Private Client
Solicitor fails in appeal against rebuke for estate administration delays
A solicitor rebuked by the SRA for “substantial and unexplained delay” in the administration of an estate has failed in an appeal to the SDT.
Solicitor transforms firm into “probate unblocking” service
A private client solicitor has transformed his law firm into a specialist fixed-fee service which aims to unblock stalled probate matters.
Rebuke for solicitor “who relied on memory, not records”
A law firm owner who acted “based on her recollections as opposed to checking facts” has been rebuked after letting administration of an estate drift for six years.
Suspension for solicitor who let work as deputy drift for 16 years
A solicitor who acted as a deputy for 16 years and did little to protect her client’s interests in that time has been suspended from practice for six months.
Solicitor rebuked for continuing to act when clients were in dispute
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.
Big spike in conveyancing complaints to Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman has reported a 41% increase in the number of complaints about conveyancing, driven by delays, poor communication and post-completion problems.
Angry family member in contempt for threatening probate solicitors
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.
Justice committee calls for quadrupling of probate fee threshold
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.
Probate firms form partnership to formalise succession plan
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.
Partner suffers AI-generated abuse after asking for a fee
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.
Solicitor used client money to keep within overdraft
A veteran solicitor who admitted billing clients for work he had not done to avoid his firm exceeding its overdraft has been struck off.
Judge condemns law firm’s “incompetence” in probate dispute
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.
Seven-year restriction for solicitor in third SDT appearance
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.
Legal Services Act can be vehicle for reform of regulation, says LSB
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 eyes surge in probate work after acquisitions
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.
Blog
Don’t be fooled by the civil court statistics
The latest civil justice figures look deceptively upbeat, with faster claims. But these numbers mask a deeper truth: people are still waiting more than a year for justice.
SEO is changing: Are you measuring the right things?
AI means firms may see falling organic traffic and wonder if SEO is still working. The more interesting question is whether traffic is still the right measure of success.
Forms are evolving – and more interesting than you might think
I have spent much of my working life thinking about something most people would probably prefer not to think about at all: legal forms.
Reports
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