SWW Working with Skipton Building Society
At The Society of Will Writers we have spent years developing business relationships to help our members benefit in a way that they wouldn’t as part of any other organisation. Many of these relationships provide a direct benefit to the consumer by giving them access to a range of products and services without ever having […]
Superhero Webinar 71: How the right Trust can protect your client’s wealth (Part 1 of 2)
Our next Superhero Webinar will be presented by our Legal Director, Charlotte Ponder TEP LLB (Hons), and Kerry Murphy STEP Associate GCILEx who is a Technical Helpline Advisor in our Estate Planning team. Both are experts in the field of Trusts and Estate Planning and will be discussing how the right Trust can protect your […]
Pandemic didn’t dampen British Wills and Probate Awards sparkle
The British Wills and Probate Awards enjoyed an afternoon of sparkle as the ceremony took to the virtual stage in its third year. Due to the current restrictions in place, the traditional awards event couldn’t take place, but this didn’t stop the cream of the crop coming together in their finery to celebrate the achievements […]
Executor Solutions promises revolution for probate property sales
New buyer’s premium model allows beneficiaries to collect the full market value from the property sale. A new service, promising to revolutionise the probate property sales sector by retaining the full value of asset sales with the beneficiary, has launched into the UK market. Executor Solutions has developed a model for probate sales based on […]
Legal profession hits significant gender parity threshold
Chambers and Partners’ annual rankings show legal profession hits gender parity for up-and-coming lawyers for first time in rankings history. Chambers’ 2021 solicitor rankings show that newly ranked up-and-coming lawyers – those attaining partner level – have broken the 50% threshold, with 51.07% female/48.93% male, an almost 8% jump compared to last year’s figures. Female […]
Will remote witnessing of Wills lead to more disputes?
Will Remote Witnessing of Wills Increase Will Disputes? We’ve seen a huge influx in the number of people wanting to make a Will during the Coronavirus pandemic, but many have been finding it tricky to do so. For a Will to be legally valid in England and Wales, it must be signed in the presence […]
Online meeting software – which is best?
The sudden requirement to use online meeting software was originally met with panic buying. Firms rushed just to get up and running, but now, six months into the pandemic, firms are reconsidering those initial decisions. So, is that software service good for the future? Products There is a plethora of meeting applications out there and […]
Why you should conduct a Certainty Will Search when acting as a Professional Executor
Woolliscrofts Solicitors are a firm who have been serving individuals, families and businesses throughout Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and the wider community of Staffordshire and Cheshire for over a century. The firm incorporate Certainty Will Search as part of their process when distributing an estate. Ray Basnett, Solicitor at Woolliscrofts Solicitors explains the case: “We were already […]
Why practitioners believe Wills Act Amendment will increase Will disputes
Title Research’s latest blog post provides insight into some of the reasons why some legal practitioners believe the temporary amendment to the Wills Act 1837 could increase the number of contested Wills. During the COVID-19 pandemic, once the country was quickly locked down and individuals were advised to shield, self-isolate or social distance from others, […]
Update on the Bereavement Standard
Senior executives from some of the UK’s biggest banks, building societies and insurance companies have come together for the first time to discuss how they can improve services for bereaved customers. More than 60 organisations, including Lloyds, Santander, Barclays, Nationwide and Legal and General, along with intermediary firms and brokers, attended a virtual summit hosted […]
Win £100 Amazon voucher!
Last chance for your views to be heard and a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher! Today’s Wills and Probate, in conjunction with Exizent, a Glasgow-based technology firm aiming to transform the bereavement process, is seeking your views on the role technology can play for wills and probate professionals. With the increasing focus the […]
Share Data announce partnership with Inheritance Data
Share Data Limited announces a partnership with Inheritance Data, a specialist asset searching engine that provides probate solicitors and estate administrators with a bespoke platform to trace assets for deceased individuals. Through this partnership, Share Data can now offer a complete financial asset search to probate professionals and reduce administration time whilst ensuring executors meet […]
Price transparency review reveals solicitors are more affordable
A one-year review of Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) transparency reforms indicates encouraging trends as research found most consumers now believe that solicitors are not as expensive as they originally thought. The regulator surveyed 3,539 recent users of legal services and found that only 10% of consumers, who now have access to information on price, believe […]
Free Webinar – How to mitigate risk when administering an estate
Title Research’s next free webinar will discuss how to mitigate risk when administering an estate. When administering an estate, we know complex scenarios are not uncommon. Whether it’s intestacy, missing beneficiaries or overseas assets, these can all present challenges as you deal with an estate. During this informative webinar, Simon Barber, Title Research’s experienced Technical […]
OLC appoint new Chief Ombudsman and Chief Operating Officer
The Office for Legal Complaints is pleased to announce the appointments of Paul McFadden as Chief Ombudsman and Sandra Strinati as Chief Operating Officer of the Legal Ombudsman. Elisabeth Davies, Chair of OLC, said: “Paul and Sandra are joining the Legal Ombudsman at a critically important time, for staff and customers, and for recovering and […]
The British Wills and Probate Awards are coming!
In six days’ time, we’ll all be able to get together and inject a little bit of sparkle into our Thursday afternoon, as we celebrate this year’s British Wills and Probate Awards. The overriding purpose of the awards is to recognise the achievements of individuals and companies within our industry, whilst celebrating those who pick […]
What’s a death bed gift and are they valid?
The usual procedure for making a will is set out in the Wills Act 1937 which requires that in order for a will to be valid it must be: In writing and either signed by the testator, or by another person in their presence and by their direction; and Signed (or the signature acknowledged by […]
Solicitors asked to check protection following SIF closure postponement
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the closure of new claims to the Solicitors’ Indemnity Fund (SIF) has been postponed until 30 September 2021. Although, the postponement gives solicitors another 12 months breathing space. Simon Davis, President of the Law Society of England and Wales has revealed that this doesn’t resolve “the underlying problem” […]
Legacy giving will “hold up well compared to other income streams”
Legacy Foresight has released its Legacy Market Briefing 2020 report to the sector, sharing insights about the shape of the sector today and some key long-term trends. Based on analysis gained from the Legacy Monitor programme and its consortium of over 80 leading not-for-profit organisations, some key findings are as follows: 1. Long term bequest […]
Is your business safe from attack?
During Covid-19 lockdown, email attacks on businesses have risen to a record high with over 500,000 malicious email attacks having been received by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) during the last three months. This is according to official figures obtained by think tank Parliament Street, using a Freedom of Information request, which show that […]
