Confidence Is High, But Concerns Remain For Firms
The LexisNexis Bellwether Report has revealed that confidence among law firms with regards to their financial prospects is ‘surprisingly high’, but there are still concerns. The report is based on the analysis of small firms and small offices of larger firms. It demonstrates that this new research paints a different post pandemic picture as opposed […]
Equity Release Market Still Recovering
According to the Equity Release Council, the equity release market has shown signs of recovery following the coronavirus pandemic, but numbers are still lower than in previous years. £698m of property wealth was accessed by older homeowners in quarter two this year. This was almost £400m (34%) lower than quarter one (£1.064bn). This figure doesn’t […]
Keeping Your Finger On The Pulse
Keeping up to date with changes in legislation is critical when dealing with estate planning clients and their financial affairs. Our Webinars are designed to not only keep you abreast of what you can offer to your clients to achieve their estate planning aims, but to also keep you informed of anything you need to […]
Law Society Open Consultatation For Disabled Solicitors
The Law Society for England and Wales has launched a survey to find out how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the working practices of disabled lawyers, as they make bid to understand how to improve their work experiences. Simon Davis, President of the Law Society, said: “We are aiming to build on the knowledge gained […]
Bankruptcy Overseas – A Probate Solicitor’s Responsibility
By Andrew Ritson, Finders International’s Legal Support Services manager Probate solicitors will be used to dealing with beneficiaries and it is important for the estate’s personal representatives (PRs) that due diligence is carried out in all scenarios. It is the PR’s responsibility to know and check the financial status of the beneficiaries before an estate […]
The Impact Of Covid-19 On Wills, Probate & Estate Administration
Kings Court Trust’s latest blog post reviews the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Wills, probate and estate administration. For the vast majority of us, COVID-19 has had an effect on the way we work and how we live our personal lives. Estate administration is an industry that relies on and works with several […]
Webinar: Intestacies – The Risks & Opportunities
Enhance your knowledge of how to deal with an intestate estate by joining Title Research’s next webinar. On Wednesday 5th August at 12pm, Title Research’s Technical Manager, Simon Barber, will provide an in-depth overview of intestacy, covering the risks and opportunities. In 45 minutes, Simon will cover: Why intestacies occur Intestacy rules A step-by-step walk-through of a family […]
Industry Reacts To MoJ Announcement
At the weekend, the Ministry of Justice announced that video Wills that were made during the coronavirus pandemic would be legalised. In the hope of reducing the number of contentious probate cases that could undoubtedly arise as a result. Although there will be a number of nuances that practitioners will have to be aware of. […]
Introducing The Summer 2020 Edition Of Entitlement From Title Research
The summer 2020 edition of Entitlement, Title Research’s quarterly news digest, is now available for legal professionals to download completely free of charge. Entitlement is a digital magazine produced by the genealogy and asset repatriation specialists, Title Research. It is released every quarter and features informative and insightful articles, all written by experts in the […]
Overview Of Compliance Within The Legal Services Industry
In our industry, transparency allows our clients to make informed choices prior to instructing a firm to carry out any work. It is taken quite seriously by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), who provides a list of transparency rules that all registered firms are required to comply with. These rules mainly consist of how to […]
Former Maharaja’s Family Wins Control Of £16bn Kerala Temple
A former royal family in India last week won its struggle with the state government of Kerala in a long-running dispute over control of a famous temple and its treasures, following a ruling by the country’s supreme court. The Hindu sacred site, located in Kerala’s capital city Thiruvananthapuram, is renowned for its vast collections of […]
Law Society Round Tables To Address BAME Progression
With figures showing that 25% of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) solicitors make partner compared to 35% of their white counterparts, the Law Society of England and Wales is launching a series of virtual round table discussions to explore why this group is under-represented at the senior level. The Society’s Ethnic Minority Lawyers Division […]
Witnessing Wills In A Covid-19 World
As the legal profession is aware, under current UK law, for a will to be valid it must be signed by the testator in the presence of two independent adults. However, there are a number of discussions taking place looking at the way in which the rules around wills should be interpreted due to the […]
Ombudsman Takes Too Long To Respond
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) has published its annual report for 2019/20, and shown that complainants are still waiting too long for the Ombudsman to reply to their issues. The report demonstrated that throughout the year, improvements were seen with regards to time taken to investigate complains and people weren’t waiting too long for […]
Updated Financial Abuse Guidance
The Law Society has updated it’s guidance for solicitors and other professionals who advise clients who are or may be at risk of financial abuse. In the guidance it outlines: What financial abuse is How to identify adults who are vulnerable to abuse How to identify and assess capacity How to take action to prevent […]
Equity Release Figures Latest Victim Of Pandemic
It seems the far-reaching effects of the coronavirus pandemic are never ending. The latest casualty is the equity release sector which have fallen in quarter two. Figures released by Key, have revealed that in quarter two there was a 45% drop in the amount of equity being released and a 27% fall of customers utilising […]
OPG Demonstrate How They Encourage The Use Of LPAs
Today’s Wills and Probate had the opportunity to speak to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). During the chat, the OPG wanted to raise awareness of their ‘Your Voice, Your Decision‘ campaign, which will writing professionals can get involved in. ‘Your Voice Your Decision’ marketing campaign Last year we launched our ‘Your Voice, Your […]
Supporter In Focus: The Property Ladder Group
In a series of Supporters in Focus pieces, we are thrilled to introduce our supporters of The British Wills & Probate Awards 2020. This year the awards will recognise a sector which has tackled the challenges presented by Covid-19 head on. Alongside headline sponsor Arken.Legal we look forward to recognising achievement, highlighting progression and championing […]
IoP Launch New Diversity & Inclusion Charter
The Institute of Paralegals (IoP) has released a new strategy for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the legal profession. The charter outlines why change is needed and the approach that needs to be taken by the Institute, its members and partners, to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds are not only recruited into the sector […]
Law Society Welcomes Government Commitment To Jobs
The Law Society has come out and supported the government’s commitment to concentrate on getting people back to work following the coronavirus pandemic. Plans for a ‘kick start’ scheme for young people were welcomed by the Law Society. Simon Davis, President of the Law Society in England and Wales, said: “We will be encouraging law […]
