To date, there hasn’t yet been a government regulator for will writers. Technically anybody can write a will without any qualifications, provided it’s written accurately and within the guidelines of the law — and it
The public will be asked their views on the Solicitors Regulation Authority as part of a major perceptions survey starting this week. IFF Research, an independent market research agency, has been commissioned to undertake the
Last week the team at Today’s Wills and Probate sent out a questionnaire to new subscribers asking which articles you were enjoying reading the most and what you to see more of in future issues
Market research in the US conducted by Brandlocal.com has found that 88% of consumers read reviews to determine the quality of a local business and a further 88% trusted those views as much as a
The Daily Mail are offering their readers the chance to get a free will with this Saturday’s issue. The, ‘Last Will and Testament Kit’ is being provided free by Lawpack and contains information to enable
Kings Court Trust (KCT) and the Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) have just announced (view article here) that they have entered into a strategic partnership to deliver the Integrated Legal Services (ILS) probate and estate
The ruling by the High Court in the case of King v Dubrey has been overturned by the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal decided that the deceased (Mrs Fairbrother) had not made a
This week we have an interesting comparison between probate and game shows – is it really that much of a gamble, or should this person be choosing a different professional? This probate thing makes
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) state life expectancy is increasing year on year and their data shows the average 55 year old is predicted to live into their mid-eighties. There is now an online
There are thousands of small businesses in the UK, many of which are sole traders or firms that employ a small number of employees. With this in mind, planning for the future would surely be
Although someone in Britain dies every minute, many people risk missing out on having their end of life wishes met. This can lead to leaving a mess behind for those close to them because of
A solicitor who stole more than £600,000 from elderly clients to fund a secret spending binge on prostitutes and adult chatlines, has been jailed for four years. A well respected figure in the suburb of
This week’s social media focus is of the comical kind, though when you break it down, there are a lot of questions that can be asked. It’s regularly a topic of conversation on social media
The Court of Protection has declared that a donor of an English lasting power of attorney (LPA) is within their rights to impose any number of conditions, specifying when and how the power can be
This year will see another push to increase co-operation between public institutions and the financial sector to crack down on illicit money flows such as money-laundering, terrorist-financing and corruption. A major provision of the Fourth
Land Registry has recently published guidance explaining when and why an entry might be made in its register in relation to an Inheritance Tax charge (“IHT charge”). Rule 35(1) Land Registration Rules 2003, requires the
In 2005 the Mental Capacity Act created the Court of Protection which specialises in all issues relating to people who lack capacity (P) to make decisions. The overriding objective of the court is to ensure
Dementia is currently one of the most prevalent illnesses within the UK. It’s important for will writers, probate practitioners, and other legal professionals to know about dementia, and how it could affect their clients. Having
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) forms are set to change from July 1st 2015 onwards in an attempt by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to make the process more accessible, and the forms
Telephone answering specialist Moneypenny has reported a 56% rise in the number of telephone calls relating to wills and probate taken on behalf of practitioners during the first five months of 2015, as compared to
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has cut bureaucracy that restricts the way traditional law firms operate, by removing restrictions on solicitors having links with outside businesses. Changes to the Separate Business Rule – which mean that
It’s one of the great debates within the will writing and legal professions – should only solicitors and trained legal professionals be allowed to execute wills? More and more professionals are being added to the
A trust which attracted an unexpected tax bill of £156,000 for inheritance tax (IHT), has been set aside by the High Court on the grounds of equitable mistake. The details of the case are that
A campaign to raise awareness of end of life rights has been launched by Age UK, with funding for the project being provided by the Big Lottery Silver Dreams Fund. This follows a successful pilot
Four of the UK’s major accommodation based care and support providers are joining forces to argue the case housing can play in improving the NHS. Family Mosaic, Home Group, Midland Heart and Riverside have joined
Accountants are now able to carry out probate services – is this a good addition within the industry, or should it be a more restricted practice? Will this work effectively for clients? Which group of
The Law Society have recently launched the 7th Edition of the Probate Practitioner’s Handbook. The Handbook, affectionately referred to as the ‘go to guide’ for busy probate practitioners, has been thoroughly updated to take account
John Irwin, a County Down solicitor, pleaded guilty earlier this month to three counts of fraud and three counts of false accounting from which he stole almost £94,000 from deceased clients. The offences, which took
The Government has announced a consultation into Deeds of Variation, arguing the process can be used to wrongly avoid tax. They have been deemed controversial by some, however solicitors and financial planners argue it’s a
This week between 18th and 24th May 2015, Dying Matters is running its sixth annual Dying Matters Awareness Week. The aim of the week is to get as many people as possible talking about death,
As a will writing professional, you may or may not have heard about BNI. This is a national organisation that allows local business owners and professionals to network within their community amongst other professionals, in
We are pleased to announce that our publication, Today’s Wills and Probate, the sister publication to established news site, Todays Conveyancer, has reached 500 subscribers within six months of launching. Building on the success of