Solicitor Cleared of Lacking Integrity and Dishonesty Concerning Will Bequest
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal have cited Wingate and Ivey to clear a solicitor accused of lacking integrity and acting dishonestly after he accepted bequests in clients’ wills. Matthew Beach, former manager of Wills Chandler Beach in Hampshire, made a number of errors after some of his clients had amended their wills and made gifts to […]
The Difficulty in Recruiting and Retaining Talented Legal Service Providers
With the imminent arrival of price transparency and the need to highlight an expert staff and superior services, the importance of retaining skilled talent has never been more vital. Recent surveys suggest that there is a shortage of candidates looking to take up a career as a conveyancer. Furthermore, there is a growing skills gap […]
Equity Release Beginning to Dominate in Later Life Planning
The recent Autumn 2018 Equity Release Market Report has found that there has been a staggering 81% increase in equity release from H1 in 2016 to H1 in 2018. Among reasons including improved social care and helping family, improved product choice has also been considered an attributing factor to the upsurge in the use of […]
Holiday let given Business Property Relief in landmark case
The executors of the late Grace Joyce Graham have won a case against HMRC in claiming that the holiday property she owned was actually a business and should be entitled to business property relief (BPR) The decade long saga between HMRC and owners of furnished holiday lets has been dealt a defining blow recently with […]
Trust schemes that protect against care fees considered a scam
The rising cost of care fees, inheritance tax and an uncertain financial climate caused by Brexit confusion is creating a lot of anxiety for an ageing generation with property. The thought of losing the asset a family work so hard for, to pay for care fees, has motivated a lot of people to use financial […]
Phillips Trust Corporation Proudly Launch New Website
Having started Phillips Trust Corporation in 2017 and enjoying a sustained year of growth, the company associates desired to improve their online presence that could lead to increased levels of converted enquiries. Solve Legal were contacted because of their expert knowledge in web design and marketing that could help renew and refresh their digital presence. […]
Report Claims Law Firms Are Ignoring Potential Clients For Days
In a time when regulatory reforms are creating an increasingly competitive and hostile environment, it is shocking that some law firms are ignoring potential enquiries. The recent research, by Insight6, a customer experience expert, sought mystery shoppers and asked them to make contact with fifty law firms through their websites and phone systems. The mystery […]
Why put your reputation on the line?
Does YOUR legal document drafting Software offer you and your clients PROTECTION? Countrywide Legacy makes protecting you and your clients a priority with our brand new Client Disclaimer! We understand that the decisions your client make in relation to their Estate Planning are based on what they believe best suits them and their family. Our […]
Mac Miller’s untimely death at 26 highlights importance of making a will
Mac Miller, American Rapper who died of a suspected drug overdose on September 7th, has left his fortune to his family according to his Will. The Will named parents Karen Meyer and Mark McCormack along with his brother Miller McCormack as the main beneficiaries to his estate. They will inherit all assets, including his money, […]
UK cost of Dying is on the rise
The cost of dying is now more expensive than ever before, but professional fees are also declining. According to the recent Sunlife (2018), Cost of Dying Report, it now costs an average of £9,204, a 3.4% increase from 2017 figures. Staggeringly, this is also a 57.1% increase from the cost of dying in 2007, when […]
Executors selling Long Leaseholds offered relief
The case of Villarosa V Ryan (2018) has been a complex one. However, the recent ruling and slight amendments to the Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, will now permit an executor to apply for a lease extension without the usual two year waiting period. Under the 1993 leasehold reform, a tenant must have acquired […]
30% Increase in Legacy Giving During 2018
A recent report, carried out by Remember a Charity and Co-op Legal Services, looking into the legacy giving patterns of UK Wills in 2018 has found that charitable gifts included in Wills has increased by 30% in the past year. Despite the fact that only 6% of the UK population bequest money to charities in […]
Exclusive Interview with the new Director of Consulting at Legacy Voice
This summer, Chris Millward joined the Legacy Voice team as the new Director of Consulting. An industry leader in the UK charity sector, he has a wealth of experience, knowledge and skills for creating awareness and ultimately growing legacy giving. With over a decade of expertise in managing charity legacy fundraising and administration, Chris has […]
wealthy estate charity bequests exceeding £1 million is increasing
A recent report has found that more millionaires are making philanthropic financial contributions in excess of £1 million to charities. Figures, obtained from HM Revenue and Customs by private law firm Wilsons, found that the number of charitable bequests in excess of £1 million has increased by 27% in the last five years. In the […]
Awards Shortlist for ‘Best use of Marketing and Social Media’
The British Wills and Probate Awards are delighted to officially announce the shortlist for the ‘Best Use of Marketing and Social Media’ category for the upcoming awards on 18th October 2018. The Judges of the awards ceremony faced a difficult task of deciding the shortlist for this category as they received fantastic entrants. But after […]
Coop Consolidate their status as UK’s largest Wills and Probate Company
Based on continued growth and impressive sales, the Coop can now claim to be the largest company providing Wills and probate services in the UK. The profits for Co-opertative Legal Services (CLS) £800,000 profit for the opening 6 months is four times more when compared with 2017 figures. The groups revenue is also up 31% […]
More than half of British adults are following in Aretha’s footsteps and have no Will, survey reveals
More than half of British adults are following in the footsteps of the late music legends Aretha Franklin and Prince in having made no Will, a new survey has revealed. The study, carried out by Will Aid, the charity will-writing campaign that takes place every November, found that 53% of adults have not prepared this […]
Law Firm fined and admonished for overcharging deputyship fees
Frettons, a law firm based in Dorset, has been fined for overcharging a man subject to a deputyship order. The Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) helped to settle the fine and ordered costs of £1,350 to be paid. The very concept of becoming entrusted with the protection of a person’s estate when they lack capacity should […]
Six Month Review of the Power of Attorney Refund Scheme
In February, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) announced that they had opened a refund scheme for people that had been overcharged for their power of attorney fees. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced that anyone overcharged for lasting power of attorney fees between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2017 are entitled to […]
Are you ready for the new SRA Accounts Rules 2018?
The long awaited and in part controversial Draft SRA Accounts Rules will not come into force before Autumn 2018 – but are you and your firm ready? June 2017 saw the publication of the Rules, however, prior to printing, the SRA apparently backtracked on some of the more contentious elements during a period of feedback. […]
