Private Client
High Court orders will writers to take part in mediation
The High Court has consolidated a negligence claim against a will-writing company with a dispute over the will it drafted, and ordered the company to engage in mediation.
Will writer’s failures help convince judge to find undue influence
Failures by a will-writing company were among circumstantial evidence that led a High Court master to decide a will was made under undue influence.
Applications to block probate rise to all-time high
The final quarter of 2024 saw an all-time high in quarterly applications to block probate in England and Wales, research has found.
Ban for Co-op estate planner over LPA dishonesty
An estate planning consultant at Co-operative Legal Services who falsely confirmed that he had witnessed the signatures on a lasting power of attorney has been banned.
Solicitor who employed banned will writer is suspended
A solicitor who employed a will writer banned by the Solicitors Regulation Authority from working for law firms without its permission has been suspended for a month.
Paralegal jailed for abusing LPAs to steal client money
A paralegal has been jailed for 20 months after stealing £11,500 from clients whose affairs her firm was managing under lasting powers of attorney.
LeO names firms “in public interest” as it publishes first full decisions
The Legal Ombudsman has published three of its final decisions in full for the first time, including the names of the firms involved, arguing that the move increases transparency.
Solicitor’s will cutting out daughter a forgery, High Court rules
The supposed beneficiary of a will of a deceased solicitor that cut out his daughter failed to establish that it is genuine, the High Court has ruled.
Solicitor who changed LPA and cheque “was not dishonest”
A solicitor who changed the terms of a lasting power of attorney and the date on a cheque without the client’s consent did not act dishonestly, the SDT has ruled.
Acquisition marks next step in aggressive growth at Octopus Legacy
The Octopus Group, the £13bn financial services and energy business, claims it is now the second largest estate planning business in the country after buying WSL Will Writing.
Blog
Listening, learning and leading The Solicitor’s Charity with care
As I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey.
Is competition in the legal sector stifling innovation?
As the legal sector’s competitive landscape continues to evolve, Nobel laureates remind us that innovation is not inevitable,and that competition may not always be an incentive to innovate.
What high-performing consumer claims firms get right
Recurring concerns about parts of the volume claims sector show that the gap between well-run firms and those struggling to manage volume effectively is widening.
