Private Client
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”.
Solicitor to pay costs after being summonsed over will drafting
A solicitor has been ordered to pay costs of £5,700 after she had to be summonsed to be cross-examined over a contested will that she drafted.
Film client meeting when capacity could be issue, judge tells solicitors
Solicitors dealing with clients where their mental capacity could be in question should record their meetings electronically, a judge has suggested in upholding the deathbed revocation of a will.
Modernising the will-making process: Embracing technology and accessibility
By Debra Burton, partner in the inheritance disputes team at Lime Solicitors The will-making process has seen a significant transformation in recent years, driven by technological advancements and a growing demand for accessible, user-friendly services. The Covid-19 pandemic was a… Read More
Law firm rebuked for not distributing estate after merger
A Surrey law firm that failed to deal with an estate it took on after merging with another practice has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Delays fall as Probate Service performance improves
The Probate Service has now been issuing more grants per month than the number of applications it receives for a year, with delays now falling, new figures have shown.
Number of LPAs registered soars by 28%
There was a 28% surge in the number of applications for lasting powers of attorney last year, but the Office of the Public Guardian still managed to reduce its backlog.
High Court rectifies will after solicitor’s “clerical error”
A High Court judge has rectified a will after finding it was “beyond doubt” that the solicitor who drafted it “made a clerical error” in failing to implement her client’s instructions.
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.
