HMCTS operational position : weekly summary updates
HMCTS have updated their operational summary for week commencing Monday 29th March 2021. -Updated: This week we will be opening a Nightingale Court in Bolton, which will provide 2 additional courtrooms for Crown Court work from Bolton Crown Court. A full list of all Nightingale Courts can be found on GOV.UK. -Fluid Resistant Surgical Masks […]
Webinar: ‘Loans vs gifts: The impact on estate administration’
Join Kings Court Trust’s experienced Technical Manager, Nigel Merchant, on Wednesday 7th April at 1pm, for an informative webinar on loans and gifts. In this session, Nigel will reveal what counts as a gift for Inheritance Tax, and will also cover: Exempted gifts Potentially exempt gifts Gifts with reservation of benefit Hotchpot Presumption of advancement […]
Spring auction success with £1.7m worth of cars sold
90% of cars sold in CCA’s first sale of the year £1.7million worth of cars sold on Friday 26th March Auction world record achieved for 1990 Audi Quattro 20V 100% of The Warwickshire Collection Part 3 sold Classic Car Auctions hosted their first sale of the year on Friday 26th March and with superb results! […]
Son look’s to overturn first instance decision as family battle continues
A son looking to have his mother’s two wills reinstated had his case heard by the High Court last week. John Clitheroe, is looking to appeal the first instance decision that overturned his mother Jean Clitheroe’s two wills, instructed Irwin Mitchell to help him after the judgment was in favour of Susan Bond, John’s sister. […]
There was a spring in our step at the Women in Wills second meet up of 2021
It is always a pleasure to see all the friendly faces at the Women in Wills meet up and as we get closer to Spring, things feel that little bit brighter. It was great to catch up and hear everyone’s news. Heidi Jenkins from Lawyer Checker hosted, and she started off by saying ‘goodbye for […]
Your chance to help The Law Commission to shape Law Reform
The Law Commission has announced its 14th Programme of Law Reform and is asking for contributions to help shape the priorities for the next three to four years. A statement from the Law Commission reads: “The Law Commission carries out law reform projects with the aim of making the law fair, modern, simple and cost-effective. […]
Making the Complex Simple
“Genius is making complex ideas simple, not making simple ideas complex.” – Albert Einstein Making a Will is not always straightforward – it is difficult to future-proof such an enduring document against all the uncertainties of life. As a technology company that specialises in the private client sector, Arken.legal has dedicated its 30-year history to understanding and addressing key industry pain points and developing solutions that not only […]
LSB rally call to put consumers at heart of legal services
The Legal Services Board (LSB) launched a consumer-focussed strategy for legal services in England and Wales, and called for collaboration to reshape legal services to better meet society’s needs. The ambitious ten-year strategy reflects that the significant challenges facing the legal services sector can only be tackled by people and organisations working together to pursue […]
Cleanse your content
This week we just wanted to cover the importance of keeping on top of your existing content. If you have a website or social channel you will have content that is already in existence. As content is quite high on the list in terms of recruiting new customers and continuing to build that ever important […]
Blog explores three unique approaches to scattering ashes
It is recommended to directly inform a loved one regarding any special wishes for how one would like their ashes to be scattered when the time comes. Many people will have a preference about what to do with their ashes. Some may opt for a traditional approach such as remaining in an urn or being […]
Government Tax Day delivers probate simplification
Around 200,000 executors and beneficiaries of estates will no longer have to complete inheritance tax (IHT) forms because of changes announced in the Government’s first ‘Tax Day’. ‘Tax Day’ is a newly introduced date in the financial calendar and fell on 23 March this year. Its purpose is to reveal consultations on future tax changes, […]
Why locating the Will of P is imperative when acting as a Professional Deputy
The National Will Register plays a crucial role in the work of those involved in applying for Statutory Wills, or when expediting their Property and Affairs and Health and Welfare Deputy or Attorney responsibilities with the upmost due diligence. Locating a Will for a Protected Party ((P), someone who has lost capacity) can assist in […]
Spotlight: New categories for The British Wills and Probate Awards
The British Wills and Probate Awards are taking center stage once again this October, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on some of our new categories for this year’s awards. Alongside headline sponsor Executor Solutions, and Champagne Sponsor Exizent we look forward to recognising achievements, highlighting progression and championing innovation. Have you entered the […]
Legado Life Planning platform helps with client engagement
The use and implementation of technology in the wills and probate sector has accelerated as a result of the coronavirius pandemic. Tom Lyes, Director of Engagement at Today’s Wills and Probate spent some time recently speaking to Josif Grace CEO of Legado, to find out what service this piece of technology could provide to the […]
Howes v Howes: The importance of record-keeping by executors
Stephanie Kerr, Associate in the Litigation Team at Brabners has shared her views on the Howes v Howes case and the importance of record-keeping by executors. In the recent case of Howes v Howes, the High Court highlighted the importance of records being kept by executors of their dealings with estate assets. The court confirmed that an […]
Drafting error lost sons’ claim on their family farm
The England and Wales High Court (EWHC) has agreed that a son was disinherited after his late father’s Will was deemed invalid. The Court agreed with Timothy Mundil-Williams that his father John Williams lacked knowledge and approval of his 2014 Will despite being drafted by solicitors who properly executed his instructions. During the proceedings it […]
Firm websites could suffer as a result of new Google Algorithm
Attracting new business is always important, and although we’d like to rely on recommendations of happy clients, more often than not people will choose our business as a result of a searching for the service on a search engine, and then contacting for a quote. With this in mind, the position of a wills and […]
MyHMCTS users told to use Manage Cases interface log in
Professionals who use the MyHMCTS system are being asked to log on using the Manage Cases interface as opposed to using the old CCD interface. The link for this is here: https://manage-case.platform.hmcts.net/
Lubna Shuja becomes vice president of Law Society
Lubna Shuja has become the Law Society of England and Wales’ vice president raising the prospect for the first time of two consecutive women presidents in the organisation’s history when she steps up to the top job in 2022. With I. Stephanie Boyce now installed as president, it’s also the first time two people of […]
Free virtual seminar: The nightmares of intestacy
Title Research’s Technical Manager, Simon Barber, and Business Development Manager, James Cameron, are back next week on Wednesday 31st March at 12pm with another virtual seminar. In this session, Simon and James will critically analyse a handful of nightmare intestacy case studies. More specifically, they will cover: The inherent risks of intestacy A critical analysis […]
