announce that the first shortlisters for the British Wills and Probate Awards 2020 will be announced in the Today’s Wills & Probate weekly newsletter next Friday 31 July. Individual categories in
In a series of Supporters in Focus pieces, we are thrilled to introduce our supporters of The British Wills & Probate Awards 2020. This year the awards will recognise a sector which has tackled the
The Practical Vision Network, which incorporates Lawyer Checker and Solve Legal Marketing, the publishers of the popular Today’s news sites, are piloting a new online training programme aimed at practitioners. Today’s Training draws on the
Wisdom comes to us when it can no longer do any good – Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera Change has tended to be treated with a healthy dose of scepticism by
Landmark’s Financial Asset Search service introduces both active and inactive consumer credit data for probate professionals Landmark Information, the property, land and environmental data specialist, has today announced that, for the first time, probate professionals
For anyone in the field of Wills and probate, the requirement to meet the validity requirements of Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 (WA 1837), will be etched on their minds. It states: “No
As those who have navigated the probate process will attest to, the overall time required varies enormously. From start to completion, it is common for probate to take around 12 months, but even the smallest
What is a Discretionary Trust? A discretionary trust is exactly as it sounds: a trust where the appointment of trust property is at the discretion of the trustees. This means that no beneficiary has a
Depending on the complexity of the estate, administration following a death can be legally complicated. However, for insolvent estates, whereby the liabilities exceed the value of the assets, the process can be more so. This
For any professional handling probate matters, the task of calculating the correct amount of inheritance tax (IHT) to be paid to HMRC is one which demands a focus on the finest of details. Changes brought
Imagine the scenario, a married couple living in the UK, one from the UK and one from the United States, with two young children. While having a Will drafted, they are asked about appointing a
In April 2019, the Law Commission welcomed new research on the potential for reform to Will making for individuals with intellectual disability. The study, entitled, Supported Will-Making: A Socio-Legal Study of Experiences, Values, and Potential
One of the many challenges for legal practitioners specialising in Will drafting is establishing the testamentary capacity of the Testator. While in some cases, the presence or absence of sufficient mental capacity may be clear,
To quote Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind – “death, taxes, and childbirth, there’s never a convenient time for any of them”. When it comes to the Grim Reaper, if he comes for your
The landscape is shifting rapidly in the field of cyber security, and this poses a real challenge for all law firms, both in terms of having the technology in place to ensure their organisation, employees,
Over the past 12 months, books and articles on how to live a good life past 65 years seem to have exploded. From the Financial Times, Life Begins At Sixty – the rise of the
Are we ‘living’ longer or merely being kept alive well beyond our individual natural expiry date? As modern medicine continues to improve, death and old age is rapidly becoming viewed as almost an act of
On 29th March 2019, 200 people gathered together at The May Fair Hotel in London for a glamorous gala dinner to celebrate the achievements of Paralegals from across the UK. This is the first awards
The mother and foster family of a mentally disabled child will not have to pay inheritance tax on the child’s £660,000 estate. The child had received substantial damages as a result of clinical negligence surrounding
A ballet dancer who gave up her promising career to provide 24-hour care to her dementia-stricken grandmother has won a share of her £650,000 estate. The case revolved around the will made by Mrs Joan
Gordon Banks, who is understood to have a net worth of £5m, has died today aged 81. The World Cup-winning goalkeeper was known for “the best save of all time” against Pele in a 1970
The controversial new probate fees announced by the government in November have been referred to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) by independent financial advisory group LEBC. LEBC claims that the dramatic increase in fees
Last Friday was the deadline for the written submission to enter the British Wills and Probate Awards. With a number of late nominations we’re extending the date for final submissions to the end of this
Genealogical research and asset repatriation business, Title Research, has highlighted the importance of family tree verification in its latest case study. The report looks at how changing family dynamics can easily lead to misdistribution without
Equity release expert, OneFamily Advice, has partnered with Finance Planning Group to extend its service and offer a broader range of retirement funding options. OneFamily Advice had earned a reputation for providing financial advice to
New statistics reveal that the inheritance tax gap has grown by 50% in the last five years.
Recent statistics show that Quarter 3 of 2017 saw a fall in the number of deaths in comparison to the correspondent period last year.