Private Client

A solicitor who acted as a deputy for 16 years and did little to protect his interests in that time has been suspended from practice for six months.

A solicitor who continued to act for both executors of an estate after a dispute arose between them has been rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

The Legal Ombudsman has reported a 41% increase in the number of complaints about conveyancing, driven by delays, poor communication and post-completion problems.

A man who threatened to “beat the shit” out of solicitors who acted as administrators of his aunt’s will has been found in contempt of court by the High Court.

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.

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.

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.

A veteran solicitor who admitted billing clients for work he had not done to avoid his firm exceeding its overdraft has been struck off.

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.

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.

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, 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.

Both artificial intelligence and online influencers are becoming a source of “inadequate, outdated or misleading advice on wills and financial planning”, according to research.

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.

Two fast-growing private equity-backed law firms in the North-West have unveiled acquisitions to boost their Court of Protection and personal injury practices respectively.