The Ministry of Justice has published its response to the Modernising Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) consultation. Launched in July 2021 the Modernising LPA project which sought responses via industry consultation, aimed to increase safeguards, especially for the donor; improve the process of making and registering an LPA for donors, attorneys and third parties, and; […]Read More
Older homeowners accessing the value held in their homes via lifetime mortgages and other forms of equity release are directly adding nearly £1.8 billion in GVA across the UK economy, according to a new report from Legal & General and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Spending funded by equity release is further […]Read More
Up to 35 million savers now have access to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA)’s Retirement Living Standards through their pension scheme’s communications. In total, 124 organisations are using the Standards, including over 100 pensions schemes and some of the largest and best-known industry brands. A further 25 schemes have signalled their intention to […]Read More
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts left a £29.6 million fortune to his family, probate documents have revealed. The musician, who passed away aged 80 last summer last summer, has left the majority of his estate to widow Shirley, 83, though he reportedly wished for his car collection to be handed out to other beneficiaries, the […]Read More
New research from IBB Law reveals key statistics around will disputes. In January 2022, IBB Law conducted a survey of 1,000 UK citizens who had been involved in a will, inheritance, or probate dispute over the past 10 years, asking various questions about their experience. The study took a deep dive into matters associated with […]Read More
In this latest Today’s Wills and Probate podcast David Opie is joined by Tom Stansfield. Tom is well known to many in the wills and probate sector through his roles with membership body The Society of Will Writers, through to technology providers, most recently as Head of Growth at WillSuite. This latest episode Tom and […]Read More
Women in Wills is delighted to be hosting its next in-person event on Thursday 26th May at The Jockey Club, Exeter Racecourse, with guest speaker Lucy Gill, Head of Legacies, Inheritance and Trust Disputes, and Dispute Resolution at Foot Anstey. Women in Wills was founded in July 2019 with the aim of fostering collaboration between […]Read More
Monday 16th May marks the start of Dementia Action Week. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently around 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. As dementia tends to affect people over the age of 65 (although it can also start at a younger age) the number of people affected by dementia is […]Read More
The UK’s largest probate genealogy company has won the most prestigious category of Probate Research Firm of the Year at the 2022 UK Probate Research Awards (PRAs) – presented live in London by criminal barrister and television personality, Rob Rinder. Danny Curran, an heir hunting entrepreneur who founded forensic genealogy firm Finders International, was awarded […]Read More
This year, the annual Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) National Conference 2022 is taking place at Kings Place, London on Thursday 23rd June. Chairman of SFE, Michael Culver will open the event which will mark the first time the conference has been held in-person since 2019. The conference is set to be held on 23rd […]Read More
The UK legal technology association (UKLTA) is pleased to introduce four new executive board members, bringing a wealth of skills and experience to help shape the future of the association. UKLTA has appointed four new Executive Board members to reflect the expanding membership of the Association. The four new Board members are Andy Clarke from […]Read More
A new industry body representing estate planners, the BEST Foundation, has organised and written an open letter to the OPG relating to problems within the service, particularly around delays to LPA registrations. The BEST Foundation has written an open letter to the OPG on behalf of several industry practitioners to highlight problems within the service […]Read More
Administrators acting for the failed funeral plans provider Safe Hands Plans has revealed that it is not in a position to repay the £64m it needs to customers. FRP, the administrator acting for the Wakefield-based Safe Hands Plans, says that its 47,000 customers should not expect payments and will instead be left with worthless plans […]Read More
Time to simplify the system as pensioners reclaim £22 million in overpaid tax from HMRC. Latest HMRC statistics show that between 1st January 2022 and 31st March 2022, it paid out £22,317,529 to people who overpaid tax when they accessed their pensions flexibly. Due to the current system, anyone accessing a pension flexibly is taxed […]Read More
New figures released today show that solicitors and Will-writers are playing an increasingly important role in charitable Will-writing, with more than 1 in 5 Wills handled by UK legal advisers (22%) now including a donation to charity. The Savanta Will-writing survey, commissioned by Remember A Charity, reveals that 7 in 10 solicitors and Will-writers (71%) always or sometimes alert clients to the Inheritance Tax […]Read More
Co-op Legal Services, the UK’s largest regulated provider of wills, estate planning and probate services, has reported a strong year of growth in its annual results with overall revenues having increased by 3% compared to the previous year (2021: £39m, 2020: £38m) and profits up by 28%. The strong performance has largely been driven by […]Read More
Prepaid probate plans have been the focus of much discussion and press in recent weeks, with some reports coining it the new “wild west” of the industry following the announcement that funeral plans will become regulated from July. But what are prepaid probate plans and how do they work in practice? Today’s Wills and Probate […]Read More
Latest HMRC figures show that IHT receipts for April 2021 to March 2022 are £6.1 billion, which is £0.7 billion higher than in the same period a year earlier. Commenting on the overall annual figures HMRC has stated that higher receipts in October 2020, November 2020, and March to August 2021 are due to higher […]Read More
The ruthless war in Ukraine has left a nation utterly devastated, and the country’s legal sector is no exception. Despite this, information on what the UK legal sector can do to help its counterparts in Ukraine is sparse. Today’s Wills and Probate has set out to shed some light on what can be done to […]Read More
Growing a law firm is as challenging as it is exciting. Law firm leaders need to focus on their day-to-day operations while always keeping one eye out for the future, working today to implement processes, tools, and establish a culture that will pay dividends for years to come. So, how do firm leaders know where […]Read More
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