Inheritance tax changes and reform of the Wills Act: What will they mean for charities?
Professionals in the charity legacy sector are preparing for significant legislative developments in two key areas. First, the Autumn 2024 Budget has introduced major changes to inheritance tax (IHT), including the treatment of pensions. Second, the Law Commission’s May 2025 report has set out proposals for modernising the Wills Act 1837. Both of these changes […]
Hammer time for probate property
In this episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie explores the evolving world of probate property sales through the lens of auctions. He’s joined by Russell Taylor, Managing Director and Auctioneer at probate.auction, and Corin Holness, Corporate Relationship Director. Together, they unpack how the auction process is helping executors, legal professionals, and […]
The state of the probate market – have your say
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which also regulates some probate providers, is conducting a survey on the state of the probate market. In the latest Family Court Statistics Quarterly covering January to March 2025 published last week the registry revealed it has more than halved the time it was taking to issue a grant after […]
Closing the advice gap and why support is needed
The FCA’s consultation marks a major step in addressing the advice gap. For the first time, there’s a detailed framework for how firms can offer meaningful support to consumers without crossing the line into regulated advice. It proposes a new regulated activity, called targeted support, and rightly acknowledges that the binary choice between generic guidance […]
Why probate solicitors are facing delays – and how digital legacy tools could help
Despite the steady advance of technology into our everyday working lives, many probate professionals still find themselves bogged down in administrative tasks that can delay estate administration. As client expectations shift and digital assets become the norm rather than the exception, how well prepared is the sector to embrace the realities of a ‘modern’ death? […]
Writing an award winning entry; top tips to win at #BWAPAwards2025
With the deadline for entry into the British Wills and Probate Awards 2026 just a few weeks away on Friday 11th July, Today’s Wills and Probate considers what makes a standout entry for awards programmes. Awards events pit firms against their peers and really encourages them to think about what success looks like; how they […]
Supporting Women in Wills
I have been honoured to have been involved in Women in Wills since its inception in 2018. Since that time, it’s evolved into an incredibly valuable networking group supporting around 2,000 women working throughout the wills and probate industry and the estate planning sector. As one of the committee leaders, I work alongside other committee […]
In the age of AI and rising costs, NALP says paralegals are more relevant than ever
Today’s Media spoke to Amanda Hamilton, director and patron of the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP), about the evolving role of the paralegal and NALP’s role in the profession’s voluntary self-regulation. A recent survey measuring public perception of AI in the legal sector found that the public isn’t yet ready to fully trust the technology in […]
The impact of the Law Commission’s recommendations on practice
On 16th May, the Law Commission produced a report and draft bill for a new Wills Act to replace the Wills Act 1837. The report has taken nine years to produce and aims to modernise the law currently governing wills which has been in place since Victorian times. Although the new Wills Act is far […]
Predatory marriages: Why legislative proposals are a welcome first step
Predatory marriages have hit the headlines in recent years, with growing concern that wealthy, elderly people are being romantically targeted for their money. These marriages often go unnoticed until after death, when a shocked family discovers that the estate has passed to the new spouse. While such cases may sound sensational, they are far from […]
How has the rising number of dementia patients in the UK affected contested probate cases?
The increasing prevalence of dementia in the UK is not only reshaping the health and social care landscape but also exerting a visible influence on legal practice, particularly in the area of contested probate. Dementia now affects nearly one million people across the country, up from 850,000 in 2015. University College London forecasts that this […]
A guide to creating content for AI discovery and retrieval
The rules of internet-based marketing are currently transforming in a way we haven’t seen for almost 20 years. Creating your content marketing in a format and style similar to the one you have been using for the last decade may mean your law firm’s website will not be discovered and retrieved by AI Overviews and […]
Change is coming, so what does this mean and when will it happen?
The Law Commission’s report, Modernising Wills Law, proposes significant changes. This article explores what some of the recommendations could mean for professionals and when these changes might come into effect. Background The Law Commission began its review in 2016, aiming to address the rigidity of formal requirements, inconsistencies around mental capacity, and the failure to […]
Reform of the Wills Act 1837: bringing the law on wills into the modern age or a recipe for increased litigation?
The long-awaited Law Commission Report on modernising the law relating to Wills, published on 16 May 2025, certainly did not shy away from making some radical and (mostly) welcome recommendations. If approved, the proposals will represent the most significant and comprehensive changes to the Wills Act since it was introduced in 1837. The recommendations are […]
Dispensing powers and the potential impact on practice
In their Report, Modernising Wills Law, the Law Commission of England and Wales have recommended the introduction of a dispensing power. This power would enable the court, on application, to dispense with the formalities for making a will and admit a document to probate. This recommendation is in line with their 2017 Consultation Paper, when […]
Building a national brand in end-of-life planning
In this episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie welcomes Sam Grice, founder of Octopus Legacy (formerly Guardian Angel), to discuss the origins, evolution, and future ambitions of one of the fastest-growing companies in the end-of-life planning and bereavement support space. Sam’s journey into the wills and probate sector began with […]
Whisky, watches and Fenders: The probate assets you might miss
Often some of the most valuable personal possessions within an estate are not immediately obvious. They are not locked in a safe or listed in a will but are instead hidden in attics, warehouses or online accounts and can be easily missed. A single whisky cask could be worth six figures. A forgotten trading card […]
Inspiration & Innovation Conference 3.0 delivers a standout day for the estate planning sector
The BEST Foundation’s Inspiration & Innovation Conference 3.0, held on Tuesday 13th May at Birmingham’s iconic Edgbaston Stadium, brought together professionals from across the estate planning sector and proved to be the event’s most dynamic event yet. Now firmly established as a key date in the sector calendar, this year’s conference was designed to challenge […]
How to win a British Wills and Probate Award – Early Bird Deadline Today
Early bird entry to The British Wills and Probate Awards 2025 finishes today (Friday 16th May). The current discounted rate of £129 +VAT to enter the awards will increase from tomorrow to £169 +VAT. Each entry enables a firm to enter up to three categories. And the best bit is… you don’t need to submit […]
Principle 3 of The Mental Capacity Act – Unwise Decisions
Section 1(3) of the Mental Capacity Act states: ‘A person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision unless all practicable steps to help him to do so have been taken without success’. This is often referred to as ‘The right to make unwise decisions’ What is an Unwise Decision We all […]
