Breach Could Put Whole Industry Under Scrutiny
You would have struggled to miss the recent announcement that the ICO intends to fine British Airways £183million for a data breach. A cyber incident at the airline discovered in September 2018 saw over 500,000 customers’ personal data (including bank details) accessed by cyber criminals. The ICO bared its teeth – and they are sharp! […]
DIY Wills Are Swallowing Up Families Inheritance
The popularity of budget DIY Wills has meant grieving families are increasingly becoming entwined in bitter inheritance disputes resulting in being eaten up by legal bills. Using cheap online Wills could see final wishes ignored and estates being swallowed up by expensive legal bills. A Money Mail investigation has found numerous pitfalls with the ever-popular […]
Greedy Brother Abuses His Position As Executor
An uncaring man has pleaded guilty to fraud by abusing his position as executor of his late stepfather’s Will. Ron Savory, 58, who was trusted to act as executor, ignored his stepfather’s wishes by spending every last penny of the estate on himself. The deceased, Dennis Hicks, wrote in his Will that almost £24,000 should […]
Kingsley Napley’s Contentious Trust And Probate Quarterly Update
This quarterly contentious trust and probate litigation update provide a summary of a cross-section of reported decisions handed down in the courts of England and Wales in the period April 2018 – June 2019. DAMIAN LINES V MAUREEN WILCOX, 2019 EWHC 1451 Ch The High Court has refused an application by a professional executor for […]
Disputing A Will: The Formal Requirements For Validity
The formal requirements for a valid Will in England and Wales set a high standard. Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 sets out the requirements for a testamentary document to be suitable evidence of the testator’s wishes and for the Will to be admissible to Probate. The key requirements set out in the Act […]
Webinar: Mitigating risk with Title Research
Title Research’s next webinar will explain how we can help you mitigate risk within the estate administration process. The webinar will discuss the various challenges and pitfalls that arise when dealing with an estate. We will share how we can help you mitigate these risks and provide advice to ensure the estate administration process runs smoothly. The […]
Welcoming Back Professor Ian Cooper To The Judging Awards Panel
We are thrilled that international author and business development expert Professor, Ian Cooper, is returning to the judging panel for the second upcoming prestigious 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. […]
Industry Professionals Views On Prolonged Probate Delays
Professionals and their grieving clients will be relieved to hear there is light at the end of the tunnel regarding the prolonged probate delays. Following the recent joint meetings with Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), The Law Society, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and Solicitors for the Elderly regarding probate delays, it […]
We Will Never Hold You For Ransom!
It’s entirely your CHOICE! Many users like to work in different ways and offer different levels of service top their clients, Countrywide Legacy allows you to do just that. We will never tie you down! No strings attached. Countrywide Legacy now provides bespoke Legal Document Drafting Software Packages to over 2,500 registered users across the […]
Pre-Paid Funeral Plans – Insight From Will Eccleston
As you will be aware, Pre-Paid Funeral Plans have been prominent in the media recently as misunderstandings about what customers believe they have purchased and what they have actually been purchased have become more common. Now, the media and the Treasury have enjoyed pointing the finger at Funeral Plan providers and making what, on the […]
Webinar: Court Of Protection Special
Join us on Thursday 25th July at 12.00pm when we will be joined by Barrister, Graham Stott of 3PB Barristers who will be presenting our next Certainty Expert Webinar, titled “Gifts of P’s Property: authority, considerations and best interests”. In this Court of Protection focused webinar, Graham will be taking an in-depth look at gifts […]
Claudia’s Law to come into effect from the end of July
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 will come into force from the 31st of July 2019. The Act, informally known as Claudia’s Law, will allow families to oversee the financial and property affairs of a missing loved one. The new legislation aims to remove the financial and administrative […]
Professional Choice Consultancy Can Help With Your Recruitment Needs
Professional Choice Consultancy has widened its portfolio to offer a tailored recruitment services to Wills and Probate firms and their specialist suppliers. The service has been launched after extensive consultation within the legal sector and is purposely designed to meet the niche recruitment needs of this discrete professional grouping. Bill Kirby, Principle of Professional Choice […]
UK Councils Misinform Most Vulnerable About Social Care Entitlement
A Sunday Telegraph report into the social care system has found a widening epidemic of declining quality, misleading information and local authorities (LA) consistently overlooking their financial responsibilities. A number of NHS and social services whistle blowers told the Sunday Telegraph that councils are being forced to provide vulnerable people with reduced levels of care […]
SRA Report Claims Solicitors Improving Complaints Handling Skills
Law firms are becoming increasing adept at successfully handling client complaints without the issue being passed onto the Legal Ombudsman (LeO). According to the ‘First Tier Complaints’ Report, published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), complaints have increased by 5.8% since 2012. Eight years ago, 26,570 first-tier complaints were made to law firms. However, by […]
Expert Confirms Probate Delays Is Reducing
Ian Bond, Chair of The Law Society’s ‘Wills and Equity Committee’ and Director and Head of Trusts and Estates at Talbots Law confirms HMCTS hope to have sorted out the backlog by the end of September regarding probate applications. The outcome received from joint meetings with the HMCTS about the ongoing probate delays was that […]
Best Practice Notes On Capacity Brought To You By Fortis Law
In the year 2017-2018 probate disputes increased by 30% Whilst those involved in the production of Wills cannot prevent claims after the death of the testator, steps should be taken, at the time of the initial instruction, to limit the likelihood of a successful claim being made. Claims of negligence must also be protected against. […]
Delays At The Internal Revenue Service
Earlier this year, it was widely reported that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was experiencing severe delays following the longest US Government shutdown in history. CCN reported: “Upon returning to work, the IRS had over 5 million pieces of mail that had not been sorted for processing”. The 35-day closure of government services between December […]
Should The British Wills Act 1837 Be Reviewed?
As technological advances have evolved rapidly in a modern world, there have been multiple cases around the globe whereby testator’s intentions have been allowed, regardless of how the document was produced and bypassing legal formalities. Those cases which have been put under the microscope, particularly in America and Australia, has highlighted a need to change […]
Welcoming Back Tim Farmer To The Judging Awards Panel
We are delighted that founder and managing director of TSF Consultants, Tim Farmer, is returning to the judging panel for the second upcoming prestigious 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. […]
