Digital probate: a significant step forward?
Joe Cobb, Partner and Head of Department in Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning at JMW Solicitors, offers his view on the challenges faced by the digital probate system, and how it could be improved moving forward in 2022. The UK Government’s digital probate system has developed significantly since its public offering commenced in January 2019. […]
Paper probate applications taking twice as long as digital ones
The latest figures from HM Courts & Tribunals Service have revealed that paper probate applications are sometimes taking more than twice as long as their digital counterparts. In May, the probate service performance figures show that digital applications took 13.5 weeks when stopped and 4.1 weeks without stops. In the same period, paper applications took […]
LexisNexis Bellwether Report: legal tech is dividing firms
Many small law firms are thinking big when it comes to the tech they need to see them through another period of profound change. But the latest research from LexisNexis’ Bellwether report shows that 47% say they have no plans to invest in any technology at all. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional released the 10th […]
Digital legacies: the state of affairs
Dr Ritesh Chugh of Central Queensland University, Australia, says you should “prominently engage in planning for your digital legacy”. A digital legacy may sound like a term used only by those of the technological avant-garde, but to many practitioners it is a very real issue – and Parliament is taking notice. According to the Digital […]
Digital go-live for subject access requests
Requests for personal information can now be made through a new digital service. A new digital service allowing individuals to request personal information is now available which aims to improve the user experience for subject access requests (SARs). The process allows individuals to request information held by the Legal Aid Agency and other parts of […]
Video Will Witnessing: What happens next?
The Law Society of England and Wales has launched a survey to inform its response to future consultations on extending the witnessing of wills via video beyond the end of January 2022. In July 2020 the Ministry of Justice announced that temporary legislation would be enacted to legalise the witnessing of wills via video in […]
Will-making is about to go back in time to 1837
Changes to the law due to come into effect in January are set to transport the world of wills and probate back in time to 1837. No, not 1987; all the way back to 1837. Let me explain. The Covid pandemic saw an increase in Will writing demand but social distancing rules, shielding and self-isolation […]
Alpha Legal has been updated – it’s a big one!
The latest Alpha Legal update is now live and it’s a big one! Look out for: a new Meeting Planner to help you to find a suitable time to meet your clients – ideal for Trustee meetings, for example, where there are many attendees, all with busy diaries! Zapier integration so that you can automatically send forms […]
Lead generator back by UK Private Equity House
A Manchester-headquartered law firm lead generator has secured funding to support the growth of the business as it looks to strengthen its market position both organically and via acquisition. mmadigital already captures more online leads than any other provider in the UK legal marketplace and boasts more than 70 law firm clients. Launched in 2016, […]
HMRC investigates 3,574 IHT accounts in bid to claw back revenue
Law firm Pinsent Masons confirms that HMRC opened 3,574 investigations into Inheritance Tax (IHT) in 2020-21 resulting in £254 million in revenue. The firm also revealed that more people are now filing their own returns rather than seeking professional IHT advice in a bid to cut down expenses. But with more scope for error, HMRC […]
‘Product in Focus’ article: Financial Asset Search
In Estatesearch’s third ‘Product in Focus’ article, we look at the Financial Asset Search and why this should be conducted on every case when carrying out estate administration. Investigating a deceased’s finances is a large part of an estate administrator’s job during the process of estate administration and this is one of their primary and […]
“Simple Wills” not so simple
A rise in contentious probate is anticipated as a result of research which shows that many Wills provided by online providers may not provide enough protection for the testator or testatrix. The research was conducted by independent research and consultancy firm Funeral Solution Expert who identified that 65% of UK consumers who believe their affairs […]
Digital support rollout for HMCTS users
The digitisation of HMCTS, a £1bn programme of reform, is being supported by a new national service following an extensive pilot and tender process. Beginning in October, a £10m investment will see We are Digital manage a new national service, delivering support across England, Wales (including support in Welsh) and Scotland (for tribunals only). During the […]
Taking mediation on-line
Following the outbreak of the pandemic last year I have had just two face-to-face mediations, all the rest have been via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. I spent hours in March through May 2020 testing out various video conferencing platforms and dealing with all the issues around security and confidentiality (security on both platforms has been […]
Former Scottish Financial Enterprise CEO joins Exizent
Exizent, the Glasgow-based law-tech whose innovative platform is transforming bereavement by connecting legal services firms with banks and the wider financial services community, has announced the exciting appointment of Graeme Jones as a Senior Adviser to the Board. Jones brings invaluable insight as a champion of the Scottish financial services industry, with decades of senior […]
“Digital Assets: A call to action” legacy report released
STEP and the Microsoft-funded Cloud Legal Project at Queen Mary University of London have collaborated on a joint research project into estate practitioner views on, and experiences with, digital assets. The aim is to understand the: Extent to which practitioners deal with digital assets, Risks and challenges posed by digital assets to estate planning and […]
Online Will writing service now offers solicitor checks
An online Willwriting service has moved to strengthen its service offering by introducing an additional layer of protection for its clients by ensuring all of its Wills are checked by a solicitor. FreeWills.co.uk was launched in 2018 by Carl Christensen and is one of a new breed of online will writing businesses offering low and […]
Digital vault launched to “add value and create ‘stickier’ clients”
A new digital estate planning service has launched to “help solicitors add value and create ‘stickier’ clients” according to it’s creators. Zenplans is a new digital estate planning service has been launched enabling solicitors to help their clients securely organise, maintain, store, and selectively share all their most important personal and financial information. The cloud-based […]
Cryptocurrency and Inheritance: What Investors Need to Know
Despite the often volatile nature of cryptocurrency, there is no denying that this form of digital currency has made huge strides over the past decade. Once considered a fad or even a scam, the global blockchain market is now expected to be worth over 57 million US dollars by 2025. In June, the Financial Conduct […]
Online Wills – Why you SHOULD be offering these to clients
The stigma attached to the provision of online legal services and in particular online wills can be traced back to the fundamental misunderstanding of their implementation. Implementing technology into almost every facet of everyone’s lives is a daily occurrence. Consumers accept and in some cases expect technology to make life easier so the logical question […]
