Why do soap operas not conduct due diligence with estate planning?

Advising clients with regards to planning for their future, documenting their final wishes and having a plan in place in case they lose capacity can sometimes seem an uphill battle. However, when the nation’s soap

SIF closure: Solicitors should prepare to protect themselves against future claims

The Law Society has issued a series of warnings ahead of the closure of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) on 30 September 2021 – a move that could leave former owners of law firms that

Category Spotlight: Probate services take centre stage

The British Wills and Probate Awards are taking center stage once again this October, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on some of the returning categories for this year’s awards. Alongside our headline sponsor,

Your views wanted on cyber loss insurance clause

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) are calling for professionals in the legal sector to give their feedback on a clause which covers for cyber losses explicit in the minimum terms and conditions (MTC) of professional

Rapid register search helps vulnerable people

A new service launched by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), will help local authorities, social care, police and the NHS, help vulnerable people in their communities quickly. Members of staff from the above

Spotlight: Categories highlight the importance of helping others

The British Wills and Probate Awards are taking centre stage once again this October, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on some of the returning categories for this year’s awards. Alongside our headline sponsor,

Leave a breadcrumb for digital assets or risk them being lost forever

Since 2018, a growing number of clients have been including digital assets into their wills. Naturally, these assets are more common in the younger generation, however all clients should consider the implications of not including

The probate for a holograph will has been revoked, following a virtual court hearing at the England and Wales High Court, in which a potential witness revoked their affidavit. A handwritten will, detailing the last

HMRC publish Cryptoassets manual

HMRC has published it’s Cryptoassets manual helping practitioners understand the tax implications of assets which take a digital form. Taking to Twitter following the publication, Ian Bond TEP, tweeted: “HMRC publishes its manual on crypto-assets,

Six months till the arrival of SQE

The six-month countdown has begun until the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduces a new route to qualifying as a solicitor – the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). There will be a gradual transition to the new

Law Society Awards now open!

The Law Society Awards 2021 are now open for entries with 20 categories to choose from, covering individual, team and firm awards. “After an extraordinary year, it has never been more important to celebrate the

Spotlight: Categories return for fourth Awards ceremony

The British Wills and Probate Awards are taking centre stage once again this October, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on some of the returning categories for this year’s awards. Alongside our headline sponsor,

Digital Assets time bomb ‘unclaimed’ pot swells

Co-op Legal Services is issuing a stark warning to consumers with money invested in digital assets: keep track of your cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens or risk losing them to the UK’s ever-growing unclaimed funds pot

Making plans for Nigel – SFE National Conference

The annual SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly) Conference is taking place online on Wednesday 23rd June 2021. This year the event has a new and exciting format: attendees will explore a day long, in-depth case

John Clitheroe and Irwin Mitchell looking to overturn first instance decision

A son looking to have his mother’s two wills reinstated had his case heard by the High Court last week. John Clitheroe, is looking to appeal the first instance decision that overturned his mother Jean

Your chance to help The Law Commission to shape Law Reform

The Law Commission has announced its 14th Programme of Law Reform and is asking for contributions to help shape the priorities for the next three to four years. A statement from the Law Commission reads:

The Legal Services Board (LSB) launched a consumer-focussed strategy for legal services in England and Wales, and called for collaboration to reshape legal services to better meet society’s needs. The ambitious ten-year strategy reflects that

Spotlight: New categories for The British Wills and Probate Awards

The British Wills and Probate Awards are taking center stage once again this October, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on some of our new categories for this year’s awards. Alongside headline sponsor Executor

Legado Life Planning platform helps with client engagement

The use and implementation of technology in the wills and probate sector has accelerated as a result of the coronavirius pandemic. Tom Lyes, Director of Engagement at Today’s Wills and Probate spent some time recently

Drafting error lost son's claim on their family farm

The England and Wales High Court (EWHC) has agreed that a son was disinherited after his late father’s Will was deemed invalid. The Court agreed with Timothy Mundil-Williams that his father John Williams lacked knowledge

A computer screen displaying a search engine

Attracting new business is always important, and although we’d like to rely on recommendations of happy clients, more often than not people will choose our business as a result of a searching for the service

MyHMCTS users told to use Manage Cases interface log in

Professionals who use the MyHMCTS system are being asked to log on using the Manage Cases interface as opposed to using the old CCD interface. The link for this is here: https://manage-case.platform.hmcts.net/

Lubna Shuja becomes vice president of Law Society

Lubna Shuja has become the Law Society of England and Wales’ vice president raising the prospect for the first time of two consecutive women presidents in the organisation’s history when she steps up to the

Lockdown helps spotlight to shine on sector

The 23rd March 2021 marks the first anniversary in which the UK went in to a national lockdown to begin its fightback against the coronavirus. It’s a year that many of us would like to

Nominations open for virtual Probate Research Awards

Nominations are now open for the Probate Research Awards which are taking place on the 29th April 2021, hosted by Robert Rinder. Now in its third year, The UK Probate Research Awards will recognise achievements

One-stop partnership alerts financial service providers to bereaved and vulnerable consumers

Vulnerable consumers dealing with the death of a loved one will receive speedier and fairer treatment from financial service providers following a new partnership by two free nationwide services. The tie-up between the Vulnerability Registration

New Nightingale Courtrooms open across the country

HMCTS have vowed to open 60 Nightingale Courts by the end of this month, as they aim to clear the backlog of cases that need to be heard. Five new courtrooms were opened last week

Over the last 12 months, as most of us have been working from home, referring to our children, pets and other halves as our work colleagues, it can sometimes feel extremely lonely. Having a mentor or a point of contact that you could talk to on a regular basis could help to combat the feelings of loneliness and isolation the three lockdowns have left many of us feeling. Couple that with students being unable to access mentors to help them grow their careers and it's little wonder that mental health became a huge priority for many people. GROW, which was founded by trainee solicitor Justin Farrance from Allen & Overy matches law students and early career professionals in the UK and US with experienced mentors to help improve access to the law and social mobility. The mentorship was formed at the beginning of the lockdown and has flourished. In 12 months it has paired 1,200 mentees with mentors spanning more than 50 law firms, in-house legal teams and chambers. Recently, Coventry University's Law School has become the first faculty to form a collaboration with GROW, helping the next generation of lawyers into the profession. Sharan Dhadda, associate lecturer and Coventry Law School’s liaison with GROW, said: “This initiative is a means to connect aspiring lawyers with legal professionals. It allows students to gain an insight into what working life is truly like and provides them with a direct line with people who have taken a similar path. “The driving force behind this programme is to enhance social mobility, diversity and inclusivity in the legal industry. The legal profession can seem somewhat daunting; however, GROW helps to minimise that by connecting the two worlds.” Justin Farrance, who is currently a Law Society social mobility ambassador, added: “Having virtually spoken to members of Coventry Law School, I was inspired by their efforts to support their law students and was very happy to launch GROW Coventry University. “Mentorship is more important than ever in supporting diverse talent and I can’t wait to hear the progress students make with their career journey.” More information about the mentorship programme can be found here.

Over the last 12 months, as most of us have been working from home, referring to our children, pets and other halves as our work colleagues, it can sometimes feel extremely lonely. Having a mentor

Exizent announced as Champagne Sponsor for The British Wills and Probate Awards

This year marks the fourth year of The British Wills and Probate Awards, and we’ve already seen a number of entries coming through, demonstrating the achievements made by those in the sector. The event is

Lawshare continues to grow and help legal sector

Having the right support in place can have a huge impact on the well-being of an individual. With mental health and well-being now at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds, it is always

LPA's and the Covid Vaccine

Since the 9th December 2020, the UK has been rolling out it’s coronavirus vaccine program, giving priority to those most at risk. However, the pandemic demonstrated that there was an urgent need for a focus

8 in 10 go with the first funeral director they find

Even though funeral costs have risen by 128% over the past 17 years, and now stand at £4,184 on average, most people still don’t shop around for funeral services. New data released from SunLife’s Cost