New requirement for an independent AML audit from the regulators
On the 20th January 2021 the LSAG published new Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the legal sector which states that ‘The practice must conduct an independent audit of the adequacy and effectiveness of its AML policies, controls and procedures’. Legal Eye offers an audit service to fulfil this requirement. The audit report summarises an evaluation of […]
Lockdown helps spotlight to shine on sector
The 23rd March 2021 marks the first anniversary in which the UK went in to a national lockdown to begin its fightback against the coronavirus. It’s a year that many of us would like to forget. There has been lots of uncertainty, juggling working from home, homeschooling and for some taking those tentative steps back […]
Nominations open for virtual Probate Research Awards
Nominations are now open for the Probate Research Awards which are taking place on the 29th April 2021, hosted by Robert Rinder. Now in its third year, The UK Probate Research Awards will recognise achievements and examples of excellence across forensic genealogy or ‘heir hunting’ – during a virtual event on 29 April 2021 – and will […]
One-stop partnership alerts financial service providers to bereaved and vulnerable consumers
Vulnerable consumers dealing with the death of a loved one will receive speedier and fairer treatment from financial service providers following a new partnership by two free nationwide services. The tie-up between the Vulnerability Registration Service and newly launched end-of-life account closure service Settld creates a stress-free ‘one-stop’ vulnerability and bereavement facility, which will help […]
Avoiding disputes about digital assets after death
A Populus survey commissioned in June 2020 by the Law Society found that just 26% of respondents know what happens to their digital assets after they die. Of those surveyed who have a Will, an overwhelming 93% had not included any digital assets in their Will. What are digital assets? These are the possessions an […]
New Nightingale Courtrooms open across the country
HMCTS have vowed to open 60 Nightingale Courts by the end of this month, as they aim to clear the backlog of cases that need to be heard. Five new courtrooms were opened last week in London, Wolverhampton and Liverpool. The new Nightingale Courtrooms are in: Wolverhampton Park Hall Hotel providing 2 courtrooms The Hilton […]
Government to legislate for changes to charity law, easing the burden on ILM members
ILM is delighted to learn that the government has today published a policy paper which should see changes to charity law that ILM has been calling for since 2015. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has today published its response to the 2017 Law Commission report ‘Consultation on Technical Issues in Charity Law’ […]
Solicitors rely on information from deceased’s family for probate, but most people die without putting their affairs in order
95% of probate professionals rely either entirely or somewhat on information from their clients to verify assets and liabilities 23% of people die without a will and most do not leave their affairs in order It takes one and a half times as long to complete probate if the person’s affairs were not in order […]
Blog explores the importance of estate planning
Death is not a topic that people like to consider or discuss, however, as professionals working within the Wills and probate industry, we all know that planning ahead is more important than ever to ensure a person’s affairs are in order before their passing. Planning for the future has a number of benefits including; guaranteeing […]
Mentoring scheme helps to share legal knowledge
Over the last 12 months, as most of us have been working from home, referring to our children, pets and other halves as our work colleagues, it can sometimes feel extremely lonely. Having a mentor or a point of contact that you could talk to on a regular basis could help to combat the feelings […]
Blog covers FAQs about genealogical research and asset repatriation.
In their latest blogs, Title Research has compiled their most frequently asked questions about their two core services, genealogical research and asset repatriation, including detailed information about how they can assist in completing complex estate administration cases. Title Research’s most frequently asked questions about genealogical research, include: What is probate genealogy? Why is it needed? […]
Estate planning puts children first
Figures compiled by the Childhood Bereavement Network from the latest available research data, claims that 1 in 20 children will have experienced the death of one or both of their parents by the age of 16. In 2015, 23,600 parents died in the UK, equating to one parent passing away every 22 minutes. Child Bereavement […]
Webinar: The probate process and Kings Court Trust’s service offerings
Join Kings Court Trust’s Business Development Manager, Chris Whittington, on Wednesday 24th March at 1pm, as he walks you through the stages of the probate process and explains how Kings Court Trust can assist you and your clients. The session will cover: What is the probate process? The stages of the probate process The options […]
How do you find out if there is a Will in the family?
When we lose a loved one the list of people and authorities to contact can be overwhelming. This all happens at the same time as being under immense pressure to sort out paperwork such as a Will, property deeds and more; the last thing anyone wants is more worry and uncertainty. Fortunately member firm Hillyer […]
Exizent announced as Champagne Sponsor for The British Wills and Probate Awards
This year marks the fourth year of The British Wills and Probate Awards, and we’ve already seen a number of entries coming through, demonstrating the achievements made by those in the sector. The event is set to run on Thursday 21st October 2021 and will be hosted by the fabulous Jennie Bond, returning for her fourth […]
LSB’s consumer research identifies customer experience is most important
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published new research into the challenges people face when comparing and choosing legal services providers and took to Twitter to ask the industry a question – How can we ensure the market works better for consumers? The new research was carried out partly because the general public lack the […]
Lawshare continues to grow and help legal sector
Having the right support in place can have a huge impact on the well-being of an individual. With mental health and well-being now at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds, it is always nice to see what different avenues are available to those in the legal sector to garner a little extra support. […]
Q&A with Realm Recruit on professional roles in 2021
Our latest guest appearance sponsors of the Women in Wills event in March, Realm Recruit, were interviewed by Today’s Wills and Probate. Kelly Reid of Realm Recruit talks about how remote working had impacted on professionals finding new opportunities, demand for roles in the sector and what the challenges are for 2021. Tell us about […]
Are traditional wills dying out?
Sophie McDonnell from Boyes Turner LLP discusses alternative will options and whether the less traditional methods will become more popular in the future. Historically, traditional wills prepared by solicitors were the most popular method for people to document their wishes for how their assets would be distributed following their death. However, there are alternative options […]
SFE Conference 2021 ‘early bird’ offer and new format
The Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) is holding their annual conference on the virtual stage again this year with an exciting new format and ‘early bird’ offer for professionals in the industry. The 2021 SFE conference comes with a twist with a day long, in-depth case study entitled ‘Making plans for Nigel’ along with expert […]
