Marketing Your Law Firm in 2024: Strategies for Standing out in 2024
With 11,500 law firms in the UK differentiation can be a constant challenge. When it come to legal services marketing, law firms in 2024 must adopt innovative marketing strategies to distinguish themselves. Legal Growth, a marketing agency specialising in law firms, highlights key approaches to ensure your firm not only competes but excels in this […]
Thank you and Happy Holidays
Thank you to all our Today’s Wills and Probate readers, subscribers and contributors for your support in 2023. It has been another busy year in the wills and probate and wider private client and estate planning world with too many stories to mention. We look forward to continuing to bring you the very latest news, […]
The Ombudsman’s Corner: December 2023
Our approach to dealing with matters arising from the administration of an estate When we changed our Scheme Rules in April, one change that we made was to make it clear that we accept complaints from executors and beneficiaries of an estate. In this month’s blog, I want to set out our approach to dealing […]
Morina v Scherbakova
While the bitter family probate dispute around the will of Russian oligarch Vladimir Scherbakov received considerable attention recently, the practical lesson to be learned from this high-profile case has been less scrutinised. At the root of the court battle is a concrete illustration of why keeping track of an original will in hard copy form […]
Alternative Dispute Resolution & Estate Disputes – the cheaper alternative to litigation?
Introduction At some point or another, most private client professionals will come across an estate whereby a dispute arises which can be attributed to any number of claims including:- Challenges to Wills Executor disputes Trust disputes Inheritance (Provision for Family & Dependants) Act 1975 claims Although it can be concerning when issues such as these […]
Equity Release is evolving into “Later Life Lending”
A return to the norm? Before I talk about the changes happening in the world of Equity Release, it’s worth setting the scene in terms of the property market, interest rates and the wider economy. The Bank of England base rate was slashed in early 2009 to support a recovery from the global financial crisis. […]
Who has the right to arrange a funeral where the will of the deceased is being challenged?
Introduction ‘A very sad dispute’ about funeral arrangements; HHJ Paul Matthew’s opening remarks in his judgment in the case of Otitoju v Onwordi. This was a case, or two linked cases in fact, in which family members of the deceased argued over who had the right to possession of the body of the deceased (Peter […]
The global rise of AI: opportunities and challenges
At the start of November, the government will host the first global summit on artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on the safe use of AI. The AI Safety Summit will be at Bletchley Park, a venue representing innovation and pioneering, and once the top-secret home of WW2 codebreakers. The Summit will focus on the […]
Disputing a will of an illiterate testator
A will dispute in the High Court concerning an illiterate testator has received a lot of media attention recently. The deceased’s three eldest children are said to be contesting his will on the basis that it was a mistake that they had been disinherited because their father could not have read his will. One of […]
Terminal Illness and Pensions Pitfalls
Death benefits have always been the most confusing aspect of pensions. Knowing and choosing the right option can make a huge financial difference; especially for the terminally ill as they have more options than most. For instance, Hannah was 53 and had built up her pension over a 15-year period before leaving the company a […]
Personality disorders and the issue of testamentary capacity
Background Norman Gill was born on 24 January 1935. In 1964 he married Mary and the couple had three children together: Jessica, Marcus and Elizabeth. Mary had a son from a previous relationship (Julian). Marcus and Elizabeth did not have any children. Jessica had two: Natasha (born 1 December 1995) and Tom (born 19 April […]
Intestacy – who inherits if someone dies without making a will?
The Government has introduced an increase to the statutory legacy on Intestacy. From the 26th July 2023, where a person dies without a will leaving a spouse and children, the spouse will receive a statutory gift of £322,000 (an increase from £270,000) plus personal possessions and half of the remainder. The children will receive the other […]
How can the industry increase the number of adults making a will?
New research has revealed that half of UK adults do not have a will. The survey, based on 2,000 UK adults, revealed that one in three (33%) adults who are aged 55 and over do not have a will in place. The region with the highest proportion of people who do not have a will […]
Celebrating Innovation in Estate Planning: CTT Group – Our Headline Sponsor
Celebrating the Industry Today’s Wills & Probate are thrilled to be bringing you the highly anticipated British Wills & Probate Awards 2023 in October, an evening dedicated to honouring excellence and groundbreaking achievements in the industry. At the forefront of this year’s celebration stands CTT Group, our esteemed headline sponsor. This partnership stands as a […]
The Ombudsman’s Corner: September 2023
Our approach to unbundling The idea of “unbundling” legal services has been discussed in the sector for several years. In a nutshell, it’s where a service provider takes on only those aspects of work that are reserved legal activities, with their client undertaking the rest. Work variously carried out by the Legal Services Board, Legal […]
Laurelo Probate: Previous winner, now finalist for the prestigious British Wills and Probate Awards – Probate Provider of the South
Laurelo Probate, a self-proclaimed National trailblazer in the legal sector is elated to announce its selection as a finalist at the British Wills and Probate Awards in the category of “Probate Provider of the South.” This recognition comes on the heels of their triumphant victory in the same category last year and their additional win […]
The Inheritance Act 1975: Time to bring a claim?
Claimants who wish to bring a claim under the Act must do so within six months of the date of the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration. If the Grant has been extracted, the six month date by which to bring a claim can be easily calculated. In circumstances where details of the date […]
CMA will writing investigation: What does the industry make of it?
Following the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) decision to launch an investigation into unregulated legal services, the feeling from within the industry is – somewhat predictably – mixed. One of the CMA’s focuses is will writing, an unreserved activity which is currently undertaken by qualified, regulated lawyers as well as unregulated practitioners. Naturally, therefore, there […]
‘Home loan’ scheme nearly sees executors incur double inheritance tax charge
A “home loan” scheme designed to avoid inheritance tax (IHT) saw the executors of the estate narrowly miss incurring a double IHT charge following a recent challenge by HM Revenue & Customs. The deceased, Leslie Elborne, sold her home to a trust in 2003 and received a loan note, continuing to live in the home […]
Dealing with the emotional side of private client work
The latest Today’s Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Emily Robertson, Associate from Burgess Mee, to talk about the impact her job has on her mental health and wellbeing. Emily is part of the private client team dealing with Wills, Trusts, Probate and Court of Protection. She explains that each of the disciplines bring with them […]
