There is “no surprise” in the continued increase in inheritance tax receipts for those working in private client law, as the latest figures from HMRC show IHT receipts for April 2025 to February 2026 were
The Scottish Parliament has rejected the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, voting by a majority of 12 MSPs to put paid to any further progress on legalising assisted dying in Scotland. The
The High Court is considering a highly sensitive dispute between separated parents over the funeral arrangements of their 17‑year‑old son, who died by suicide in December 2025. The case centres on the religious beliefs of
Inheritance tax is “arbitrary, distortionary and expensive to administer” and should be scrapped, according to a recently published paper from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), because of the heavy burden it places on families
Having trained at a specialist private client firm in Hertfordshire and qualifying in 2010, Laura joined Irwin Mitchell’s lifetime and estate planning team in the summer of 2021. She’s now a senior associate solicitor managing
The Law Society of England and Wales has renewed its call for the government to act on reforming the law governing the writing of wills. Six months on from the Law Commission’s seminal Modernising Wills
A reality TV star and personal trainer’s claim for share of a £38 million estate left by his mother’s ex-boyfriend has no prospect of success, High Court judge Deputy Master William Henderson has ruled. Lonan
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has provided £9 million in compensation to clients of PM Law, which closed unexpectedly at the start of February. The money has been largely used to facilitate property transactions which
The Government is seeking views on how digital ID could be used to make public services quicker, easier and more secure to access. Launching a national public consultation, Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the
A deeply personal tragedy is the inspiration behind a new book launched by will writer Steve Bish, and the topic of discussion on the latest Today’s Wills and Probate podcast. Bish is somewhat typical of
Stephen Lawson is a specialist contentious probate practitioner at IDR Law Limited and co-chair of the Law Society’s Private Client and Estates Committee. He is a member of both STEP and ACTAPS. He is the
Small to medium sized law firms could be unfairly and disproportionately penalised under Ministry of Justice (MoJ) plans to redistribute interest from client accounts to fund access to justice, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives
A fast-track route to a conveyancing and probate qualification has been launched by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) as the regulator steps up efforts to tackle the demand for both legal services. The route
Legal regulators are not doing enough to open up the flexible pathways into a legal career that are needed to improve diversity in the sector, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) says. The comments
Tickets for TWP Festival 2.0 are now on sale, as the event formally launches today. Following the success of the inaugural year, TWP Festival 2.0 takes its ‘unconference’ vibe to Digbeth in Birmingham, where the
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been formally censured by the Legal Services Board (LSB) over its failure to protect consumers affected by the failure of SSB Group. The LSB’s report into the SRA’s handling
Cost, complacency and concerns about family disputes are amongst the leading reasons why people put off writing their will, according to research published this week. The result is an “inheritance timebomb,” the Association of Lifetime
The Department for Education (DfE) has committed £126 million to fund a pilot financial allowance for kinship carers across seven designated local authority areas in England. The department hopes the scheme will reach around 5,000
The Law Society of England and Wales has responded to the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) draft statement of policy on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), broadly supporting a strengthened regulatory approach but raising concerns about
Top 100 UK law firm Ward Hadaway has appointed 44 new legal specialists across the north of England over the last five months. The new starters include partners, directors, managing associates, trainee solicitors and paralegals,
Scotland has become the first country in the United Kingdom to legalise water cremations through a process called alkaline hydrolysis, following in the footsteps of the Republic of Ireland and the USA in offering a
Senior associate Rosie Glover has broad experience in all aspects of private client. She specialises in estate planning, succession planning and estate administration, providing guidance on wealth protection, powers of attorney and navigating the challenging
An event aiming to strengthen collaboration across the probate industry is offering an opportunity to network with professionals in the sector while earning CPD credits. Organised by the Professional Probate Partnership (PPP) as part of
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced Richard Blakeway as its preferred candidate for the post of chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC). The LSB’s recommendation, which came about after an open competition,
Statistics published by UK Finance show “momentum building” in the non-equity release later life lending market, indicating greater awareness and availability for borrowers over the age of 55. There was an increase of 15% in
Jersey has become the second territory of the British Isles to formally pass legislation which would enable terminally ill adults to have an assisted death, after a similar bill passed in the Isle of Man
Proposals which would insist on separate post holders for roles of Compliance Office for Legal Practice (COLP), Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA), Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), Senior Reporting Officer (SRO) amongst other
The UK legal services sector grew by 6.1% last year, according to the latest legal services market report from IRN Legal Reports. The total estimated value of the market last year was £55.5 billion, with
A new referral scheme aims to provide lawyers with access to vetted expertise in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The scheme – known as J-Law – has been launched by Judicare Law International, a
Investment in UK legal tech rose to record levels in 2025, with backing for companies specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) “surging”, according to figures published today by LawtechUK. The newly published figures from the Ministry
Legal professionals got the chance to share experiences and discuss the sector with experts in the first of a series of networking events taking place across the UK this year. The first two CILEX Connect
Estate planning is changing; demand is rising, lifestyles are changing, family structures are becoming more complex, and taxation is crippling. Clients no longer want, or indeed need, a simple will. They want a plan. Something