Millions of workers to benefit from modernised new pensions system
Following the Chancellor’s recent visit to Canada to see how retirement schemes successfully pool contributions from employees into larger funds that are managed by investors, the UK government is fast-tracking plans to modernise its own pensions system by broadening access to Collective Defined Contribution schemes. Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pension schemes, first introduced to the […]
Law Society publishes guidance to support Black or minority ethnic students entering the profession
To coincide with Black History Month, the Law Society of England and Wales has published new guidance to support Black or minority ethnic students entering into the profession. The guidance provides advice on: Challenging assumptions and overcoming barriers; Securing a training opportunity; and Funding opportunities. Aspiring solicitors are encouraged to obtain a training opportunity by […]
Wards Solicitors grows Trusts team across its network
Wards Solicitors has expanded its Trusts team with new appointments. Associate Solicitor Christine Wonnacott is the newest member of the team and joins Wards after 22 years with RWK Goodman in Bath. She has specialised in Trusts law for around half of her 30-year private client law career. She joins Partner Mary Harty, who has […]
Fosters Solicitors launches new Court of Protection & Vulnerable Persons team
Fosters Solicitors is delighted to introduce its newly formed Court of Protection & Vulnerable Persons team. The firm has seen a significant increase in the number of people instructing them for their known “expertise and extensive knowledge” in supporting those unable to act for themselves, and has therefore formed this dedicated department. Heading the team […]
Philip Williams joins Legal Studio
Philip Williams joined Legal Studio as a Consultant Solicitor –specialising in Private Client. Prior to joining Legal Studio Philip began his career at Addleshaw Goddard in Leeds and London and has since held positions at Wrigleys Solicitors in Leeds and as a partner at Harrowells Solicitors in York and North Yorkshire. Philip specialises in Wills, […]
New bill to propose assisted dying rights for terminally ill in England and Wales
A proposal to grant terminally ill individuals in England and Wales the legal right to end their lives is set to be introduced in Parliament this month. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater is spearheading the bill, calling it the right time to reopen the debate on assisted dying after a similar bill was rejected by MPs […]
Families facing one year probate delay on share liquidation
Families of shareholders who died with an interest in British plcs, face on average, up to a year’s delay in gaining probate – due to the complexity of liquidating shares in firms which have subsequently been bought by American companies over the past two decades. An average delay of up to 12 months has been […]
Reeves scraps pension tax rise after union pushback
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has decided against increasing taxes on pension contributions in the upcoming budget, following warnings from public sector unions that such a move would negatively impact their members, as reported by The Guardian. This decision was part of ongoing efforts to address the public finance shortfall. The proposal to cut the 40% tax […]
Free Wills Month offers will-writing services at no cost
1st of October marked the beginning of Free Wills Month. During the whole month, many solicitors offer free will-writing services. Law Society of England and Wales president Nick Emmerson said that writing a will “spares your loved ones unnecessary stress and complications”. He continued: “Free Wills Month offers a valuable opportunity, for those eligible, to […]
High Court Ruling in Nilsson v Cynberg sparks uncertainty over interaction between constructive and express trusts
The England and Wales High Court’s recent judgment in Nilsson v Cynberg (2024 EWHC 2164 Ch) has introduced new uncertainty around the relationship between constructive trusts and expressly declared trusts, legal experts have noted. The case revolves around a divorced couple, Collette and Stuart Cynberg, and the ownership of their former matrimonial home, raising important […]
Majority of cohabiting couples ‘unaware of inheritance risks without a will’, poll reveals
A new survey conducted by Will Aid has revealed an “alarming gap” in public understanding about inheritance laws affecting cohabiting couples. The survey found that 68% of cohabitees were unaware of the rules of intestacy and what happens to their estate if they die without a will. This lack of awareness could have devastating consequences […]
Law Commission proposes reusing graves to address UK’s burial space shortage
The UK could face a burial space crisis unless outdated laws from the 19th century are reformed, the Law Commission has warned. To combat overcrowding in cemeteries, it has proposed a series of measures, including the reuse of graves in all burial grounds, including those owned by the Church of England. The Commission raised concerns […]
Poll shows public opposition to IHT increases remains strong
A YouGov poll commissioned by law firm Kingsley Napley shows a majority of the British public (64%) favour raising the £325k threshold at which IHT must be paid and there continues to be strong opposition (69% of the public) to increasing the current 40% rate at which IHT is levied. The research comes just weeks […]
Wills and Probate Risk and Compliance Conference 2025
After last year’s successful inaugural event, booking is now open for the second Wills and Probate Risk and Compliance Conference, which will be held on Thursday 13th March 2025 in Leeds. The event will be hosted by leading experts who will share their knowledge as part of a day of insight and discussion covering the […]
Sell-out ceremony welcomes online viewers for #BWAPAwards2024
By this time next week the winners of The British Wills and Probate Awards 2024, sponsored by CTT Group, will have been revealed at the glitzy ceremony hosted at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. The awards has now officially sold out but there is still the opportunity to join in the celebrations via the live stream […]
Women in Wills is back
After a short summer break, the Women in Wills group is back and has hosted two events for its members in September. The group had a record number of attendees register for ‘Will in Different Jurisdictions’. The online event saw a panel of will writers compare and contrast the validity, execution and intestacy rules of […]
ERC launches later life lending summit in collaboration with the AMI
The Equity Release Council (the Council) has launched the Later Life Lending Summit in collaboration with the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) which will be taking place on the 19th November 2024 at Cutlers’ Hall in the heart of Sheffield. This new venture builds on the successful Equity Release Adviser Summit which took place in […]
62% of UK retirees set funds aside for retirement travel, new survey finds
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of people have set money aside specifically for travelling while in retirement, according to Legal & General’s survey. When surveyed about the types of trips retirees plan to take, short staycations were the most popular, with 49% of 75-year-olds and over having already been on such a UK weekend break since reaching […]
Moore Barlow Private Wealth Disputes team grows with two hires
Moore Barlow has announced the hire of two new members to its growing Private Wealth Dispute team. Moore Barlow has offices in Guilford, London, Lymington, Richmond, Southampton and Woking. The team, which is situated in Guilford now includes eight team members after the hire of Amanda Collins who joins as Associate and Lauren Gale as […]
Compare My Move launches Wills & Probate Services
Compare My Move have launched Wills & Probate Services. Compare My Move has been working with solicitors for six years, and has helped conveyancing partners generate over 54,000 leads in the past year. On the back of this, the Cardiff-based company want to open the door to the wider legal community and from October 2024 […]
