Law Society Survey Results Revealed In Application To Legal Services Board

In an application to the Legal Services Board (LSB) that has the Law Society asking for the Practising Certificate (PC) fee to remain the same, the results from a recent survey, regarding the fee, have

Enablers Of Ineffective Tax Avoidance To Be More Easily Prosecuted

Group focusing on anti-corruption is seeking to make small legislative changes so that lawyers who use ineffective tax avoidance schemes, that break the law, may be prosecuted. A policy paper published by the All-Party Parliamentary

ACCA Withdraws From Legal Services Regulation Forming New Partnership

The Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA) has made the decision to withdraw from legal services regulation and instead is negotiating a partnership with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx). Glen Collins, head of technical

Senior Partner Being Sued By Charities For Theft

A senior partner is being accused of stealing millions from client’s estates by multiple charities, including the Church of England. It was revealed this week that a senior partner, Linda Box, of Wakefield law firm

Global Anti-Money-Laundering Fine Amounts Released

Data from a survey has found the fines for UK money-laundering breaches totalled £36.6m within the first 6 months of 2020. The seventh annual Global Enforcement Review, released by Duff & Phelps, a governance, risk

Leading Professionals Call On Governement To Clarity On Deferred Debts

The UK’s leading professional services group of independent chartered accountancy and law firms, the UK200Group, has called for the government to put in place measures for the handing of billions of pounds worth of business

Consultation on mandating online probate applications

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has released details of a consultation, aimed at specialist practitioners who submit probate applications, that proposes mandating of online applications by solicitor and other practitioner applications for grants of probate

Larger Law Firms To Face New Economic Crime Levy

Announced in the Budget in March, larger law firms will face a levy of between £100 and £200 per every £1m of revenue, that will go towards supporting the government’s economic plan. Firms that are

Up to 10% of UK adults born in the 1980s will inherit more than half as much as an average person would earn in their lifetime.

Up to 10% of UK adults born in the 1980s will inherit more than half as much as an average person would earn in their lifetime. A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)

The Ministry of Justice has announced that video witnessed Wills will be made legal during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ministry of Justice has announced that video witnessed Wills will be made legal during the coronavirus pandemic. The planned changes to the law, which will be backdated to 31 January 2020, will allow Wills

Free Mentoring Offered To Firms To Help Develop Equality, Diversity And Inclusion

A new scheme launched this week that will give law firms the opportunity to develop their approaches to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) with 12 months of free support from firms recognised as leaders in

Law Society Releases Annotated Probate Forms

Working together with HMCTS, the Law Society has released annotated probate forms as well as an FAQ that will help people when applying for probate. The forms, PA1P and PA1A, have been annotated with the

Trust Deed Key In Contentious Case

A Cardiff court has ruled against claimants who stated their mother had signed a homemade will under undue influence by their brother. Margaret Wilcox died in 2016 leaving her home to her son Edward McCarthy,

HMRC Revokes Electronic IHT Submissions

On the 26 June, professionals across the country received an email from HMRC that stated due to the relaxation in restrictions across the UK, the number of accounts submitted by post was reverting to the

Trust Inheritance Ventures Forward With New Board Member

Trust Inheritance Ltd, market leaders in all things Wills, Trusts and Probate have decided to “embrace change and always put the customer first”, venturing into the regulated world by launching TI Law Ltd. In venturing

New Online Service To Improve Lasting Power Of Attorney

Today saw the launch of a new online tool, allowing attorneys to contact banks and healthcare providers, that will replace the paper-based system and maintain safeguards to protect elderly and vulnerable from abuse. The Office

CILEx Calls For Certification Rules To Be Extended Permanently

Following the decision by Land Registry to accept copies of Lasting Power of Attorneys (PoAs) certified by Legal Executives from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executive (CILEx), there are now calls to change the law

Unlikely Event Leads To Win In £2m Inheritance Fight

A will thought to be lost for over a decade, that was central to a £2m inheritance dispute was discovered after a cat knocked over a pile of papers due to be shredded. Dean and

New Video Platform To Be Rolled Out To Civil And Family Courts

HMCTS has announced a new video platform that will be rolled out to the civil and family courts will allow more remote cases to be heard safely. Following a successful implementation of the Cloud Video

Spike In Contentious Probate Expected Due To Lockdown Wills

Solicitors across the country are preparing for a spike in contentious probate claims due to the confusion surrounding the witnessing of wills during lockdown. Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 requires wills to be

An Insight Into The Probate Office During Covid-19

Towards the end of last month we published an article that mentioned there was a surge in probate applications, which led to a surge in demand for those who worked at the probate office. Today’s

Online Will-Writer Farewill Looking To Build Team After Raising £20m

In the latest round of funding, online will-writer Farewill has raised £20m so they can begin a major expansion which will include increasing staff numbers. With funding coming from venture capitalist groups Highland Europe, Keen

The LSB Has Resolved To Reshape Legal Services Due To Covid-19

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has charted the latest phase in the delivery of it’s priorities from its three year strategy in its annual report. The strategy outlines the progress the LSB has had with

New Panel Created By SRA To Advise On Policy

A team has been named that will advise the Solicitors Regulation Authority to “help deliver our work in a way that meets the public interest and is responsive to changes in the legal services market.”

Archaic Law Has Prince Charles £1 Million Richer In The Past Year

Prince Charles has, in the last year, profited from more than £1 million under an archaic rule, whereby Cornwall residents who have died without a will have their estate ultimately go to the Crown. Under

Calls For A New UK Bereavement Standard

For some time there have been calls for Ministers to introduce a UK Bereavement Standard that would help alleviate the trauma that families go through when they have to make repeated calls to numerous utility

Law Firm Reports 260% Spike In Contested Probate

JMW Solicitors has seen a 260% increase in contested probate cases, which they say will continue to rocket due to “lockdown wills” and a squeeze on finances heralding vicious battles for meagre sums. Law firms

STEP Excellence Awards Announced

The winners of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Private Client Awards have been announced. The STEP Excellence Awards show the highest scoring students from the 2019 sitting across all STEP exams globally.

Pensions Regulator Remains Focused

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has stated that it remains focused on protecting savers, despite the pandemic. In its corporate plan released earlier this week, TPR set out its direction over the next year despite the

Stewardship Vital To In-Memory Supporters

Legacy Foresight, who analysis the charitable legacy market, along with a consortium of 55 leading national charities and hospices, has set out to gain a full understanding of what constitutes effective in- memory stewardship from

Firm Urges HMRC For Clarification On Emergency Personnel Exemption

A leading South East law film is urging HMRC to provide clarification on whether the estates of the NHS workers and other emergency personnel who have lost their lives due to the Corona virus will

Sentiments Survey June

The Sentiments Survey conducted by Today’s Wills and Probate has shown those in the wills and probate industry are beginning to return to the office, with many mixing working remotely and in the office and