Pensions Struggling To Fund Retirement Could Finance Housing Deposits
The current Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, James Brokenshire, has claimed that first-time buyers (FTBs) should be permitted to use their pension pot to help fund the deposit needed to buy their first home. As we are days away from announcing the new leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of […]
Cyber Criminals Increasingly Targeting Probate Sector To Scam Public
In the past three months, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have issued 12 scam alerts concerning probate, inheritance or customer entitlement to money. Just yesterday, Tuesday 11th June 2019, the SRA disclosed that a member of the public had been exposed to a convincing phishing email claiming that they were due a windfall. Phishing attacks […]
Industry Views Of Funeral Plan Regulation Announcement
The UK funeral industry opinions are seemingly largely in favour of HM Treasury’s (HMT) announcement on funeral plan regulation. On the face of it experts in the sector mostly agree with the Government’s plans to introduce statutory regulation to the pre-paid funeral plan market – which is the culmination of an enquiry by HMT some […]
Inheritance Disputes: Man Kills Brother After Will Omission
A man has been jailed for 18 years after killing his brother following an intense inheritance dispute. According to Direct Line research, the number of Wills and probate disputes making their way to HM Courts and Tribunals system increased by 6% in 2018. However, enraged that he had been omitted from his father’s Will following […]
Newcastle Law Firm, Muckle, Bolster Private Client Department
Newcastle based law firm, Muckle, have increased their private client offerings with the appointment of a new lawyer to their growing team. Christian Swinburne is an experienced practitioner in private client legal services, specialising in Wills, estate planning, LPA/deputyship services and probate work. Additionally, Christian has extensive experience working with agricultural and landowner estate issues. […]
Worthington Solicitors Named As A Top Fundraiser For National Charity Campaign
Newtownards and Belfast based law firm, Worthington Solicitors has been named as one of the top fundraisers in the UK after taking part in a charity will-writing campaign. The firm took part in the Will Aid Scheme as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations, raising £2,390 by writing wills in exchange for donations. This is […]
New Probate And Wills Senior Appointment For Southern Firm
Based in the South of England, law firm Thrings has appointed a new private client, succession and tax specialist, Douglas Smith as Partner. Douglas brings with him a wealth of experience in the sector. He boasts over 30 years of experience of acting for UK and non-UK domiciliaries on tax planning, drawing up Wills and […]
Solicitors For The Elderly Appoints New Chair Of The Board
SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly) has appointed Michael Culver as Chair of the Board. Michael, who has been a member of SFE for 11 years, and on the Board for 15 months, will take over from David Sinclair when he formally steps down from his role at the SFE annual conference on 20th June. The […]
Welcoming Lakshmi Turner To The Awards Judging Panel
We are thrilled to officially welcome Chief Executive of Solicitors for the Elderly, Lakshmi Turner to the judging panel for the upcoming exclusive British Wills and Probate Awards, which is brought to you by Today’s Wills and Probate, alongside headline sponsor, Arken.legal (UK) Ltd, a leader in software solutions for the legal services industry. In […]
The Importance Of Positive Testimonials And Unrivalled Expertise
Consumers are increasingly shopping around before choosing their legal service provider. The rise of technology and customer testimonials through review platforms like Trust Pilot have enabled consumers to research their potential provider and gain key insights into the customer experience that may not have been available two decades ago. According to the Legal Services Consumer […]
Traps And Tripwires For The Modern Executor
Why your clients need an LPA (and what happens if they don’t have one) Are the days of the “lay” executor numbered? Traps and tripwires for the modern executor: Common misunderstandings Locating all the assets (and distributing them) and liabilities The importance of insurance and valuations Dealing with HMRC, missed exemptions and calculating IHT The […]
George Michael’s Will Bequeaths Nothing To His Ex-Partners
It has been revealed two years after George Michael’s death that he has excluded key figures that were part of the late singer’s life out of his Will. Michael’s ex-partners Fadi Fawaz and Kenny Goss were bequeathed nothing from the £97.6 million fortune which has immediately stunned and sent ripples through the singer’s inner circle […]
Probate Solicitor Struck Off For Excessively Overcharging Clients
Working as a sole practitioner in South Wales firm Keith Smart & Co, probate solicitor, Keith Smart was struck off by The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal due to excessively overcharging clients on purpose. Deceitful Smart, who was born in 1952 and became a solicitor in 1979, excessively swindled client funds and duly admitted to eight counts […]
New Digital Storage Platform Offers Support To Executors
The role of an executor can be fraught with peril as the personal representative (PR) is tasked with consolidating a lifetime of assets and liabilities. Often, the deceased may have the foresight to appoint an executor but fail to help the executor locate everything needed to administer the estate A new digital platform aiming to […]
Court Finds Instagram Posts Prove Johnny Hallyday’s French Residency
A proverbial tug-of-war involving the legendary French singer, Johnny Hallyday’s, $100 million estate is reaching an exciting climax as new technology and social media is being used as evidence. French and American intestacy laws have been pitted against each other since the French Elvis’ death in 2017. Now, the case of Hallyday’s residency appears to […]
Dubai’s Sharia Laws Prevent Deceased’s British Daughter From Inheriting £500,000
A 14-year-old British girl, grieving the sudden and unexpected loss of her father, has also been denied her £500,000 inheritance by a Dubai court. Pedro Dos Santos, a former HSBC banker, had left the generous provision for Paris Shahravesh in his Will. However, shortly after his sudden death of a heart attack, his new wife, […]
Dishonest Solicitors Damage Reputation Of Wills Sector Professionals
The Wills and Estate Planning sector was shaken at the end of May following two separate convictions for dishonesty and fraud. Michael Collier, a sole practitioner facing financial pressures at the turn of the decade, transferred almost £300,000 from his firm’s client account to the office account, between 2010 and 2018, in a bid to […]
Strange Will Requests: Healthy Dog Killed And Buried With Deceased Owner
Following strict instructions as to what should happen to a Virginia woman’s pet dog after she died, a poor unfortunate Shia Tzu, in the pinnacle of health, was euthanized so that it could be buried with her owner. Having been sent to Chesterfield Country animal shelter on March 8th after the owner was rushed to […]
Charity Sector Given Less Than 6 Weeks To Prepare For Wills Notification Changes
Charities will be given less than six weeks to prepare for the new Wills Notification service. HM Courts and Tribunals Service have confirmed that the charity sector will not be offered any further details on the replacement and interim Wills Notification Service until June 18, less than six weeks before the new system will start. […]
Legal Services Overwhelmed By Daily Spoofing, Phishing And Financial Loss
Experts have warned that 0.8% of the world’s GDP or around $600 billion is lost to cyber crime each year, yet reports suggest the legal sector is ill prepared for dealing with and preventing cyber attacks. If it is not already, protecting your firm from the risk of cyber attack should be high on your […]
