‘Social Care Too Important For Politicisation’: Cue The Manifesto Pledges
Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, has claimed social care is too important an issue to be politicised, so of course, it has become one of the main manifesto considerations of all political parties. During his recent article in The Guardian, Hancock called for a ‘cross-party consensus’ on the solutions needed to broach the issues plaguing the […]
Shielding Firms And Clients From The Digital Threat: SRA Risk Outlook 2019/20
In the opening six months of 2019, law firms reported that £731,250 worth of client money was lost to cyber crime, prompting the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to deem cyber crime to be one of the greatest threats a law firm will face in 2019/20. Cyber security and information security is now deemed a more severe threat than last year, moving […]
Final Roundtable Of 2019 Discusses ‘Three Big People Problems’ Firms Should Consider
Today’s Wills and Probate is excited to host the upcoming and final Roundtable event of 2019, sponsored by Executor Solutions, taking place on 12th November at Shakespeare Martineau in Milton Keynes. Past roundtable events have covered all the pertinent issues affecting the wills and probate sector in 2019 including the changes to the Wills Notification […]
Client Suicide And The Responsibility Of The Will Writer
What happens if your client discloses their reason for writing a will is to end their own life? When trapped between an ethical and legal juxtaposition of informing relevant parties and ensuring confidentiality, how should a legal service practitioner respond? Earlier this month, Belgian Paralympian, Marieke Vervoort, made the decision to end her life through […]
SRA Contact 7,000 Regulated Firms Following AML Non-Compliance
An Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) review has highlighted a deep issue of anti-money laundering non-compliance entrenched within the legal sector. Over a fifth of firms reviewed by the SRA have failed to create the required firm risk assessment protocols to adequately protect against the proliferation of illicit money. In the last year, a new annual […]
The Saga Is Over: Justice Secretary Withdraws Probate Fees Order
The saga of the Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2018 has finally drawn to a close after the Justice Secretary announced the immediate withdrawal of the proposals at the weekend. The Order would have introduced probate fees on a sliding scale up to £6,000 depending on the value of the estate, replacing the current flat fee […]
What Will Brexit Mean For Data Compliance?
As the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) nears its 18 month anniversary, recent research conducted by software supplier Egress have revealed that only 48% of UK businesses are fully compliant with the rules. Organisations had taken their GDPR compliance seriously in the lead up to the May 2018 deadline, but activity started to drop off […]
Interim Report Suggests Overhaul Of Reserved Legal Activities
A diverse set of suggested reforms into legal services will look to increase the role of the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), widen the forms of regulatory entry to include unregulated practitioners and rethink reserved legal activities. The interim ‘Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation,’ completed by the Centre for Ethics at University College London and chaired […]
Quarter Of Homeowners Funding Social Care With Home Equity
Almost a quarter of home owners are planning to use the equity in their homes to fund their care costs in later life. 24% of unretired homeowners would prefer to use the equity in their homes than deplete their pension pot when looking to fund the costs associated with old age. The research also indicated […]
Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order 2018 Officially Lapses
The Non-Contentious Probate Fees Order has officially lapsed. It means that the current fixed fee of £215, or £155 when a solicitor is used, will not be replaced with a sliding scale rising to £6,000 depending on the estate’s value. Ministers have decided to allow the Order, in its current form, to lapse as Brexit […]
Regulators Warn Legal Sector Of Impersonation Fraud Attempts
Multiple legal regulators have warned that impersonation fraud and spoofing using highly detailed and sophisticated social engineering techniques is rife in the legal sector at the moment. In the past week both the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have sent out scam alerts warning firms to be on the […]
Expert Comments On Probate Backlogs And Online Applications
The various trials regarding HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) new online probate service for personal applicants throughout England and Wales last year have been very positive. Throughout the second half of 2018, HMCTS trialled the online system, that enables the bereaved to apply for a grant of probate, make the statement of truth online […]
Are GDPR Fines High Enough To Ensure Firms Comply?
According to a Twitter poll conducted by Tripwire, the fines given to companies who have broken GDPR laws are still not high enough, despite being in the millions. The mutually agreed General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on May 25th 2018, and was designed to modernise laws that protect the personal information of […]
How Brexit Could Impact Estate Administration?
On the 24th July 2019, Boris Johnson officially started his new reign as Prime Minister, which now means he’ll be leading the UK out of the European Union (EU) on 31st October 2019. There is currently still plenty of uncertainty about how the country will leave the EU, so it got us thinking about how […]
Call For Evidence The Government Want Your Views On Digital Identity
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMC) has launched a consultation on digital identity, and is seeking your views on how the Government can support the development and secure use of digital identities fit for the UK’s growing digital economy. The consultation states: “We welcome written responses to this call for evidence from […]
Advising Expats On The Importance Of Making A Will
To quote Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind – “death, taxes, and childbirth, there’s never a convenient time for any of them”. When it comes to the Grim Reaper, if he comes for your client whilst they are living in a foreign country, he is not bothered about whether they have organised their affairs […]
Additional Support Needed For Those With Borderline Capacity
A recent study has claimed that more needs to be done to help people with mental health issues to better manage their finances. The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute have found that 42% of people who have experienced mental health problems wanted support and guidance with money management from friends and family. However, the […]
What Is A Matrimonial Property Regime (MPR) And Why Do I Need To Know About Them?
Many UK solicitors are not familiar with matrimonial property regimes (MPRs) as it’s not something that we encounter within UK law. However, MPRs are a fundamental part of law in many other countries, so when dealing with clients with overseas connections, it’s something that UK solicitors should be aware of, especially when it comes to […]
Claudia’s Law to come into effect from the end of July
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 will come into force from the 31st of July 2019. The Act, informally known as Claudia’s Law, will allow families to oversee the financial and property affairs of a missing loved one. The new legislation aims to remove the financial and administrative […]
OPG Helping Consumers By Hitting Their Key Performance Indicators
As the Office of the Public Guardian publish their business plan for 2019/20, the governmental department’s facts and figures for the last year suggest this is one area of Government fulfilling their obligations. For the year 2018/19, 89% of customers were very or fairly satisfied with the OPG’s overall services. This represents a 9% improvement […]
