Women in Wills, a group which fosters collaboration between women across the wills and probate sector, held a networking lunch at The Jockey Club at Exeter Racecourse on Thursday. The focus of the meeting was charities and legacies. Speaking at the event was Lucy Gill of Foot Anstey LLP. Lucy has acted for large national […]Read More
In a move to modernise the lasting powers of attorney (LPA) system, the government will make the LPA application process completely online. However, The Law Society has raised concerns that vulnerable and disabled people could be detrimentally affected by the digitisation. The government has promised the new online system will improve safeguards against fraud and […]Read More
Survey finds 92% of lawyers have experienced stress or burnout because of their job, with more than a 25% experiencing it daily Legatics, developers of the leading legal transaction management platform, today announced the findings of a new survey conducted in collaboration with YouGov that reveals the impact stress, burnout and over work are having […]Read More
Prior to the pandemic, the rules surrounding the witnessing of Wills had not changed since the Wills Act 1837. During the pandemic, however, additional legislation was introduced to enable Wills to be witnessed via video link and this provision has been extended until January 2024. While this legislation was well received, especially during lockdown, it […]Read More
In support of Dementia Action Week 2022, wills, trusts and probate solicitor Andrew Hitchon from law firm Bray & Bray discusses some key considerations to make when supporting a client living with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Action Week unites individuals, workplaces, and communities to take action and improve the lives of people living with […]Read More
As a marketeer, it is my job to help people achieve measurable growth and one of the most common questions I get asked is “how I can get more leads from my website?”. I could write a series of articles on the subject of websites and business growth but in this, the first of our […]Read More
Monday 16th May marks the start of Dementia Action Week. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently around 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. As dementia tends to affect people over the age of 65 (although it can also start at a younger age) the number of people affected by dementia is […]Read More
If you’ve ever struggled, you’re not alone. If you’ve ever despaired wondering how you can possibly carry on, you’re not alone. If you’ve ever felt crushed under an enormous workload or client demands, you’re not alone. If you’ve ever felt lonely or unsupported, you’re not alone. Mental health matters. Mental health impairment is a real […]Read More
New figures released today show that solicitors and Will-writers are playing an increasingly important role in charitable Will-writing, with more than 1 in 5 Wills handled by UK legal advisers (22%) now including a donation to charity. The Savanta Will-writing survey, commissioned by Remember A Charity, reveals that 7 in 10 solicitors and Will-writers (71%) always or sometimes alert clients to the Inheritance Tax […]Read More
Prepaid probate plans have been the focus of much discussion and press in recent weeks, with some reports coining it the new “wild west” of the industry following the announcement that funeral plans will become regulated from July. But what are prepaid probate plans and how do they work in practice? Today’s Wills and Probate […]Read More
Being a professional executor can have a range of challenges, not least when working with charities, all of whom might have slightly different requirements. We also know that professional executors work incredibly hard to deliver legacy income to charities by dealing efficiently with charitable estates. Charitable legacies deliver over £3bn of income to the sector […]Read More
Unexpected wills that appear after the death of an individual can cause much confusion and hurt, notwithstanding the significant delay and difficulties that come from challenging a suspected forged will. Leigh Voysey, a former private school student, was recently accused of faking the will of her former headteacher Maureen Renny, which left her Renny’s £1.65 […]Read More
Humans are hard-wired to connect – we are tribal and social animals. We are biologically programmed to need other humans, and a feeling of belonging and connection drives our happiness. Despite this, many of us will know what it’s like to be lonely, especially after living through two years of reduced social interaction. Loneliness arises […]Read More
STEP Europe has produced some guidance for practitioners who need to withdraw their services from trusts and similar legal arrangements with a “Russian connection” following the fifth package of economic and individual sanctions against Russia imposed by the European Commission (EC) on 8th April 2022. Purpose of sanctions The EC says that it is seeing […]Read More
It is widely reported that the Office of Public Guardian (OPG) has been suffering from Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) registration delays for some time now. But while the OPG has acknowledged the delays and provided updates on how it is working to resolve issues, as well as provided information on how delays can be […]Read More
A recent referral highlighted some interesting estate complications – and not just in terms of tax. A husband, Adam*, died in February 2020, leaving his estate, aside from some specific bequests, via a life interest settlement (Will Trust) to his surviving spouse, Beth*, thereafter to his four children from a previous marriage. This was all […]Read More
Unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) were introduced four years ago to help tackle the problem of money laundering by high-net worth individuals, often with foreign and political connections. The concept of recovery of criminal proceeds has persisted in the UK for some time. Tools such as a civil recovery order have been available and commonly used […]Read More
The latest mortgage data has revealed that, between 2019 and 2021, there was a 30% increase in the number of mortgage customers over 50 who spent their loan funds giving financial family gifts. Customers using the mortgage for debt consolidation has also increased by 15% during the same period. In fact, between 2020 and 2021, […]Read More
Amongst young people, making a will has traditionally not been considered a particularly relevant aspect of the law. After all, the majority of young people have few, if any, significant assets to their name, and many see little point in having a will. However, times are changing rapidly, and the pandemic has led to an […]Read More
Removing an executor and obtaining costs – Fellner v Cleall [2021] EWHC 3599 (Ch) The dispute A recent case heard in the High Court demonstrates the risks which personal representatives face in proceeding to obtain a grant when there is an ongoing will dispute and in the face of opposition from the beneficiaries. I recently […]Read More
© 2022 Today's Wills & Probate Sitemap Privacy Policy Terms of Use Cookie Policy Acceptable Use
If you receive an email purporting to come from Today's Wills & Probate or a Firm member, or if you are directed to a website which purports to be Today's Wills and Probate website, and you have doubts or concerns about the provenance of the email or website, before taking any action please either contact the Firm member you normally deal with or email David Opie on [email protected] and they will tell you whether the email came from us or whether it is our website.
