Fraud unravels all
The recent ruling by the UK Supreme Court to allow divorce settlements to be revisited by ex-spouses may yield more business for practitioners in its wake. Family law solicitors, will writers, probate practitioners and estate planners alike should take note of this recent ruling. Following recent cases of widely reported will disputes within families, these […]
What’s yours is mine (Will they, or won’t they?)
Yet another professional from the wills and probate industry has been jailed for stealing from their clients. Is there a way to stop this increasing burden on a deceased’s loved ones from happening? Who can people really trust in the profession? Let us know your thoughts on this issue in the comment section below. […]
SRA helps law firms provide more services to consumers
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is helping law firms that want to expand their business beyond traditional legal services by publishing new guidance on the Separate Business Rule. From November, the SRA will change its rules to make it easier for solicitor-owned firms to be involved in separate businesses that offer a range of professional […]
Forget the 7 year rule! Do you know about the 14 year rule?
Inheritance tax (IHT) is big news right now. With the new changes being phased in from April 2017 whereby the Government has introduced “the family home allowance” which is worth up to an additional £175,000 per person, the gradual change amounts to £100,000 in 2017-18, £125,000 in 2018-19, £150,000 in 2019-20 and £175,000 in 2020-21. […]
New Head of Wills & Probate expands Beaumont Legal’s offering
Beaumont Legal, one of the fastest growing law practices in the UK, has announced Libby Holding as its latest recruit, joining the firm as Head of Wills & Probate. Based in Wakefield with a turnover exceeding £5 million, Beaumont Legal is one of Yorkshire’s leading law firms and has tripled in size since 2013. The […]
Encouraging a nation to protect their assets
Research conducted by unbiased.co.uk has further highlighted the big problem the UK of not writing a will, an issue that is especially prevalent in younger generations. The UK research advisory search website, unbiased.co.uk, has launched its annual ‘Write a Will Week’ earlier this month, along with revelatory data regarding the low numbers of wills being […]
Why inheritance tax planning should be top of your to do list
Figures suggest the number of estates now forecast as liable to pay inheritance tax (IHT) are set to increase to one in ten by 2021. Over the last few years IHT has increased boosting the government coffers with annual monthly receipts listed as £3.8 billion in 2014/15 and £427 million in June 2015. George Osborne […]
Moneypenny helps to celebrate brilliance
Telephone answering specialist Moneypenny joined forces with the Law Society to celebrate the best examples of innovation and good practice across the legal profession at a glittering event in London’s Hilton Hotel on Park Lane. As a sponsor of the 2015 Law Society Excellence Awards, Moneypenny joined more than 600 representatives of law firms from […]
Elderly victim lost life savings to ruthless couple
A couple from Alburgh, Norfolk were handed a prison sentence this month, after an elderly woman was conned out of her life savings of more than £280,000. Nadia Dervish, 48 and her partner Michael Kenevan, 45 ruthlessly and repeatedly targeted Peggy Byford over a period of over 10 years. Mrs Byford suffered from dementia and […]
Wills Month (Will they, or won’t they)
With October being one of the allocated national Wills Months, many will writing practises and law firms are taking heed and doing their part for the cause. There are a number of months throughout the year where will writers can offer their services for free in return for a suggested donation to a chosen charity. […]
Scam it!
With the recent changes to pensions giving people greater freedom of choice, with that comes the need to be more diligent than ever. In recent years pension scamming has increased, with recent figures revealed by City of London police showing that a staggering £9.1 million worth of scams have been reported between April and August […]
First Names Group grows its corporate team
First Names Group is delighted to announce the continued expansion of its corporate and institutional service offering with the appointment of Malcolm Macleod as Head of Corporate Services in the Channel Islands. The appointment is effective immediately. This new role marks a significant milestone for the business, as it continues to build on the Group’s […]
Figures for solicitor-drafted wills show an unexpected increase post-deregulation
New research from charity, Will Aid, shows that solicitor drafted wills have not lost their popularity post-deregulation in 2011 Will Aid has now been championing its cause of encouraging the population to write solicitor-drafted wills since 1988, and is the most successful charity of its kind. Recent data collected by the charity has revealed that […]
Why is equity release becoming more popular with your clients?
Recent reports demonstrate how equity release lending has rocketed The rate of equity release lending has excelled expectations by jumping an impressive 11% on an annual basis, to a reported £710 million in the early stages of 2015. Equity release lending is becoming one of the domineering choices in terms of financial planning within wills, […]
Advising your farming clients
Advising farming clients is often a complex matter with numerous issues to consider and address. Many farmers have an estate which exceeds their nil-rate band allowance, many are concerned about their potential future care costs and many have to wrestle with the problem of how to treat their children fairly when not all may work […]
Lights, camera, wills! (Will they, or won’t they?)
This week’s #SolicitorHour on Twitter, brought to you by The Law Society, has highlighted the efforts the regulator has taken to encourage people of the UK to create a will. With video being such a significant and popular form of media – will this make the difference, particularly amongst younger generations? Has your business evolved […]
Increasing life expectancy puts pressure on wills
Decennial Life Tables, who release statistics each decade regarding life expectancy figures for England and Wales, have recently published data that could raise key concerns over pensions and will writing for both current and future generations. The statistics reveal that life expectancy has essentially doubled for men and women between the years 1841 and 2011. […]
A question of testamentary capacity
A recent family legal dispute has shed more light on testamentary capacity, for professionals. McCabe v McCabe [2015] EWHC 1591 (Ch) has provided greater clarity for industry professionals regarding the importance of testamentary capacity when a legal dispute occurs. The case was based upon a dispute between two brothers, Stephen and Timothy McCabe, who were […]
Today’s Wills & Probate turns one!
It was a year ago today that we officially launched the Today’s Wills & Probate website — and what an amazing 12 months it’s been. From humble beginnings, the website has grown and developed into one of the most well respected and influential publications within the wills and probate profession. The team has worked incredibly […]
Tales of the unexpected
When most people think of a solicitor they relate them to trust and respect, which are integral when someone is choosing a professional to draft their will and manage their estate. Unfortunately this was not the case for those using solicitor Stephen Climo who was employed at Worcester-based firm Gaynor-Smith Owen (GSO). Stephen Climo, 50, […]
