A Merseyside lawyer who joined her firm as a secretary has been promoted to senior associate and team leader in its wills, trusts and probate department. Jannina Barker (pictured, centre) began in an admin role
Suzanne qualified in 2007 and has worked in private practice since 2003. She specialises in elderly client matters, wills, probate, estate planning, trusts, lasting powers of attorney, and Court of Protection work, including deputyships and
Inheritance tax receipts for the period April 2025 to January 2026 were £7.1 billion; a £0.1 billion increase on the same period the previous year. Commentators suggest the figures deliver a ‘new year bounce’ for
A risk and compliance onboarding platform says it has reduced the time is takes to review trust documents from “hours of manual review (to be) completed in seconds” using artificial intelligence and document intelligence. Legl’s
Estate planning in the UK is becoming more complex, strategic and relevant earlier in life, according to a new report from LEAP Estates. The 2026 Private Client Industry Report ia based on aggregated, anonymised data
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has formally confirmed it is investigating “potential fraud, including the misappropriation of client money” at the Sheffield-based law firm PM Law after it unexpectedly closed on Monday 2nd February. In a
A new service from digital tech company adeus will prevent wills from being lost, tampered with, or disputed after death, the company says. True Wills creates a permanent digital fingerprint secured using blockchain technology, and
A newly-launched foundation says it aims to tackle the gap in funding for private client services through grants for disabled individuals, people with complex needs, and the families who care for them. Loving Legacies Foundation
A new bereavement and probate guide from Share Data offers a practical, neutral resource to help professionals support clients after a death. The guide, produced by Share Data, helps firms explain the initial stages of
Talented aspiring solicitors are invited to apply for a place on the profession’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS), as the Law Society of England and Wales opens recruitment for the 2026 cohort. The DAS aims to
A court has upheld the will of a 46-year-old woman who left her £500,000 estate in trust for her teenage daughter, and rejected claims the will was replaced favour of her “abusive and toxic” partner.
Octopus Legacy has launched its free wills campaign in England and Wales, partnering with over 150 charities. Running until 31 March 2026, the scheme enables individuals to write a simple will at no cost, either
A sister at the centre of contested will has admitted overstepping her duties as power of attorney by spending her mother’s fortune on herself and her family, but denied her actions amounted to a misappropriation
The Solicitors Regulation Authority will profile law firms to help identify those at risk of collapse, chief executive Sarah Rapson (pictured) has said. Speaking to the Law Society Gazette this week, Rapson said the SRA
NatWest Group has agreed to buy wealth manager Evelyn Partners for £2.7 billion, creating Britain’s largest private banking and wealth management business. By combining Evelyn Partners’ £69 billion of assets under management and administration (AUMA)
As a partner in the Private Client Advisory team at Birketts LLP, Caroline advises a wide range of private clients and charities on matters to do with estate administrations, the mitigation of inheritance tax and
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published a further statement on action it has taken in the wake of PM Law’s closure last week. The Sheffield-based firm and subsidiaries suddenly closed on Monday 2nd February, with
TWP Festival is back by popular demand at a brand new venue in Birmingham’s redeveloped industrial heartland. Envisaged as education with a difference, TWP Festival was launched in 2025 and hosted at Mythe Barn and
Two directors of Safe Hands Funeral Plans have appeared in court after proceedings were launched by the Serious Fraud Office for their roles in the collapse of the firm. Richard Wells and Neil Debenham both
The latest Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast dives into one of the most pressing conversations in private client work: how technology can transform the way people create and register Lasting Powers of Attorney. Host David
New data from L&G Home Finance suggests that spending on home improvements remained the top reason for accessing property wealth in 2025, with half of new lifetime mortgage customers reinvesting equity into their homes. Meanwhile,
The equity release market is achieving “only a fraction of its potential” despite recent growth, later life lending platform Air says. Although Equity Release Council data shows total lending grew by 11% last year, Air
A legal technology platform has been launched to help law firms ensure clients understand legal costs and retainer terms. The Legal Lexi has been created by a regulated and experienced fellow costs lawyer in response
As the co-founder and co-managing director of PLG, Darren Leggett has helped to establish the firm’s position within the legal sector as a leading property service provider responsible for assisting with matters relating to probate,
The Ministry of Justice’s proposed scheme for Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts (ILCA) is fundamentally flawed, lacks adequate evidence and is a crude sector-specific tax on clients of legal services, the Law Society of England
LawtechUK is a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) backed initiative dedicated to driving digital transformation in the legal sector. Here, the organisation explains how digital will platform adeus was able to connect with legal experts thanks
A new podcast hosted by Heart FM DJ Jonny Meah will explore grief in all its forms, from sudden loss and anticipatory grief to how bereavement affects work, relationships, identity and mental health. Bereavement notification
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has confirmed it has formally intervened in the closure of PM Law and its subsidiary firms in a statement published yesterday on its website. After calls for clarity from the
The deadline to have your say on the Ministry of Justice’s plans to use lawyer’s client account interest to fund access to justice has been extended by four weeks to 9th March, from 9th February.
A solicitor has been struck off for multiple unauthorised uses of client account funds and ‘deceptive conduct’ toward HMRC, following a hearing at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT). Andrew Cooper was a partner in the
The number of people using trusts to manage their money is rising, according to a new analysis by RBC Wealth Management. The Trust Registration Service registered around 10,000 UK trusts in January last year, a
The latest episode of Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast welcomes Angus Houston, founding director of Pavilion Row, in conversation with host David Opie. Angus shares the story behind Pavilion Row’s creation and its mission to