Private Client
Probate staff “did not understand” digital processes, minister admits
HMCTS “did not have a mechanism to deliver comprehensive training” when the Probate Service was digitised, a justice minister has admitted.
Solicitor struck off for LPA dishonesty after 50 years on roll
A solicitor has been struck off after more than 50 years on the roll after admitting dishonesty over the signing of a lasting power of attorney.
Probate Service waiting times fall by 60% in 13 months
The Probate Service seems to have finally overcome its backlog, with average wait times in December 2024 now six and half weeks, compared to nearly 16 weeks a year earlier.
Exclusive: Major consumer group launches law firm
The Octopus Group, the £13bn financial services and energy business, has launched a law firm to handle probate and estate administration work, Legal Futures can reveal.
SRA to quiz probate lawyers who “failed to reflect” on training
The SRA is to question probate solicitors who “simply listed” in their training records what they had done, rather than providing “evidence of reflection”.
Young solicitor who misled clients over LPAs is struck off
A young lawyer who changed dates on lasting powers of attorney and misled clients about when they were sent to the Office of the Public Guardian has been struck off.
From convenience to confidence: safeguarding clients in the age of online divorce
Supporting clients who have opted to use an online divorce provider can be challenging for family lawyers, but they can offer valuable assistance to protect their clients’ interests. Educating clients about the limitations and risks of online divorce services is essential, especially to avoid pitfalls like those in Vince v Wyatt [2015] UKSC 14.
Wills and probate market expands despite number of firms falling
Big increases in grants of representation and powers of attorney applications have increased the growth rate of the wills and probate market to 7% but 500 firms left it too.
Lawyer executors “could do more” about risk of conflicts in probate
Law firms handling probate work could do more to guard against the risks of a conflict when administering estates and also acting as the executor, the SRA has cautioned.
Law firm hits back over “inaccurate” BBC accusations of LPA misuse
An Essex law firm at the centre of a BBC investigation into possible abuse of LPAs has described it as “inaccurate” and “based on second or third-hand hearsay”.
Blog
Beyond PCP: Can regulators and lawyers work better together next time?
Nearly a decade after the Financial Conduct Authority began investigating the car finance industry, the story of the PCP commission scandal is still unfinished.
Accountability has to live within governance, not with one person
The assumption has long been that a COLP or COFA is personally exposed to the consequences of anti-money laundering breaches.
The SRA’s client money reforms: good intentions, questionable execution
On the face of it, the SRA’s plans to tighten protections around client money sounds sensible. The detail, as ever, tells a more complicated story.
