It’s Time To Fall Back In Love With The Phone
Bernadette Bennett, Commercial Manager – Legal at Moneypenny, explains why it’s a good call for organisations to focus on answering the phone – and doing it well – during unprecedented times. Over recent years, we’ve seen huge investment in digitalisation. The options for communicating with legal professionals have diversified to include platforms such as Instagram, […]
Scottish Wills Permitted To Use Video Witnesses
Given the restrictions imposed on solicitors and Will writers whilst in a lock down situation, Scottish Law has been amended to allow video conference facilities to assist in witnessing a testator signing their Will. Social distancing and isolation as a result of measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 is causing huge difficulties for the […]
Probate Delays Impact Annual Issued Grants
The issues with disseminating grants of probate last year created an 11 per cent reduction in grants of representation being issued when compared with 2018. In total, 236,000 grants of representation were issued in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) ‘Family Court Statistics Quarterly, England and Wales, October to December 2019 including […]
Difficulties Of Making A Will During The Pandemic
As we mentioned previously, the number of enquiries regarding Will making has increased by 30%, according to the Law Society; the majority of these instructions have come from the elderly and the vulnerable, who by current definition need to self-isolate for a period of time. Delaying Will writing services can obviously be risky for the […]
Law Society And MoJ Discuss Will Restrictions In Lock Down
The Law Gazette has reported that the Law Society of England and Wales and the Ministry of Justice have been in communication about finding ways to make the execution of Wills easier whilst the UK is in a lock down situation. The meetings have focused on the difficulties with the current system regarding witnessing a […]
Son Loses Estate Battle To Mother
A son has lost a court battle with his mother over a £6m estate he claimed he was promised would be “all his one day”. Peter Horsford, 54, was challenged by his mother, 88 year-old Marion Horsford, over the 540-acre estate in Hungtingdon, Cambridgeshire. Peter claimed during the court proceedings that he had been “groomed” […]
Advice When Working Remotely
I had expected to be writing an article this week about problem debt for the older generation. While this is still an important issue, it feels like we should come back to it, with everything else that’s going on at the moment. Instead, I’m going to write about some of the sensible solutions that it […]
Taking Instruction In The Current Environment
Face to Face meetings with clients undoubtedly have an increased risk (to health) and may soon be impossible. It is important therefore to remain as compliant as possible and adopt a risk based approach to instruction taking specific to the circumstances. Risks need to be managed through due process: Clients that you have met before […]
Will Writing Enquiries Increase During Pandemic
The Law Society has reported that there has been a 30% increase on the usual requests to create Wills. Whilst speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Chair of the Wills and Equity Committee, Ian Bond revelaed that those who are requesting Will writing services are the elderly and vulnerable who receive hospital or other health care […]
OPG Release Covid-19 Advice
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has issued advice to the sector, as it continues to adapt to the ever-changing conditions as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The OPG has stated that it will continue to deliver services and support those who are planning for the future. But rest assured they are taking […]
Krystal Garnett Joins Cartmell Shepherd
Private client solicitor Krystal Garnett has landed her ideal role at Cumbria based Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors. Speaking of her appointment, Krystal said: “I am so excited to get started. Cartmell Shepherd has such a good reputation, they are held in such high regard, I know they are one of the best firms to work for. […]
Funding Boost To Free 15,000 NHS Beds
£2.9 billion has been made available from the government to help strengthen care for vulnerable people, enabling them to be discharged from hospital and freeing up NHS resources. The funding, which was pledged by the Chancellor in his Spring budget forms part of the £5 billion COVID-19 fund, as the UK continues to get a […]
Son Successful In Farm Dispute Case
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal from David and Josephine Guest, following a High Court judgment in favour of their son Andrew. Andrew brought a case against his parents, who he claims back tracked on promises they had made. One of these promises is said to have included the fact Andrew would inherit […]
High Expectations On Private Pensions To Fund Retirement Income
It has been revealed that Brits are increasingly relying on their personal pensions to play a pivotal role in later life income, according to the latest Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) Report. Using data from the Wealth Assets Survey, the IFS Report entitled ‘Retirement expectations, attitudes and saving behaviour: how have these changed during a […]
Preparing For Safe Remote Working
Is your law firm prepared for remote working? Bars, restaurants, clubs, gyms and social spaces have been asked to close by the government with all employees advised to work from home wherever possible. With over 7,400 law firms in the UK holding client money and all legal professionals and their workplaces storing extremely sensitive personal […]
Capital Gains Tax – New Reporting Rules
Christopher McNeill says: beware the transition period at the end of the tax year in which both reporting systems might apply to the sale of residential property. After 5 April 2020, any CGT due must be paid and reported within 30 days of the disposal of residential property being completed using the new online “real-time” […]
Michael Culver Features On Topical Talks With Title Research Podcast
In episode two of Topical Talks, Title Research was joined by Michael Culver, Chairman of Solicitors for the Elderly and Partner at Bolt Burdon Solicitors. In the podcast, they discuss: What Michael’s role as Chairman of Solicitors for the Elderly entails Challenges facing legal professionals specialising in elderly client law How the legal industry has […]
Expert Views Of Will Making In A Coronavirus Crisis
With some countries in complete lockdown due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis and at present the UK in the ‘suppression’ phase but with the advice of much less contact and socialising as pubs, restaurants, theatres and other social outlets shutting their doors to the public, what does this mean for the Wills industry which relies […]
Coronavirus Impacting UK Businesses And Individuals
The UK has been placed on high alert in recent days as the as the total UK confirmed cases of the Coronavirus surpassed 36. Overall, the COVID-19 virus has infected 89,198 people with over 80,000 cases diagnosed in China alone, the original source of the outbreak. Of this total, 3,048 people have died. Whilst scientists […]
British Wills And Probate Awards 2020 And The Coronavirus
Despite the anxiety enveloping the UK at the moment, we can confirm that the British Wills and Probate Awards will take place and we have every intention of holding the gala dinner in October! So far this year coronavirus has derailed all major global sport and mass gatherings have been postponed. These are unprecedented times […]
