“No jab, no job” could land employers in trouble
Implementing a ‘no jab, no job’ policy brings serious pitfalls for business across England, a leading employment lawyer has warned. While it will be the law in England from November 11 for all staff and volunteers in registered care home settings to show proof they have received both Covid-19 vaccinations to enable them to continue […]
Trust documents – Rights of beneficiaries and obligations of trustees
Whether advising beneficiaries or trustees about their respective positions, the question of who may be entitled to documentation pertaining to a trust and what documentation should be provided is not straightforward. Invariably beneficiaries consider such requests reasonable whereas trustees may take the opposite view refusing the request or offering only limiting disclosure, inevitably leading to […]
Better Investment in Legal Technology
Legaltech innovation is vital for firms that care about their clients I have spent a long time working in innovating technology successfully. This has been in various sectors and technologies, and I have recently been reflecting on why this is. Questioning why we continue doing something that is often hard, when it doesn’t have to […]
Accountants: Your guide to offering probate
Our latest Accountants blog series has looked at the untapped business opportunities offering probate can bring to many accountancy and tax advisory firms. This final instalment of our series evaluates best practices for introducing probate into your firm and tips on ensuring it’s success, along with a helpful probate guide which can be downloaded here. […]
The Grand confirmed for The British Wills and Probate Awards
The British Wills and Probate Awards, sponsored by Executor Solutions, returns on the 21st October 2021 with a brand new venue, The Grand Hotel in central Birmingham. The 2021 awards will be hosted as a hybrid event; with an in-person awards ceremony which will also be live streamed, followed by the Champagne Reception, sponsored by […]
Only 4 in 10 UK adults have a Will despite owning a property
A recent IRN Wills and Probate Research Report, titled UK Wills & Probate Market 2020: Consumer Research Report, has found that fewer than 4 in 10 adults in the UK have made a Will. This has come as a surprise to experts, who predicted that the global pandemic would encourage greater awareness and action around Wills and estate […]
Wills and Probate early adopters of technology
A major piece of research conducted by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in partnership with the University of Oxford has revealed “extensive” changes in attitudes towards technology and innovation in the legal sector. The Technology and Innovation in Legal Services report found that since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic 55% of surveyed law firms […]
MyHMCTS service improvements set to reduce probate delays
In a recent HMCTS blog post, Deputy Director of HMCTS, Adam Lennon, has responded to feedback and criticisms of the probate service by highlighting proposed changes set to improve the service going forward. HMCTS has outlined plans to improve its online MyHMCTS service and reduce delays currently being experienced by grieving families. Adam Lennon, Deputy Director […]
Certainty Expert Webinar: Thoughts on The Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation and how this may affect the unregulated sector
Certainty Expert Webinar: Thoughts on The Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation and how this may affect the unregulated sector We are pleased to welcome Rita Leat, Chief Executive at the Institute of Paralegals and Amir Ali FCICM, President of the Professional Paralegal Register who will be presenting our upcoming Certainty Expert Webinar, titled ‘Thoughts […]
New landmark will dispute case but what if you can’t fund a case?
A recent landmark ruling helped two children receive the inheritance they deserved after a lengthy case in the high court. They had been disinherited from their father’s will but argued the case that they’d not been adequately provided for by a ‘close relative’ when he died. The back story was that the parents had divorced […]
Census data shows how life changed in England and Wales between 1961 and 2011
Using newly digitised census data, officials at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have assessed how life changed for people in England and Wales between 1961 and 2011. For example, census returns from 1961 showed that 68 per cent of people aged 16 and over were married, with a divorce rate of 0.8 per cent. […]
Women in Wills to host first in-person event in 18 months
The latest Women in Wills virtual meet on Thursday 29th July was hosted by Heidi Jenkins, Key Relationship Manager from Lawyer Checker. The networking group now has over 750 people in the LinkedIn group and regularly meets to provide support, inspiration and business guidance to the members. The latest meet had two inspirational speakers along […]
Price transparency on SRA radar with compliance declaration
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has launched its latest crackdown on price transparency compliance. The regulator has this week contacted nearly 500 law firms to request completion of a questionnaire and signed declaration the firm is compliant with the SRA Transparency Rules. It has requested the completion of the declaration by 14th August. The SRA has also […]
Your intellectual property – part of your estate
What counts as intellectual property and why do you need to consider it carefully when drawing up your Will? Willwriters.com looked into the issue earlier this year, spurred on by Colin the Caterpillar, the Marks and Spencer cake that hit the headlines when the supermarket disputed the use of its intellectual property with the discount […]
Dementia killed more women than Covid in 2020
The office for national statistics has revealed that Dementia killed more women in 2020 than Covid-19. In 2020 Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease killed 45,922 women and was the leading cause of death in England and Wales. For men Covid-19 was the biggest killer with Dementia registering as the third most common, killing more than 24,000. […]
Critics call for probate fee increases to be put on hold
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is set to increase probate charges to a flat fee of £273 for all applicants despite criticisms that the current service is poor and in need of improvement. The planned increases will rise from £155 for professional users and £215 for non-professionals regardless of the size of the estate, but […]
WillSuite adds CPD logs to the system
First things first, what is CPD? CPD or Continuing Professional Development, is the practice of logging or recording reflections, training, and learning. Logging your CPD has several benefits, including keeping track of your skill progress, training for future positions and strengthening confidence. For solicitors, lawyers and estate planners, logging professional development can be crucial and […]
Law to revoke wills must be changed, say campaigners
A growing number of so called “inheritance hunters” are exploiting older and vulnerable people by grooming them, and then marrying them, so they can inherit their assets and disinherit any family members in the process. Since the issue was highlighted by campaigners last month, more than 70 families have come forward to reveal that they […]
Age UK North Tyneside pilot bereavement notification service
Age UK North Tyneside has joined forces with bereavement service Settld in a landmark agreement which will help to ease end-of-life admin stress for thousands of older people across the region. From Monday August 9th, 2021, bereaved people using Age UK North Tyneside’s services will be recommended by the charity’s 326 staff to use end-of-life […]
The British Wills and Probate Awards Goes Hybrid
The 4th edition of The British Wills and Probate Awards, sponsored by Executor Solutions, will be a hybrid event following the decision to host an in-person event in October. With the details of the venue still under wraps, we can reveal that the awards this year, held on 21st October, will consist of an in-person […]
