The Law Superstore Relaunches With New Model
The Law Superstore is relaunching with a new lead generation model and a whole host of new features, in a mission to revolutionise online legal services and support providers across the UK, following its purchase by reallymoving.com eighteen months ago. Inspired by the transformation of the insurance industry through comparison sites, which have made it […]
Probate Fee Increase Implications To Be Discussed At Industry Roundtable
Following the immense success of the previous Today’s Wills and Probate roundtable events, we are excited to announce that the next instalment is only a week away. Set to take place on Thursday, 17th January at the prestigious ICC in Birmingham, the team can’t wait to engage with like minded professionals from across the sector […]
Professionals Advising Vulnerable Clients Request Holistic And Consistent Approach
The role of legal service providers in assessing capacity has been a long-standing debate in the profession, especially concerning Wills and probate issues that generally provide services to more vulnerable individuals. A recent survey, carried out by Financial Reporter, has found that the majority of people providing legal services to vulnerable people, that are more […]
Lost Will leads to lost inheritance
When someone dies, finding a Will can be complicated for the family. At an emotional time, sifting through decades of the deceased’s paperwork to understand if a Will exists and indeed, if one is found, is it the last Will? Even when a Will is found, finding where the original is held can present further […]
Join The Revolution And Discover How E-Signatures Can Transform Your Business
The process of signing documents electronically has caused a lot of scepticism within the legal industry, and the main concern for many professionals and their clients is whether e-signatures are safe and secure. For many Will writers, printing out instructions and completing forms by hand with the client is a traditional method that a lot […]
Woman Wins One-Third Of Estate From Late Partner’s Daughters
A judge has ordered two sisters to pay £325,000 from their late father’s £1m estate to his live-in partner. Claimant Carole Taylor, 70, met James Redmond at a jive dancing evening in Slough Irish Club. She moved in with him in 2007 and cared for him over the last years of his life. He died […]
Attorney Replaces Executrix Lacking Capacity As Personal Representative
A tragic case concerning a warring family has ruled that the attorney of an executrix that has lost capacity can become the administer of her late husband’s estate. John Parker, the deceased in the case, passed away in 2016. During a 2003 Will, he explicitly requested that his daughter, from his first marriage, was excluded […]
The Impact Of Positive Testimonials And Feedback
2018 ended with approximately 54%* of the adult population wandering through life without the protection of an up to date Will. Reluctant to confront their mortality, confused by the process and increasingly overly sensitive to price. As the gap between inflation and wages continues to increase, important processes, like making a Will, are delayed until […]
Judge Orders Son To Repay Money Stolen From Elderly Mother
When 66-year-old Richard Willis discovered that he was not going to receive the bulk of his mother’s estate, he set about plundering her life savings while she was still alive. Following the death of his father, he manoeuvred himself into the position of his mother’s attorney and over a period of four years stole an […]
Details Emerge Of Destructive Rift Between Zaha Hadid Executors
The contents of a 20-page document filed in the High Court by business partner of the late Dame Zaha Hadid have been made public. Architecture website BDonline has published details of the allegations made by Patrik Schumacher, one of Hadid’s four named executors. In November of last year, he asked the court to make him […]
Think Tank Argues Inheritance Tax and Pension Reforms Could Save UK Billions
According to the independent thinktank, Resolution Foundation, the government could save the UK economy £7 billion per year by 2022 through reforming a number of wealth taxes. The thinktank claims that funding our ageing welfare state will cost £36 billion a year by 2030 and £84 billion a decade later. It further claims that making […]
Additional Permitted Subscription on ISAs Significantly Underused
A recent freedom of information (FoI) request submitted to HM Revenue and Customs, by Zurich, has found that the Additional Permitted Subscription allowance (APS) on ISAs is only used by about 13% of the UK’s grieving spouses per year. In 2015, the government amended rules for married couples and civil partners, allowing them to possess […]
Court Of Protection Jail Man For Exploiting Vulnerable Pensioner
The Court of Protection has sent a man to jail for impersonating an elderly dementia-sufferer (referred to in court as KJ) in order to obtain financial benefit. The convicted man, Shaun Hill, had previously been ordered not to contact KJ or come within 100m of his home because of fears that he was exploiting KJ, […]
Queen Of Soul Aretha Franklin Owed Millions In Unpaid Tax Says IRS
When soul legend Aretha Franklin died in August aged 76 she left no will to her vast estate. As interested parties file documents with Oakland County Probate Court, the IRS has joined the fray claiming back tax believed to be in the region of $6.3 million plus penalties and interest, a possible total of nearly […]
Universal Wealth Owner Jailed For Contempt Of Court
In October 2018, the doors suspiciously slammed shut on the many workers of inheritance planning firm, Universal Wealth Management. The Ipswich offices lay abandoned whilst the anxious clients, who had invested in the many Trusts to help with their retirement and inheritance, paced nervously, looking for the remnants of their valuable investments. According to recent […]
Becoming An IPW Or ISPW Member Through Examination Exemption Routes
Happy New Year from the Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) and Institute of Scottish Professional Willwriters (ISPW). We hope that you have enjoyed a magical festive period and are ready to provide the best service for your valued customers in 2019. 2019 could be a huge year in the Wills and Estate Planning sector as […]
Lawsuit Outcome Could Increase Regulations Regarding Cryptoassets
Ever since we traded the tape deck and CD player for digital music, the concept of digital assets and property owned digitally has been widely debated. Similarly, as cryptocurrency continues to develop, how this new currency is regulated by the countries it is used in, has also started to gather momentum. It was only on […]
2019 Predictions To The Changing Wills and Probate Sector
Before 2018 came to an end the Government announced the proposed new probate fees which have certainly rattled professionals in the sector and will continue to do so in 2019. So, what will happen in the Wills and probate industry in 2019? Below, we look at key topics which could dominate the coming year. Payment […]
Latest Innovations In The Will Writing Industry: Reducing RISK For You And Your Clients
We understand just how important it is to know that your choice of legal document drafting Software is both compliant and manages risk, particularly when inheritance levels are set to increase. Countrywide Legacy is simply more than just legal document drafting software, it risk manages and audits the instruction taking and drafting process at every […]
