Category: Wills & Probate Market

Locating Missing Beneficiaries In Estate Administration

During the estate administration process, it’s becoming more common to come across missing or unknown beneficiaries. This is due to family dynamics becoming more complex as people lose touch and divisions occur. You could come across a beneficiary who is unfamiliar to the deceased’s loved ones or an heir whose whereabouts may not be known. […]

Thy Will Be Done (Spain) Supports Prestigious Industry Awards Ceremony

Thy Will Be Done (Spain) are honoured to be supporting the second upcoming prestigious British Wills and Probate Awards, which is brought to you by Today’s Wills and Probate, alongside headline sponsor, Arken.legal (UK) Ltd, a leader in software solutions for the legal services industry. Thy Will Be Done (Spain) are delighted to be a […]

Funeral Experts Sponsor ‘Will Writing Firm Of The Year’ Category

Funeral specialists, Dignity, are proud supporters of the second upcoming prestigious British Wills and Probate Awards, which is brought to you by Today’s Wills and Probate, alongside headline sponsor, Arken.legal (UK) Ltd, a leader in software solutions for the legal services industry. Dignity are thrilled to be a part of the awards by sponsoring the […]

Round Table Round Up: Probate Delays, Staff Well Being And Future Storms

Industry experts have condemned probate fee delays, considered staff well-being, discussed how to prepare for future success and contemplated the present and future issues in the growth of DIY Wills and online Will services. Probate Delays and Regulatory Silence HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has been under intense criticism regarding the increasing delays to […]

New Probate Application Delays Data Considered Inaccurate

Official Government statistics suggest that the mean average waiting time for probate applications between April and June, the peak period of the delays in service, was just 5.6 weeks. During a recent parliamentary written answer, completed by Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Edward Argar, the average length of time from receipt of the application to the issue of […]

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 […]

Free webinar: What happens if your law firm falls victim to a cyber attack?

According to reports, businesses were attacked by cyber criminals on average every 50 seconds between April and June this year. After conducting our own research of 100 law firms, we discovered that 82% of those we spoke to, didn’t have the Government recommended Cyber Essentials Accreditation, leaving the door wide open for criminals to exploit. […]

Probate Fees Unsuccessful Saga

Overwhelming opposition, fast tracked Governmental methods, and an order with loopholes: it is safe to say the draft Non-Contentious Probate (Fees) Order 2018 has been a consistent talking point over the last eight months. Now, supposedly complete and ready for full implementation, the draft Non-Contentious Probate (Fees) Order 2018 has been wasting away on the […]

Probate Delays Blamed For Fall In Charity Bequest Notifications

Legacy Foresight’s latest bulletin has revealed a reduction in charity bequest notifications due to probate delays and changes to the legacy notification system. Britain’s charity data analysts of the legacy and in-memory sectors found that there was a 7% fall in the number of bequest notifications to charities in the year to June 2019 compared […]

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 […]

Title Research Launch Brand New Website

Genealogical research and asset repatriation specialists, Title Research, are pleased to announce the launch of their new website www.titleresearch.com. The updated website is clean, contemporary and a modern hub for professionals looking to solve their complex estate administration cases. What is available at www.titleresearch.com? Detailed information about their range of genealogical research and asset repatriation […]

HMCTS Confirms Closure Of First Probate Registry Office

HMCTS has confirmed the Birmingham District Probate Registry will be the first registry to close on 31st August due to probate being handled by their new Courts & Tribunals Service Centres (CTSCs). Probate work has been slowly moving away from the Birmingham Registry Office since March 2019 and all digital applications have been moved to […]

Do You Want To Grow Your Law Firm?

Are you a business owner or senior manager/partner in Wills and estate planning? Do you have the right processes and protection in place to grow your business and increase profitability? Taking place on the same day as the prestigious British Wills and Probate Awards at The Belfry Hotel and Resort, Today’s Wills and Probate are […]

Banbridge Solicitor Charged With Stealing £73,844

Paul Downey, 62,  a solicitor from Mount Royal in Banbridge has been charged at Banbridge Magistrates’ Court with stealing £73,844 from the deceased Catherine Hayes’ estate. As well as being charged with theft, Mr Downey was also charged with four counts of false accounting and nine counts of fraud by abusing his position between 26th […]

Financial Gain Churchwarden’s Motivation For Murder

Benjamin Field, 28, a Churchwarden in Maids Morton has been found guilty of murdering 69-year-old author Peter Farquhar. Field, is said to have tricked Mr Farquhar, into changing his will, before committing the murder and trying to cover it up, making it look like an accident or suicide. During the case, Field admitted duping Mr […]

Make Sure You Hit The Bulls Eye Every Time With Countrywide Legacy!

We understand how difficult training your staff can be, especially when information is misunderstood, due to a lack of knowledge and experience – which can have disastrous consequences! It is very easy for staff to make mistakes if they are unable to interpret training in the same way. With the current surge in Wills being […]

Judge Makes Decision On All Or Nothing Case

A High Court Judge has used the Commorientes Rule, and decided that Ann Scarle outlived her husband John after they both passed away at their home in Essex in October 2016. John Scarle aged 79 and his wife Ann aged 69 died of hypothermia in 2016. The last known sighting of Mr Scarle was on […]

Entries Are Now Open For The 2020 National Paralegal Awards

The National Paralegal Awards are back, with entries now open to find the Best Paralegals in the UK and businesses that support the industry.  Rita Leat, Managing Director of The Professional Paralegal Register who host the awards said: “We are delighted to host these annual awards to showcase and reward the work of Paralegals across […]

The 2019 Shortlist for the British Wills and Probate Awards Is Announced

The long-awaited shortlist for the second upcoming prestigious British Wills and Probate Awards is finally announced.  The awards are brought to you by Today’s Wills and Probate, alongside headline sponsor, Arken.legal (UK) Ltd, a leader in software solutions for the legal services industry. Today’s Wills and Probate are pleased to announce the shortlist for the […]