Legacy Sector Discussions Set For Today's Wills And Probate Round Table

The charity sector has been forced to confront the wrath of governmental reform in recent months; all of which had huge ramifications on the charity sector and their ability to accrue legacy gifts. Firstly, the

Stan Lee Potentially Victim Of Elder Abuse Prior To Death

It has been alleged that the comic book genius behind the Marvel franchise, Stan Lee, spent his final years a victim of elder abuse at the hands of his former manager, Keya Morgan. According to

UK Online Will Writing Juggernauts Make Small Screen Debut

Digital Will writing service, Farewill, have enjoyed significant growth, fantastic customer feedback and industry recognition in the short time they have been operating. Now, as they aim to encourage new, more reluctant sections of the

Solicitor Struck Off For Illegally Backdating Enduring Power of Attorney

A solicitor has been struck off the register for illegally backdating an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) in order to help save his client money. The Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal found that the respondent, Robert Henry

Brexit Causing Legacy Income Growth To Slow Considerably

The UK has been lost in a fog of uncertainty since the referendum result to leave the EU in 2016. Since then, income legacy growth has been slowing. According to Legacy monitoring specialists, Legacy Foresight,

Dying Matters Awareness Week Breaking The Taboo Around Confronting Death

Just over half of UK adults (56%) would be spurred into the action of preparing their financial and practical affairs in order to prepare for the devastating news that they had a mere year left

Is A Pension Style Social Care Reform The Answer To A Broken System?

Countless Prime Ministers and Chancellors have waxed lyrical and preached about the healthcare system in recent years. Whilst each one grapples with graphs and recite rehearsed percentage figures, one element remained clear: social care in

Short-Term Arrangement Will Replace Current Wills Notification Service

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) have claimed that the proposed changes to the Wills Notification Service will launch a short-term arrangement that is set operate for around a year until a long-term solution

Naive Guardian Jailed For Stealing From Minor Beneficiary's Inheritance

The woman who became legal guardian and trustee for a young teenage boy, following the tragic death of his parents within months of each other, has been jailed for stealing and frittering away the boy’s

A cosy suburb of Buckinghamshire has fallen victim to exploitation, fraud and even murder in recent months as a conniving sociopath targeted vulnerable elderly home owners, befriended them, persuaded them to incorporate himself into their

Error Strewn Probate Fees Order Could Languish In Waiting Room Until Autumn

The new probate fees statutory instrument has languished in a parliamentary waiting room for over two months with a myriad of errors. The Government were ready to launch the probate fees in their current draft

Warring Sisters-In-Law Fight Over £3 Million Hertfordshire Farm

Family farms have often been at the centre of acrimonious legal proceedings. In recent weeks, warring sisters-in-law have been fighting over a family farm worth £3.2 million. 67-year-old farmer, Sally Kingsley, has won a High

Pensioners Paying £4 Billion More In Tax Contributions Than Originally Thought

The Government have been accused of ‘sneaking out’ statistics highlighting that the government coffers have siphoned off £4 billion more in income tax from desperately needed pension pots than was originally thought. According to the

The Ministry of justice (MoJ), HM Court and Tribunals System (HMCTS) and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) are facing significant backlogs on various applications because of issues with software after adapting a new system.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), HM Court and Tribunals System (HMCTS) and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) are facing significant backlogs on various applications because of issues with software after adapting a new

OPG Aiming To Reduce Average Age Of LPA Users

Despite the fact that the uptake in Lasting Power of Attorneys (LPA) has grown exponentially in recent years, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is looking to educate more people into the importance of

OPG Promise A Fully Online LPA Application Process

The Office of the Public Guardian will look to make the application process for Lasting Power of Attorneys (LPA) fully automated and online. The Office for the Public Guardian (OPG) released their safeguarding strategy that

Consumers Demand More Online Communication Channels

The legal service consumer views online communication as a vital tool in creating a more efficient, cheaper service. According to a recent survey, carried out by mmadigital, 83% of respondents would opt to communicate online

Majority Of Population Unprepared To Finance Retirement

The majority of the population remain naive about how much money they will need to live on when they retire. According to recent research, from Equity Release Supermarket, of over 4,000 people aged over 40-years-old,

MCA Amendment Bill Omits Lords' Proposed Deprivation Of Liberty Definition

The Mental Capacity Amendment Bill 2017-19 made its way for a final time through the House of Lords last week. Having been through eleven previous stages of development between the two houses, the Lords agreed

May 2019 sees the launch of the first ever Free Will Registration Month. Providing law firms with the opportunity to register their Will Bank with Certainty the National Will Register completely free of charge, which

Nearly 70% Of Solicitors Suffer High Levels Of Stress

Two thirds (66%) of solicitors are currently experiencing high levels of stress, according to the latest findings from the Bellwether Report 2019 titled ‘Stress in the Legal Profession: Problematic or Inevitable’, published by LexisNexis UK.

Using Technology To Improve Efficiency And Expertise In Estate Planning

When we think back to Y2K and the irrational fears concerning the millennium bug, even the most technologically minded individuals would have struggled to predict the rapid journey over the past nineteen years. Social media

661% Of Firms Breached In The Past Year

Three in every five global firms have reported a serious data breach in the past year. The Cyber Readiness Report 2019, conducted by insurer Hiscox, found that 61% of firms have been breached in the

Over-55s Unprepared For Financing Their Retirement

Almost a quarter of women over the age of 55-years-old are massively unprepared for financing their retirement. A recent report of 1,000 people over the age of 55, carried out by Sunlife, has found that

Prince’s Heirs Dispute Exorbitant Fees Charged By Professional Administrators

Three years after the legendary ‘Purple Rain’ singer’s death, the estate of Prince remains in dispute, unsettled and haemorrhaging vast amounts of money to professional administrators. In a bid to take more control over the

Cyber Security Measures Improving But UK Firms Still Vulnerable

Millions of people across the globe continue to use hack-able passwords, underestimating the importance of creating a unique password to protect themselves, their business and clients from cyber criminality. The inaugural UK Cyber Survey, released

Firms Continue To Flout Privacy And Electronic Communications Regulations

The Information Commissioner’s Office continue to flex their increased powers by fining Avalon Direct Ltd £80,000 for making unlawful marketing calls concerning funeral plans to elderly and vulnerable people ‘who had made it explicitly clear

court image

The feud between executors of Zaha Hadid’s estate has developed and built momentum like a heavyweight boxing bout. The acrimonious and bitter events will reach their climax today as they head to High Court. Whilst

Abandoned Nursing Home Leaves Sensitive Patient Data Exposed

A recent BBC report, using documentary evidence from urban explorers, has found that an abandoned care home has been left with boxes of sensitive patient data strewn carelessly throughout the vacant Westbury House property in

Two Thirds Use Equity Release To Make Later Life Home Modifications

Record numbers of UK home owners used equity release products to help younger relatives buy property in 2018. According to the 2018 Equity Release report, published by retirement finance specialists Key, 27% of equity release

The Changing Role of Technology in Wills and Estate Planning

Technology has changed the way the world communicates with each other. Its impact has been colossal, fast paced and is only increasing. Legal technology is starting to become a major consideration for many people in

Unscrupulous Probate Paralegal Executive Commits £70,000 Fraud

A paralegal executive has been jailed for over three years after stealing tens of thousands of pounds from the estates of deceased clients she was working with. Lucy Gunton used sophisticated social engineering methods to