A look back on Wills and Probate in 2020
No-one could have predicted this year and how it has turned out and I am sure I speak for many that it is a year that we would be happy to see the back of. Turn the clock back 12 months, and not many people would have been prepared for the consequences a worldwide pandemic […]
Five ways to speed up probate property sales – and get the best price
Kirsty Burnham, Head of Property for Movewise, a company which provides support to law firms selling properties through probate, offers some advice for probate specialists on how to sell quickly and efficiently on behalf of clients – and achieve the maximum price. As a probate lawyer, you will be well aware of the time it […]
MyHMCTS using Multi-Factor Authentication
As more and more legal service processes are being digitised, the need to protect client’s personal data is becoming more important. To help keep their systems safe and secure, HMCTS have introduced multi-factor authentication to their online case management system MyHMCTS. The extra protection step was implemented last month, but as more and more people […]
Breaking News : Chancellor extended furlough scheme for an extra month
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the furlough scheme for an extra one month until the end of April next year. Rishi said the move would provide “certainty for millions of jobs and businesses”. The further extension will mean the government will continue to pay 80% of the wages of workers who have been furloughed. Mr […]
The Power of GREAT Customer Service
There are many elements to consider to ensure that your business is successful but when it comes to delivering great customer service, then how and when we choose to communicate with our customers is crucial. Recently, at Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation Ltd we wanted to build a new 2- way communication system between ourselves […]
Grandads more generous than grandmas
It was revealed recently that grandparents are planning to leave more in their wills for their grandchildren than they intended before Covid-19 hit. And now Tower Street Finance’s own research of 2,000 people has uncovered some interesting trends when it comes to the bank of grandma and grandad. The survey found that grandads plan to […]
Title Research’s year in review blog
A new blog from Title Research takes a look back at what has had the biggest impact on the legal industry in 2020. At the beginning of 2020, Title Research predicted that the two biggest headlines of the year could be related to probate fees and Brexit. However, 2020 had alternate plans by introducing the […]
Certainty Will Search, the only way to be estate certain
How do you know whether the last Will that you are presented with or are currently holding in your archive, is in fact the last Will? Testators not only change their Will over time but also their solicitor, and without informing the previous law firm that they wrote their Will with. When faced with the […]
Kings Court Trust looks back at 2020
Kings Court Trust has recently published a blog that reviews the biggest headlines of 2020. At the start of 2020, Kings Court Trust made predictions about what could make headlines throughout the year – a global pandemic that would change the world wasn’t on their list. Aside from the pandemic, there were other topics and […]
FCA to regulate pre-paid funeral plans by 2022
From the middle of 2022, the Government has appointed the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to regulate the pre-paid funeral industry. In a statement the FCA said it intends to consult in spring 2021 on its plans for regulating the sector and the FCA appointment will start 18 months after the government sets out new legislation. […]
Kings Court Trust launches a new estate administration guide
Award-winning probate and estate administration provider, Kings Court Trust, is pleased to launch a brand-new guide that provides detailed insight into what’s involved at every stage of the estate administration process. Estate administration can be a complex process. From applying for the Grant of Probate to completing Income Tax work, some steps are time-sensitive, lengthy […]
Equity Release Council publishes Best Practice Guide for advisers
The Equity Release Council (the Council) has launched a Best Practice Guide to complement its Checklist for Advisers and support firms when discussing and documenting customer needs. The detailed guide has been produced by the Council’s Standards Board, drawing on decades of experience from expert adviser members representing a variety of firms in the market. […]
End of 2020 will see 1.6M funeral plans in force
By the end of 2020, it is estimated that there will be almost 1.6 million new funeral plans sold, according to recent research. Market research consultancy, IRN Research, this week published the ‘Funeral Plans Consumer Research Report 2020’ which looks at the pre-paid funeral plan market and sets that into the context of how consumers […]
Solicitor MP thinks ‘Video Wills’ puts solicitors at great risk
Conservative MP and Solicitor, John Stevenson has been airing his disagreement over video Wills citing it as unnecessary and risky for firms. As the impact of September’s legislative change begin to emerge, John Stevenson, Conservative MP for Carlisle and managing partner of Bendles LLP told The Law Society Gazette that the usage of internet for […]
TV legendary actress dies aged 83
Best known for her roles in EastEnders and the Carry On films, Dame Barbara Windsor has sadly passed away, aged 83. In a statement, her husband Scott Mitchell confirmed she had died peacefully from Alzheimer’s at a London care home on Thursday evening. She had been diagnosed with the disease in 2014 and had moved […]
Send us your Christmas and festive pictures
According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Christmas 2020 is a time to be ‘jolly careful’, as we continue to battle the coronavirus. Here at Today’s Wills and Probate we’d like to spread some Christmas cheer and share your festive photos on our social media channels. You can send your photo to press@todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. We hope you […]
Women in Wills celebrate with their final meeting of the year
The Women in Wills group joined together to meet for the final time this year to celebrate with a festive themed event. The group, which has been growing in number throughout lockdown, shared some fun stories, heard some positive news stories from Emily Chalke of Ella’s charity, while enjoying a festive themed pet competition – […]
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 […]
Free webinar: 2020 in review
Kings Court Trust’s last webinar of the year, taking place on Wednesday 16th December at 1pm, will be hosted by Technical Manager, Nigel Merchant, who will discuss interesting industry updates from 2020. Nigel will explore remote Will witnessing, COVID-19’s impact on the Wills and probate industry, Inheritance Tax receipts, and more. Nigel will also talk […]
Protect yourself, your firm and client by conducting a Certainty Will Search
Conducting a Certainty Will Search ensures that you have done everything you could to locate the last valid Will of the deceased. It is important to not take the risk by continuing to distribute an estate on the assumption that you are in possession of the last Will and to safeguard this by advising that […]
