LSB to set out plans for greater transparency for consumers
Today, the Legal Services Board (LSB) launched a consultation on a draft statutory statement of policy on empowering consumers. Developed following engagement with the legal services regulators and others across the sector, it outlines how the regulators should ensure that people and small businesses who need legal advice have the information they need to shop […]
Arken.legal partners with Comentis to support legal professionals in the assessment of mental capacity
Arken.legal, the UK’s leading provider of expert digital solutions for the private client and estate planning industry, has today announced its partnership with Comentis, a new technology provider that helps legal professionals identify reduced mental capacity. Comentis’ unique software – the Cognitive Assessment Engine (CAE) – combines the latest technological advances with clinical expertise from […]
Certainty Expert Webinar: Challenges & liabilities arising from administration of estates & distribution of trusts: How insurance can help
We are pleased to welcome back Jeff de-Rhune, Director of Trust & Probate Insurance who will be presenting our upcoming Certainty Expert Webinar, titled ‘Challenges & liabilities arising from the administration of estates & distribution of trusts: How insurance can help’. Jeff will be looking at some of the challenges and liabilities that PRs and […]
Estatesearch acquires Landmark Information’s Financial Asset Search business
Estatesearch, award winning, legal technology providers to private client practitioners, announces the acquisition of the Financial Asset Search business. The acquisition and integration of Landmark Information’s Financial Asset Search into Estatesearch was finalised on 30th August 2021. The past few months have seen Estatesearch’s expert team support the transition of Landmark’s valued clients to Estatesearch’s […]
Tickets on sale for The British Wills and Probate Awards 2021 Ceremony
Details and tickets for the The British Wills and Probate Awards 2021 ceremony have now been released. The awards this year features a combined in-person and virtual ceremony. Hosted at the suitably named Grand Hotel in Birmingham, the ceremony will see 250 delegates attend the in-person event which will also be live streamed via the […]
Burial records to be digitised via “Google maps for graves” project
The Church of England is creating a new database called “Google Maps for graves” that aims to reduce the amount of requests being made to Vicars for information about family trees. Laser scanners are being used to map every grave, headstone and memorial in England’s 19,000 graveyards in a bid to provide a free database […]
Technology and innovation at the forefront of the legal industry
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) recently commissioned research with the University of Oxford about technology and innovation in the legal sector. The ‘Technology and Innovation in the Legal Services’ report has revealed some interesting findings that Title Research explore in their latest blog post. The blog post looks at the key findings of the research, […]
Register now for Superhero Webinar 82: Planning for Clients with Additional (most commonly rental) Properties
Register now for Superhero Webinar 82: Planning for Clients with Additional (most commonly rental) Properties Topics include: What should a client’s Will look like if they own additional properties? What options exist for lifetime planning to: Reduce IHT Reduce IHT and retain the rent Defer CGT Mitigate CGT Brief overview relating to corporate structures (incorporate/family […]
Free webinar: ‘Challenges in estate administration: Intestacy, overseas assets and missing beneficiaries’
Wednesday 22nd September at 1pm, Kings Court Trust will explore a handful of complications that are commonly faced by clients during the estate administration process. They will walk through various case studies to illustrate how they have helped families overcome these common challenges and will cover: Handling overseas assets Intestacies and when to seek help […]
“Google maps for graves” to provide searchable online database
A project that has been termed “Google maps for graves” intends to map and photograph the Church of England’s 19,000 church graveyards, with the aim of recording every grave, headstone and memorial. Surveyors with sophisticated backpack scanners are currently engaged in taking measurements, with the initial scanning due to be finished by spring 2022. Speaking […]
Access Legal drives customer-first strategy with significant new appointment
Law technology specialist Access Legal is continuing to champion customer centricity in the legal market, announcing the appointment of a new Head of Customer Success. Bishu Solomon Girma joins Access Legal with over a decade’s international experience in the legal industry, working across the UK and Canada. Beginning her career in law practice articling at […]
Data protection breaches have resulted in 1580% ICO fine increase
A report conducted by law firm RPC has revealed that fines for data protection breaches issued by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the latest financial year have increased by 1580% compared to the previous year. The record £42 million in fines in the year 2020/21 represent those issued for data protection breaches and were mainly comprised […]
Britney Spears’ father files to end conservatorship
Britney Spears’ father has filed a request to a Los Angeles court to end the conservatorship that has controlled her life and finances for 13 years. The news comes following an announcement last month that Jamie Spears would step down as his daughter’s conservator, allowing Britney to transition into a new legal arrangement. The documents […]
Law firms outperform pandemic expectations
Most law firms made it through the pandemic unscathed. Around three quarters of responding firms said their revenues and profits were level with or higher than their projections for 2020-21. Despite national restrictions and market uncertainty, 31% of firms were able to outperform their revenue expectations. And while firms are bullish about the future with […]
Data protection breaches have resulted in 1580% ICO fine increase
A report conducted by law firm RPC has revealed that fines for data protection breaches issued by The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the latest financial year have increased by 1580% compared to the previous year. The record £42 million in fines in the year 2020/21 represent those issued for data protection breaches and were mainly comprised […]
UK trust reporting deadline extended as TRS opens to non-taxable trusts
The Trust Registration Service is now open for non-taxable trusts to register, as required by the UK’s implementation of the EU Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive. All relevant trusts that were in existence on or after 6 October 2020 must be registered by 1 September 2022. The obligation extends to all UK express trusts and some […]
Products to suit partner and customer needs
Tower Street Finance’s head of underwriting Heather Pollard explains how some of our recent cases have highlighted that sometimes the product our partners and customers think is the right one for them isn’t necessarily the best solution…. By talking the case through in detail we’ve been able to establish a better route for their needs. […]
Uncovering dementia at our latest session
Heidi Jenkins, Key Relationship Manager from Lawyer Checker hosts the August virtual event – in prep for the upcoming face to face event this month! 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. This month we invited along two very key speaks […]
Firms that refuse to step down as executor could face high legal costs
A case that recently reached the High Court has highlighted risks and high costs that can be faced by firms refusing to step down as executor. In the case of WAG Davidson & Co, the deceased left an estate including a property to her grandson and an amount of £832,000 to her daughter. The firm […]
Remember a Charity Week: Cancer charities benefit from legacy gifting
Cancer charities remain the biggest recipients of gifts in wills, according to new data released by Co-op Legal Services, as part of Remember A Charity Week, compared to the same period in 2020. However, favourability towards animal charities have declined and gifts left to organisations that help UK children are also down against the previous […]
