Over 38k charitable estates were found in wills in 2023 – report
38,178 charitable estates were found in wills in 2023, the highest number recorded since tracking sector data in 2012, according to Smee & Ford’s annual trends report. The 2023 figure is the highest number of charitable estates recorded. The years 2019 and 2020 were impacted by processing and system changes at the HMCTS and the […]
IHT hits record £7.5bn, escalating concerns over frozen thresholds
HM Revenue & Customs data has revealed that a record amount of £7.5billion in Inheritance Tax was paid to the Treasury in the 2023/24 tax year. Total receipts for April 2023 to March 2024 were £0.4billion greater than the all-time high of £7.1billion in 2022/23, a rise of 5.6% Laura Hayward, Tax Partner at Evelyn […]
Survey: Exizent 2024 Bereavement Index
Exizent have announced the launch of its Bereavement Index for the fourth consecutive year. This index provides insights into the state of bereavement in the United Kingdom, highlighting areas where progress has been made and identifying areas that still require attention. To create this report, Exizent conducts surveys among legal professionals, financial services professionals and […]
Dedicated auction platform for probate property launches
A dedicated probate auction platform has been launched exclusively for probate property, serving executors, administrators, solicitors and family of the deceased. Probate.Auction is described by its founders as the first countrywide auction platform for probate property. It hopes to deliver speed, transparency and certainty for probate properties, reducing the average time to sell from 140 […]
How can charitable gifts make an estate work harder for all beneficiaries?
Raising £4 billion annually*, charitable gifts in Wills are crucial to sustaining a wide range of good causes and services – from hospices and homeless shelters to mental health helplines, emergency rescues, and more. In a challenging economic environment, and as these essential services face an ever-increasing demand, this income has never been more valued […]
Probate delays surge: A 65% rise in year-long cases
New analysis of Freedom of Information (FoI) data obtained from the Ministry of Justice by Quilter has found that the number of probate cases taking over a year to be granted has risen by 65% over the last three years. In addition, the number taking just under two years to be granted has also risen […]
Oxfordshire firm reaches Wills milestone
An online Will writing provider has reported writing its 100,000th Will since launch, placing it in the top five Will writing firms in the UK. Oxfordshire-based FreeWills was launched in 2018 and, says founder Carl Christensen, ‘a simple mission, to create a positive impact that benefits both legacy donors and a wide range of charities.’ […]
Have your say on dealing with charity legacies – Survey
The Institute of Legacy Management (ILM) has today launched a survey asking probate professionals for their thoughts and experiences of dealing with charities. ILM has teamed up with Today’s Wills and Probate to understand more about the way in which law firms and probate practitioners interact with charity teams and what lessons can be learned […]
Charitable will-writing gaining ground beyond the boomer generation
Public appetite for charitable gifts in wills is on the rise, with more than one in five charity donors (21%) aged 40+ saying they have included a gift in their will, up from 14% in 2010, according to Remember A Charity’s annual consumer tracking study. Figures from 2023 show that legacy giving is most prevalent […]
Probate applications remain almost unchanged, data reveals
The waiting time for probate applications has slightly decreased in the number of weeks from submission to grant issue for all probate applications – decreasing from 13.8 to 13.7 weeks, according to HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS). For the 27,397 grants of probate issued in Feburary, the average timeline from submission to grant was […]
SWW 30th Celebration: Tickets now available
You will no doubt be aware by now that 2024 marks the 30th year in business for The Society of Will Writers and to celebrate we’re hosting a one-off event in our home city of Lincoln for which tickets are now available. Join us on the evening of Friday the 3rd of May at The White Hart […]
Women in Wills kick off 2024 with strong attendance and new members
On Wednesday, the Women in Wills group met for the first time in 2024 at the fantastic Coal Shed by Tower Bridge, London. Organisers were beyond pleased to see a record number of attendees at a Regional Lunch and were excited to welcome some new professionals into the membership group. Attendees heard from the new […]
Two in three people across England and Wales have faced legal problems
New research by the Law Society and the Legal Services Board reveals that two thirds of adults in England and Wales (66%), have experienced at least one legal issue in the last four years. The Legal Needs Survey 2023 looks at the legal issues and needs of individuals across England and Wales and found: The […]
Oxfordshire firm with roots dating back to 1789 to open third branch after business boom
An Oxfordshire law firm that caters for wills, probate, inheritance and conveyancing are set to expand with a third branch. Hedges Law, which has roots dating back to 1789 – announced they will be opening another firm in Chipping Norton. The brand new branch will be headed by MD Nicola Poole with the office based […]
LSB to review SRA regulatory actions in the lead-up to the collapse of SSB Group
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced an independent review of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) regulatory actions in the lead-up to the collapse of SSB Group. The LSB will add this review to the scope of its current review into regulatory events prior to SRA’s intervention into Axiom Ince (announced in December 2023). The […]
Mother accused of spending her two daughter’s £50K inheritance on shopping
A 53-year-old mother from Wales has been accused for stealing her daughters’ £50K inheritance and using the money to fund lavish shopping sprees. Katherine Hill was described as ‘blatant and brazen’ by the judge as she stood trial for fraud. Swansea Crown Court heard how Hill and her 93-year-old father Gerald Hill, worked together to […]
‘Unique’ zero-interest estate funding facility launched
A new interest free estate funding facility has been launched by a national probate property services provider to help estate administrators access cash locked up within an estate while going through probate. London-based Property Solutions Group (PSG) claims to have launched a market first funding facility to cover costs associated with property clearance, maintenance, repairs, […]
New partnership for Equity Release Council
The Equity Release Council has published a new guide to help its members communicate clearly and simply with customers in the later life lending market. Developed with ratings agency Fairer Finance, ultimately it aims to ‘give customers the best chance of understanding products and services and support them to make good financial decisions’. According to […]
Cost of Living survey figures branded ‘concerning’ for workplace pensions
Figures from a UK Cost of Living survey have been branded as ‘concerning’ from a workplace pension perspective, as the Financial Conduct Authority(FCA) has unveiled stats that show people are cutting back on their workplace pensions to save money. The FCA’s latest Financial Lives survey had 3,450 respondents and found that as 11% say they […]
Legal Ombudsman say ‘create a bigger picture of what’s happening in legal services, what’s going wrong, and what needs to change’
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) reached the end of its 2020-23 strategy period in March 2023. Having put in place an interim strategy until the end of March 2024, it has now consulted on and published a new strategy for the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), which will run from 1 April 2024 to 31 March […]
