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A new report has revealed 2022 saw legacy income reach unprecedented levels for charities in England and Wales. The report, put together by Smee & Ford, looked at 37,053 charitable estates out of a total
A new report has suggested as many as 80,000 young people’s assets could be locked in their Child Trust Funds (CTF) due to their lack of capacity to make decisions. The current Court of Protection
A new network of solicitors has been launched with the aim of providing free legal advice to people dealing with probate and estate administration. The Probate Network is made up of solicitors that provide free
New data on the timeliness of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) applications* has revealed that the well-documented delays affecting the process are beginning to ease. Answering a parliamentary question from Labour MP Beth Winter regarding
The government has set out its plans for the “failure to prevent fraud” (FTPF) offence contained in a recent amendment to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. The offence is intended to mirror existing
New data released by the Ministry of Justice has revealed both applications for grants of probate and grants of probate issued increased in 2022 compared with 2021. Specifically, there were 234,711 applications for probate grants
The Ministry of Justice has announced £3 million of investment aiming to “turbocharge” the development and use of technology in the legal sector. CodeBase and Legal Geek will receive the funding as new providers of
Figures released by the Ministry of Justice have revealed that the trend of increasing take-up of lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) continued over the course of 2022. Annually, there were 771,822 LPAs registered in 2022,
The government has confirmed that a rise in the state pension age to 68 will not be brought forward at this stage. Current rules mean those born on or after 5th April 1977 will work
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced it will not be conducting a review of the list of reserved legal activities in the imminent future. Certain legal activities are restricted – or reserved – by
Nearly two in three people in the UK would be prepared to take their family or friends to court if they were wrongfully excluded from a loved one’s will, a new study has found. JMW
The Industry Working Group’s final report on the electronic execution of documents has failed to agree on a way forward for eSignatures following “mixed views both internally and externally” regarding the certification and accreditation of
New data from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has revealed inheritance tax (IHT) receipts are £0.9 billion higher than in the same period a year earlier. In total, the take from IHT for the financial
New data released by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) seems to confirm probate delays are continuing to worsen in England and Wales. The total number of receipts in January 2023 was 26,464, up from
A pair of mutual wills drafted by a couple in 1998 have been overturned by the High Court following a claim of undue influence by one of their sons in Naidoo v Barton, 2023 EWHC
Amongst Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget announcements on Wednesday was confirmation that the annual tax-free allowance for pensions will be increased from £40,000 to £60,000 alongside the abolition of the lifetime allowance. The measures, which are
The Access to Justice Foundation has been awarded funding to administer the “Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support” grant. The Ministry of Justice says the grant “will help thousands more people get access to early legal
A claim for damages against a firm for negligent tax advice relating to inheritance tax (IHT) in 2009 is not time-barred, the England and Wales High Court has ruled. Stephane Etroy, a non-domiciled UK resident,
New analysis has suggested the private client sector is set to see a period of negative growth for the second consecutive year in 2023. Specifically, according to LexisNexis’ latest Gross Legal Product Index for the
An experienced solicitor has been struck off after she “acted in flagrant breach of the trust placed in her by her elderly client”. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal heard that Julia Cooper, who was admitted in
The current rules governing legal executives’ scope relating to powers of attorney “[do not] make any sense”, the Member of Parliament (MP) behind the Powers of Attorney Bill has said. Currently, Chartered Institute of Legal
Over half of the UK is “gambling with inheritance” through not having in a will in place, new research has revealed. According to Quilter, 57% of people are without a will, leaving their family finances
Pledged charitable bequests soared during 2022 in spite of the cost of living crisis, according to new research. Specifically, figures from Farewill suggest legacy giving pledges included in wills increased by 8.7% year-on-year in 2022.
The government has announced changes to the definition of what constitutes treasure – and the changes have implications for those inheriting treasure. Under the current definition set out within the Treasure Act 1996, newly discovered
A post-pandemic poll on the UK population’s attitudes to life and death has found over a quarter are now more likely to discuss their final wishes and funeral plans with family. This rises to nearly
A widow has won half of her late husband’s £1 million estate despite his will entirely excluding her and their four daughters. Harbans Kaur, the widow, married Karnail Singh in 1955. Singh wrote his will
A clear majority of those involved in probate found the process simple, a new study has revealed, with a variety of factors said to be contributing to its simplicity. IRN Legal Research polled 257 adults
New research has revealed that just one will writing brand within the market is recognised by a majority of consumers. According to a study conducted by IRN Legal in November 2022, Cooperative Legal Services is
New data released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has revealed inheritance tax (IHT) receipts are up 18% compared with the same period last year. Total receipts for the financial year up to January sit
The majority of people in the UK are avoiding discussion of the “very awkward” topic of inheritance, new research has suggested. Despite 72% anticipating that they will leave some sort of inheritance to their loved
A new legal artificial intelligence (AI) platform has been described as “marking a new era for the legal industry” by one Magic Circle Senior Partner. The platform, known as Harvey, is built on the platform
A new firm has set out with the aim of “changing what it means to work within high street law firms” through a raft of modern workplace policies. Circe Law has been launched by Jade