Law firm announces new Partner to join ‘female strong’ management board
A specialist dispute resolution firm has announced the appointment of a new partner to the management board. Eleanor Stenson joined IDR Law in October 2020 and has been rapidly promoted to Partner due to her “dedication and sheer determination.” Eleanor is officially appointed to the “female strong” management board from 1st April 2023. Her appointment […]
National Paralegal Awards 2023: ‘The quest is on to find the UK’s best paralegals’
The National Paralegal Awards, hosted by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and the Professional Paralegal Register (PPR), is now open for entry celebrating the very best paralegals across the UK and the businesses that support them. Now in its fifth year, the awards aims to reflect the diversity of the paralegal role with […]
The Interview Series by Arken.legal: Jade Gani
Women in Wills and Arken.legal were delighted to welcome Jade Gani, CEO, Circe Law, in the first iteration of their Interview Series on Thursday. Gani won Young Practitioner of the Year at the STEP Awards in 2021 and went on to found Circe Law in 2022. It was not, however, always easy. In a candid […]
2 in 3 people would take family or friends to court if excluded from will – study
Nearly two in three people in the UK would be prepared to take their family or friends to court if they were wrongfully excluded from a loved one’s will, a new study has found. JMW solicitors surveyed 1,000 UK adults on their knowledge and opinions surrounding contentious probate and will disputes. The results identified that […]
Future of eSignatures unclear as Industry Working Group fails to agree way forward
The Industry Working Group’s final report on the electronic execution of documents has failed to agree on a way forward for eSignatures following “mixed views both internally and externally” regarding the certification and accreditation of providers. The Group set out to “promote and facilitate the electronic execution of documents by matching appropriate solutions to the […]
British Wills and Probate Awards 2023 | Entries now open
Entry for the British Wills and Probate Awards 2023 is now open with a special early bird entry rate of £129 +VAT. Registration will be via The British Wills and Probate Awards website with firms able to register for up to three categories in their submission. The 2023 event promises to be bigger then ever […]
Probate delays continuing to worsen, data suggests
New data released by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) seems to confirm probate delays are continuing to worsen in England and Wales. The total number of receipts in January 2023 was 26,464, up from the seasonal dip of 18,123 in December 2022 and the highest number of receipts in all but one of the […]
Undue influence: 25-year-old mutual wills overturned after son’s claim
A pair of mutual wills drafted by a couple in 1998 have been overturned by the High Court following a claim of undue influence by one of their sons in Naidoo v Barton, 2023 EWHC 500 Ch. Dr Govindarajaloo Ramamurthie Naidoo and Mrs Nirmalathevie Naidoo had seven children. Between them, they owned all of the shares of […]
Majority avoid discussing ‘very awkward’ inheritance topic
The majority of people in the UK are avoiding discussion of the “very awkward” topic of inheritance, new research has suggested. Despite 72% anticipating that they will leave some sort of inheritance to their loved ones, some 66% of people have not discussed the topic with their family due to its purported awkwardness, according to […]
Women in Wills: Details confirmed ahead of International Women’s Day meetup
On Wednesday the 8th of March Women in Wills will be meeting in London to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD). This year, the theme of IWD is Embracing Equity – it is important to recognise that individuals have different circumstances, so in order for people to succeed they require a variety of opportunities and resources. […]
Legal AI platform ‘marks new era for industry’, says Magic Circle firm
A new legal artificial intelligence (AI) platform has been described as “marking a new era for the legal industry” by one Magic Circle Senior Partner. The platform, known as Harvey, is built on the platform developed by Open AI – the team behind ChatGPT – and has been tested by 3,500 of Allen & Overy’s […]
New firm launches aiming to shake up high street law firm culture
A new firm has set out with the aim of “changing what it means to work within high street law firms” through a raft of modern workplace policies. Circe Law has been launched by Jade Gani TEP, who said the SRA-regulated firm will “innovate and advocate with a fervour that seems to have seeped out […]
Majority of consumers remain happy to witness will remotely
New research has revealed that, despite the pandemic being firmly in the rear-view mirror, the majority of consumers remain happy to accept video witnessing of a will. The government’s Covid-era legislation permitting the video witnessing of wills has been extended until at least January 2024. When asked by IRN Legal in November 2022 whether they […]
Average wait for grant of probate soars to over 10 weeks
New data released by HM Courts and Tribunals Service has revealed the average wait between submission and grant issue for all probate applications reached over 10 weeks in December 2022. While the average timeliness of a grant threatened to surpass the 10-week threshold on several occasions throughout 2022, it had not reached higher than 9.4 […]
HMRC publishes guidance on TRS non-registration penalties
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has published new guidance relating to non-registration or failure to maintain a trust on the Trust Registration Service (TRS). The guidance confirms that penalties will not be issued in all cases of non-registration. “Registering a trust is a new requirement and we recognise that trustees may not be familiar with […]
Save The Date – British Wills and Probate Awards 2023
The British Wills and Probate Awards will return in 2023 with a brand new venue and Headline Sponsor. The 6th edition of these fantastic awards will return on 11th October 2023. Organisers Today’s Media are delighted to announced that CTT Group have been confirmed as the Headline Sponsor for the most prestigious event in the […]
Hugh James announces growth of private client team
Top 100 UK law firm, Hugh James, has expanded its Contested Wills, Trusts and Estates team with the appointment of senior associates Sarah O’Grady and Ryan Taylor based in Cardiff and London. Sarah and Ryan are part of a ten-strong team, now one of the largest teams specialising in Contested Wills, Trusts and Estates in […]
SFE appoints new board members
SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly) has expanded its board with three new members appointed. Jade Gani, Amy Wallhead, and Gemma Hopper are fully accredited SFE members and will work with an experienced board of directors, including Chair of SFE, Michael Culver. Jade Gani joins the board having acted as a Regional Director for SFE since […]
PM Law Group acquires specialist wills, trusts, and probate firm
The PM Law Group has announced its acquisition of John M Lewis & Co, specialists in residential conveyancing, wills, trusts, and probate. The business will continue to trade under the John M Lewis & Co name and remain at their offices on Vernon Street near Derby City centre. They will offer a new, wider range […]
The Changing of the Guard: What does it mean for Just Wills & Legal Services?
Just Wills & Legal Services is one of the longest-established and well known firms within the Will writing industry and, throughout the years, has prided itself on delivering expert advice and products through its loyal army of Consultants. Behind the growth sits David McMaster, who has led the firm from humble beginnings into the national […]
