Communication is KEY
Good communication is key to having a successful business and so how we choose to communicate with our clients is vital. Recently, at Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation Ltd we wanted to build a new, safe, compliant and efficient method for a 2- way communication system between ourselves and our clients. We needed to partner with […]
Fraser and Fraser: creating a successful webinar programme in strange times
The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown were challenging for all sorts of organisations, for all sorts of reasons. For probate research firm Fraser and Fraser one of the issues was how we could stay in touch with our solicitor and paralegal clients and contacts when face-to-face interactions were out of the question. One way we […]
Technology protects the vulnerable in court cases
New technology has now been implemented in every Crown Court in England and Wales to reduce the trauma vulnerable victims and witnesses experience as a result of going to court. The technology enables children or those who live with a debilitating condition to have their cross-examination video-recorded and played during the trial. This recording is […]
Just Who Are Honey Legal?
Since starting out in 2010 Honey Legal has grown to become one of the largest providers of estate planning and probate services you’ve probably never heard of. Slowly but surely the firm has grown from its roots in North Shropshire and now, 10 years on, has 100 staff across 3 offices and over 250 consultants […]
What type of finances does an asset search investigate during probate?
Asset searching was engineered as an innovative technique to modernise estate administration and to assemble the assets which are owed to a deceased’s estate during probate. In our previous blogs we have spoken about why deceased individuals may have lost assets in their accounts, but there is often confusion over the type of assets which […]
Lawyer Checker to Host Crucial Panel Discussion as Cybercrime Reaches New Heights
The Solicitors Regulation Authority have recently publicised their first thematic review investigating the impact of cybercrime. The review has highlighted a number of troublesome statistics making it definitively apparent that cyber related incidents leading to fraud remain one of the largest threats the legal sector faces. The SRA conducted the review by selecting a randomised […]
WillSuite to release another industry report
Leading software provider – WillSuite is currently collating data and feedback from a wide range of industry practitioners to understand the impact that Covid is having on the estate planning sector. Working with hundreds of estate planning businesses and solicitors firms in the private client sector, and being the software provider to both the SWW and the IPW, […]
IHT Share Loss Relief is a wealth-saver in volatile stock markets
As the World celebrated the arrival of a Covid-19 vaccine this week the global stock markets boomed on the positive news. The FTSE 100 had its best day since March, a top ten ‘single-day’ gain, adding around £82bn to the value of companies in the index. But big gains haven’t been the stock market story […]
Arken.legal (UK) Ltd Responds to Pandemic by Incorporating Video Witnessing into its Attestation Clause
Arken Professional now reflects the government’s temporary amendment to legislation for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak, which allows for the remote witnessing of Wills via video link. In response to the pandemic and the inability of some people to get Wills witnessed in the physical presence of witnesses, the government has passed temporary legislation […]
Just 7% of legal professionals think the probate process is fit for purpose
Just one in three legal firms think the time it takes to prepare probate is ‘reasonable’ Most discovery work is still manual and paper-based Waiting for institutions to respond and administration takes up the most time 73% of firms say lockdown has further exacerbated the problem Just seven per cent of legal firms think the […]
ILM launches new online training programme
ILM is delighted to announce the launch of its brand new modular training system, which has been designed around the needs of those new to the world of legacies as well as those who would benefit from a refresh in certain areas. Courses are completed online, in your own time and at your own pace. […]
Integration helps reduce re-keying for a more efficient Will drafting process
Best-in-class solutions for legal firms – Clio and Arken Professional – are now integrated to provide the busy private client solicitor with even more efficiency gains. Although important beforehand, the pandemic, lockdown and working from home has further increased the need and appetite for cloud-based digital solutions and streamlining of processes. Arken Professional allows solicitors […]
Taking care of your digital legacy
Rathbones Review written by solicitors Matthew Barnett and Jessica Brittain from Edwin Coe LLP’s private client team explain in a recent article ‘what a digital legacy is’ and ‘how to account for it in a Will.’ The firm said that English succession law has struggled to keep pace with people’s ever-increasing dependence on the online […]
Why Video Witnessing has Become a Game Changer for the Wills and Probate Sector
The global pandemic has been a game changer for all kinds of industries in 2020, and the effects on the wills and probate sector have also been significant. Making a will has become less of an onerous admin task, which people know they should get to but repeatedly put off, and more of an urgent […]
A remote working overhaul could save a firm tens-of-thousands of pounds
The debate continues whether remote working will become more prevalent when the UK is released from the effects of the pandemic. But one thing that is seeming almost set in stone is the regularly moving restrictions are going to remain into 2021 with mass vaccination not likely until the Spring or Summer. In a recent […]
ILM offer online training service
Last month the Institute of Legacy Management (ILM), launched their online training system, designed to complement the rest of their training offering. The ILM website says: “Content has been provided by ILM Corporate Partners and other experts in their fields, many many modules include videos as well as extensive course materials which can also be […]
Advice for will and private client practitioners: hosting online meetings
When the UK first went into lockdown during March 2020, a huge emphasis was placed on the importance of online meetings. The business community as a whole had to quickly become comfortable with appearing in front of a camera. Not only that, but we also had to become accustomed to the fact that normal life […]
Online will writing software
Leading Will Writing software package WillSuite is an online drafting and CRM solution created and used by estate planning professionals and private client solicitors drafting over 100,000 wills per year. Long gone are the days where practitioners draft from precedents – we know that some still does. Now, more practitioners are using software to automate […]
Love Legal Seeks New Panel Members
Due to expansion of our legal software solutions, Love Legal is looking for more private client solicitors to join our panel of experts. If you’re a forward-thinking and progressive solicitor or firm who is looking to increase revenue and who is happy to embrace technology, and sees it has a place in our industry, then […]
Exizent secures £3.6 million investment to revolutionise the bereavement process
Exizent, a Glasgow-based technology firm, has raised significant funding to transform the way the legal and financial services industry deals with bereavement and make the process far less stressful for family members experiencing loss. In an era of digitised services, with more transparent and open access to information, Exizent is building the first ever platform […]
