1 in 5 don’t understand British law
A survey of over 2000 adults aged 16+ had revealed that nearly 19% of people don’t understand British law and do not feel empowered to seek justice. Less than half (41%) of respondents said that if they needed help, support or wanted to make a complaint, they’d be comfortable approaching a law firm. 59% said […]
International Stress Awareness Week: 87% of the recently bereaved found dealing with death admin stressful
This International Stress Awareness Week, Exizent is shining a light on the added stress experienced by the bereaved, professionals, institutions and executors tasked with sorting out the administration involved when someone passes away. The inefficient processes surrounding probate and estate administration are adding unnecessary stress to the lives of the bereaved, according to research from […]
Predatory marriage – the people who marry vulnerable older people with inheritance in mind
Unlike in Scotland, marriage in England revokes a previous Will, meaning that vulnerable older people can become victims to what is called ‘predatory’ marriage, where they are targeted by calculating individuals who want to deprive those people’s families of the rightful inheritance. In a recent feature in the Guardian, Daphne Franks detailed what had happened […]
3 Key Law Firm Trends for 2022 and 3 Key Legal Client Trends
There’s no doubt that the past two years have sparked an unprecedented level of change in both our personal and professional lives—and crucially, in how wills and probate solicitors run their law firms. The question that should be on every wills and probate firm’s mind is, what’s next? Practice management software company Clio can give […]
Proposals to modernise LPAs and the risks in safeguarding
The Ministry of Justice (“MOJ”) published a consultation paper – “Modernising Lasting Powers of Attorney” – on 20 July 2021. The consultation sets out seven proposals to modernise Lasting Powers of Attorney (“LPAs”) and considers what changes to the law may be needed. Role of the witness One of the stated aims of the consultation […]
Discretionary trusts have potential to blur legacy administration
In a recent article by Kate Johnson at Wedlake Bell in Today’s Wills and Probate, Ms Johnson sets out her view that it is preferable for testators to benefit charities by including a discretionary trust in their wills. Michael Culver’s subsequent article responded to many of the points made by Ms Johnson, setting out an alternative view. […]
Free webinar: The estate administration timeline
Title Research’s Technical Manager, Simon Barber, will host their upcoming webinar on Wednesday 3rd November at 12pm. Simon will discuss the various stages of the estate administration timeline that could benefit from the help of a specialist to free up legal practitioners’ valuable time and progress matters efficiently. More specifically, the session will cover: Identifying […]
Challenging the Decisions of Trustees
Decisions made by trustees often become acrimonious and can even evolve into claims for breach of trust and for the removal of the trustees. Fixed Interest Trusts The trustees of a fixed interest trust do not have a discretion about who to benefit, how much or when. The beneficiaries have a predetermined, fixed interest in […]
“Simple Wills” not so simple
A rise in contentious probate is anticipated as a result of research which shows that many Wills provided by online providers may not provide enough protection for the testator or testatrix. The research was conducted by independent research and consultancy firm Funeral Solution Expert who identified that 65% of UK consumers who believe their affairs […]
Edinburgh sees biggest rise in inheritance tax bills
In the last few years, the UK’s property market has boomed, nowhere more so than in Edinburgh where property prices rose by 5 percent in 2019. But what this has also led to is the title for the UK’s largest increase in inheritance tax bills, according to Scottish Legal News. The law firm Boodle Hatfield […]
Title Research’s latest blog discusses working with cross-border estates
In today’s modern world, it is increasingly more common to come across individuals who have acquired foreign assets throughout their lifetime. As a result of this, Solicitors are often presented with a whirlwind of challenges during the estate administration process due to a lack of expertise in working with these often-complicated overseas jurisdictions. In their […]
Where next for Defendants in the Inheritance Act 1975 litigation world post Hirachand v Hirachand?
The case of Re H (Deceased) [2020] EWHC 1134 (Fam) last year addressed the question “Should a 1975 Act claimant be entitled to recover CFA success fee uplift as part of the claim?” HHJ Cohen’s answer was in the affirmative. This has now been confirmed by the Court of Appeal in the recent inheritance litigation […]
Why carry out a credit bureau check during estate administration?
In the second blog of Estatesearch’s Product in Focus series, we look at Credit Bureau Record checks and why these are a vital part of helping an Executor meet their responsibilities when administering an estate. Some 20 million people have needed to access a loved one’s financial accounts once they have passed away but 38% […]
One in ten over 75’s have not made a Will
New research has found that around 2 million retirees are yet to make a Will. the breakdown covers around 12% of over 75’s and 22% of 65-74 year olds who do not have a will in place according to research conducted by Just Group. Power of Attorney arrangements are much less common than wills with […]
Why are inheritance disputes on the rise?
Due to more dynamic family structures and individuals increasingly owning more assets than ever before, it may not come as a surprise that inheritance disputes have been on the rise since 2015. Unfortunately, contentious cases can cause various complications, and as a result, can delay the estate administration process. In their latest blog, Kings Court […]
Hybrid working opens up new opportunities for widening commuter belts
In a national survey of full or part-time employed people 9 in 10 workers (92%), who now increasingly divide their time between home and the office, would be willing to commute further to buy or rent their desired property or live in their preferred location The survey also found that 69% of hybrid workers are […]
Taking mediation on-line
Following the outbreak of the pandemic last year I have had just two face-to-face mediations, all the rest have been via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. I spent hours in March through May 2020 testing out various video conferencing platforms and dealing with all the issues around security and confidentiality (security on both platforms has been […]
Introducing the autumn 2021 edition of Entitlement from Title Research
The autumn 2021 edition of Entitlement, Title Research’s news digest, is now available for legal professionals to download completely free of charge. Entitlement is a digital magazine produced by genealogy and asset repatriation specialists, Title Research. It features informative and insightful articles, all written by experts in the legal industry. The autumn 2021 edition of […]
Half won’t treat their children equally in their wills
Serious issues and confusion are being caused for families who are unable to communicate clearly with each other over inheritance planning. A recent report* found that 47% of people don’t intend to split their estate equally between their children which may come as a shock to those left behind. Two thirds of parents think their […]
CTT Superhero webinar – 82, Estate Planning for clients with Buy to Let Properties!
CTT Superhero webinar – 82, Estate Planning for clients with Buy to Let Properties! Friday 8th October at 10:00am – 11:00am Monday 11th October at 10:00am – 11:00am Click the buttons at the end of the email to register! The latest in our Superhero Webinar series will give you a brief overview of: What is […]
