Private Client
Lockdown triggers surge in searches for DIY wills
Google searches for DIY wills surged by more than 15 times in the week leading up to the second national lockdown, while probate specialists have blamed institutions for delays in the process.
Lost wills: What to do when the original will cannot be found
Personal representatives tasked with dealing with a deceased person’s affairs are often faced with a number of challenges, both legal and practical. Sometimes these challenges can be complex and involve dealing with contested wills.
Court: “No need for City lawyer” in professional executor tussle
There was no need for a more expensive City lawyer to be appointed a professional executor in preference to one from the Home Counties in a straightforward probate, the High Court has ruled.
Funeral and burial disputes
It’s not uncommon for disagreements to arise between family members and loved ones over funeral arrangements, burial disputes or possession of ashes. So, who has the ultimate say and what can you do? Richard Adams, senior associate in the Contested Wills, Trusts and Estates team at Hugh James who has advised clients in a number of such cases, considers this delicate and sensitive issue.
LSB “forced” accountants to withdraw from legal services regulation
It was “fundamentally wrong” for Legal Services Board rules to force the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants to withdraw from legal services, another accountancy body has argued.
Larke v Nugus requests – the cornerstone of will disputes?
A request for a Larke v Nugus statement is often considered a preliminary step when there is an intention to contest a will. But what happened in that case and what effect does it have on cases which involve probate disputes in the modern day?
MoJ: “Time has come” to mandate online probate applications
The “time has come” for solicitors and other professional users to apply for the vast majority of grants of probate online – but not yet letters of administration – the government said yesterday.
Private client lawyer targets wealthy with strategic consultancy
A senior private client lawyer has launched a strategic consultancy to advise wealthy individuals and families from around the world on succession, risk, governance and dispute resolution.
Wills firm justified in sacking employee who left client sweary message
A will-writing business was entitled to fire a member of staff who accidentally left a message on a potential client’s voicemail about getting drunk and littered with swear words, a tribunal has ruled.
Will-writing entrepreneur obtains “first digital LPA”
The founder of will-writing software firm WillSuite has obtained what he believes is the first ever digital lasting power of attorney. He said the process took five months.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
