Digital Meets Probate
Online Probate application service launches across England & Wales Finally, the antiquated cogs of HM courts seem to be edging gently towards the 21st Century this month with the launch of a digital service allowing people to apply for a “grant of probate” online. What is a grant of probate? Obtaining a “grant of probate” means […]
Lifetime Trusts & Gifting – including the new CTTC Ltd Gift Trust!
Supermen Webinar 50: Lifetime Trusts & Gifting “Every client needs a hero, make sure it’s YOU by watching our webinar!” What’s on the Agenda? The New CTTC Ltd (Countrywide) Gift Trust Your clients can now gift as much as they want to the Countrywide Family Gift Trust without triggering a trust entry charge, periodic charge […]
Working Confidently And Professionally With Vulnerable Clients
Far too often the Wills and Estate Planning profession is blighted by unscrupulous individuals choosing to exploit society’s most vulnerable people. Instead of offering these people the additional help and support they need, some have seized the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. 2019 started with the news that a solicitor, working in Wills […]
Guardianship Act Could Ease Grief Of Missing Persons’ Families
Whilst flying back to France from Cardiff having just completed a big money move to Cardiff City, the Argentinian striker Emiliano Sala’s plane went missing off the Guernsey coast on Monday 22nd January. Since that time, Emiliano Sala and his pilot, David Ibbotson, have been presumed dead. Whilst two of the plane’s seat cushions are […]
£34.6 Million Lost To Cyber Criminals In Second Half Of 2018
The latest figures from Action Fraud have claimed that financial losses caused by cyber crime increased by 25% between the months of April and September. Worryingly, this means that cyber criminals were able to successfully steal £34.6 million during this time. According to the report, 13,357 people in the UK reported cyber crimes during this […]
Email Fraud And Social Media Impersonation Increase By 35%
According to a recent report by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), cyber criminals are adapting to the modern world. Once upon a time, the cyber criminal preferred virus-based attacks through malware or ransomware; now, the ONS have said that these criminals are looking to exploit social media and emails to successfully defraud the public […]
UK and Jersey: what are the differences in probate law?
Probate laws differ between countries within the UK and the crown dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man). Individuals dealing with probate in another country will need to familiarise themselves with the relevant laws and regulations. Probate law in Jersey differs in many ways. There are a few variants that need to be noted […]
Avoid The Extreme Weather By Making A Warming First Impression
The extreme weather has only just begun but the cold snap has already outstayed its welcome for many of us in the opening month of 2019. As I was scraping the layers of ice from my car windscreen this morning, I remembered a conversation I had with a local estate agent, new to the area, […]
Roundtable Professionals Enlightens With Evolutions Of Work Goals In 2019
At our recent fruitful Today’s Wills and Probate roundtable on 17th January at ICC International Convention Centre in Birmingham, delegates talked about the biggest challenges and opportunities in the coming year. Creator and host of Today’s Wills and Probate roundtable event, Karen Babington, asked the attendees what worked last year for their business and whether […]
Beneficiaries Of Murdered Boston Mobster Sue Federal Government
Notorious Boston gangster, James ‘Whitey’ Bulger, who ran the Boston crime scene in the 1970s and 80s, was murdered on October 30th last year. Bulger’s sister and two brothers, including William M Bulger, a well-respected attorney that was once President of the Massachusetts state Senate, have declared themselves as his official beneficiaries despite the estate […]
Growing Concern Over Solicitors Mental Health And Wellbeing
Legal mental health charity, LawCare has reported receiving their highest ever number of helpline calls from solicitors in 2018. An even more worrying statistic from the charity has revealed calls from solicitors complaining about bullying and harassment has nearly doubled in 2018. LawCare, a charity that promotes and supports good mental health and wellbeing across […]
Equity Release Grows For Seventh Consecutive Year
As people look for ways to finance their later life, equity release ended 2018 with record levels of investment. Total lending in equity release has grown for the seventh consecutive year. The 3.94 billion extracted through equity release plans is a 29% increase on the figures for 2017. Additionally, £1.08 billion of the total figure […]
Lawyer Checker Gives Cricket Without Boundaries Charity A Donation Boost
Lawyer Checker matched their employee, Tom Lyes’ fundraising efforts after reaching £250 for UK registered charity, Cricket Without Boundaries. After hearing about Tom’s cause for such a worthy charity, risk management provider, Lawyer Checker wanted to commend his hard work by boosting his donations to £500 with an additional company donation of £250. Key Relationship […]
Islamic Marriages Must Be Civilly Recognised By 2020
Concerned for the rights of Muslim women, The Council of Europe has decreed that all Islamic weddings must civilly declare their marriage before any Islamic religious wedding ceremony can take place. Currently, Nikah only marriages, are not legally recognised under UK law, seriously limiting the power of Muslim women. Considerable levels of criticism have been […]
The Vital Balance Between Technology and Human Legal Service Professionals
Consumer expectations have started to shift in recent years; spurred on, in part, by technological advancements. The consumer now lives a lifestyle of instant gratification. Gone are the days where a customer is forced to wait outside a physical location for the shop to open before making their desired purchase; it can now be bought […]
Did You Miss Out?
Did you miss this month’s Supermen Webinar? If so, no problem, we are giving you the opportunity to watch a recording of it. The Webinar focused on Risk Management and demonstrated exactly how our Legal Document Drafting Software, can mitigate risks to your Will writing business which pose a threat to its success. Here at […]
Supermen Webinar 50 – Lifetime Trusts & Gifting
Agenda: The New Countrywide Gift Trust – Put in when you want! Gifting and the RNRB – Points to clarify. Why the spousal bypass trust isn’t dead. Register your place NOW on our FREE webinar! All Webinars commence at 10:00am and finish at 11:00am Register on 8th February Register on 11th February This article […]
Solicitor Jailed After Overcharging Vulnerable Clients’ Estates £1 Million
Edgar Stephen Thomas, a solicitor from Pembrokeshire, has been jailed for six years following the admission that he had defrauded 23 estates of his deceased vulnerable clients. In total, 16 families have become victims of Mr Thomas as he overcharged them £1 million for his services and in some cases lied about the work that […]
You Cannot Simply Take The Risk Says Elizabeth Middleton
It is not uncommon for a client to be in possession of a Will that they believe may not be the last Will written by the testator. Elizabeth Middleton, Principle at Elizabeth Middleton Solicitors, comments: “As a firm, we always advise our clients to perform a Certainty Will Search, you cannot simply take the risk […]
Potential Detrimental Impacts Of Mental Capacity Amendments
The Court of Protection and Mental Capacity Act is transitioning through a number of key amendments including the Liberty Protection Safeguards. With monumental shifts in how Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are administered. Those in opposition, including The Law Society, Labour Party and various charity organisations, have argued that the government amendments have been rushed through, […]
