Private Client


Probate delays putting law firms in clients’ firing line

15 March 2024

Law firms are suffering a backlash from clients, and increasing unbillable time, as a result of the continuing delays at the Probate Service, the Law Society has said.


MoJ mandarin refuses to say if criminal lawyers will get “the full 15%”

6 March 2024

The top official at the Ministry of Justice has refused to say whether criminal law solicitors will get their recommended 15% pay rise, in heated exchanges before the justice select committee.


Solicitor struck off over LPA signature short-cuts

27 February 2024

A solicitor who submitted two lasting powers of attorney to the Office of the Public Guardian showing she had witnessed the donor’s signatures – when she had not – has been struck off.


Value of legal services market “to hit £50bn” this year

21 February 2024

The legal services market will continue to grow in 2024, hitting a turnover of £50bn with a “resilient” corporate law sector boosted by “stronger economic conditions” later in the year.


Wills group looks to buy “a dozen law firms a year” after PE boost

7 February 2024

The Right Legal Group, a wills and probate specialist, has secured private equity funding to buy at least “a dozen law firms a year”, it has emerged.


Government brings video-witnessing of wills to an end

6 February 2024

The pandemic measure to allow video witnessing of wills came to an end last week, after the government decided not to extend it beyond 31 January.


Solicitor jailed for stealing money using powers of attorney

5 February 2024

A solicitor has been jailed for two years after admitting abusing her position to steal tens of thousands of pounds from two vulnerable people, one of whom was her father.


Law firm “let down” client over bid to propound will, master rules

31 January 2024

A daughter seeking to propound a copy of her deceased mother’s will has been “let down” by her solicitors in failing to comply with an unless order to issue proceedings, the High Court has ruled.


Probate Service “should outsource complex cases to law firms”

24 January 2024

Complex probate cases should be outsourced to law firms to cut the backlog of cases at the Probate Service, expert practitioners have recommended.


Private client lawyer who pocketed clients’ fees is struck off

16 January 2024

A salaried partner who told clients to pay him in cash or with cheques made out to him, which he kept, has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.


Delays at Probate Service starting to ease, says minister

12 January 2024

Delays at the Probate Service are shortening in the wake of a “distinct improvement in recruitment, competency, productivity and call handling”, the government said this week.


Wills and probate market could top £3bn by 2027

10 January 2024

The wills, trust and probate market could be worth over £3bn by 2027, new research has found, with “stronger demand” for powers of attorney and contentious probate.


Lawyers split over action on wills to address ‘predatory marriages’

21 December 2023

Private client lawyers are divided over whether the rule that marriage or civil partnership automatically revokes a will should be scrapped as a way to combat ‘predatory marriages’.


MPs launch inquiry into lengthening probate delays

24 November 2023

MPs have launched an inquiry into probate in the wake of mounting concern about how long the process is taking, with HM Courts & Tribunals Service admitting to rising levels of complaints.


Solicitor who practised unauthorised for son’s business is suspended

25 October 2023

A solicitor who practised unauthorised and handled reserved probate work for a company owned by her non-solicitor son after her firm closed has been suspended for three months.

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Blog


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