Private Client
Justice committee calls for quadrupling of probate fee threshold
MPs have called on the Ministry of Justice to increase the minimum threshold at which estates must pay probate application fees from £5,000 to £20,000.
Probate firms form partnership to formalise succession plan
A specialist private client law firm in the Midlands has launched a model to help other practices facing succession issues after announcing a deal with a probate firm in Plymouth.
Partner suffers AI-generated abuse after asking for a fee
A potential client has used AI to abuse a partner at a Bristol law firm, accusing her of being a “loathsome criminal” for wanting to charge for a consultation.
Solicitor used client money to keep within overdraft
A veteran solicitor who admitted billing clients for work he had not done to avoid his firm exceeding its overdraft has been struck off.
Judge condemns law firm’s “incompetence” in probate dispute
A law firm based in Hertfordshire has been severely criticised by a High Court judge for the “heinous” errors it made and its “simple incompetence” in pursuing a probate dispute.
Seven-year restriction for solicitor in third SDT appearance
A probate solicitor who blamed multiple breaches on the “emotional entanglement” he felt when handling his brother’s estate has been fined and given a seven-year restriction order.
Legal Services Act can be vehicle for reform of regulation, says LSB
Calls to reform the Legal Services Act 2007 overlook the many unused provisions in it that could facilitate major changes in regulation, the chief executive of the Legal Services Board has said.
Octopus Legacy eyes surge in probate work after acquisitions
Octopus Legacy, the fast-growing estate planning and bereavement business, has predicted its probate work will jump by 1,000% over the next 12 months following a major acquisition.
AI and online ‘finfluencers’ making job harder, say private client lawyers
Both artificial intelligence and online influencers are becoming a source of “inadequate, outdated or misleading advice on wills and financial planning”, according to research.
“Panicked” solicitor who backdated document struck off
A solicitor who backdated a document and sent a misleading email to a client has been struck off, despite evidence he was experiencing significant mental health difficulties at the time.
Blog
The real cure for inequality at law firms? Listening
How can men, as one male panellist put it, “get out of the way of people coming up through the ranks?”
Most of these conversations only happen after the men leave the room.
Andy Burnham and the Hillsborough Law: should solicitors be worried?
Now that Andy Burnham has become prime minister, the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, otherwise known as the Hillsborough Law, will receive a real boost of political capital.
Defending fair fees in the property profession
If the property industry is serious about moving towards 28-day exchanges, then it must confront not only the practical barriers, but the commercial behaviours too.
