Private Client
Solicitor who changed LPA and cheque “was not dishonest”
A solicitor who changed the terms of a lasting power of attorney and the date on a cheque without the client’s consent did not act dishonestly, the SDT has ruled.
Acquisition marks next step in aggressive growth at Octopus Legacy
The Octopus Group, the £13bn financial services and energy business, claims it is now the second largest estate planning business in the country after buying WSL Will Writing.
Electronic wills at heart of overhaul of 188-year-old law
Plans to modernise will making – including allowing electronic wills – and reduce the number of disputes were today published by the Law Commission.
Most consumers no longer use solicitors for wills
The proportion of consumers using solicitors for their wills has dropped below half for the first time, a report has found, with unbundling growing in popularity.
PE-backed group launches private client law firm
Private equity-backed Beyond Law Group has completed its consumer law offering after launching a private client law firm as part of significant expansion plans.
High Court: Badly drafted will shows dangers of unqualified writers
A badly drafted will which has caused “untold anguish” to relatives of the deceased shows the dangers of using unqualified will-writers, the High Court has warned.
Tribunal warns solicitors of dangers when acting for family
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has warned solicitors of the dangers of acting for family members after fining one who preferred his wife in the distribution of an estate.
Legal market’s strong growth in 2024 set to continue this year
The UK legal services market grew by 10% to £52bn last year and is heading towards a strong 2025 too, according to new research.
“Outrageous” delays persist for complex probate matters
Improvements in the probate system are not filtering through to complex cases, according to a solicitor who has lodged a complaint over “outrageous” delays she has suffered.
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.
Blog
Wills are changing but do your financial partners know?
The Law Commission reforms to wills make this an excellent time to reflect, not only on how they will affect your own clients and processes but also those of your financial planner partners.
GEO – the impact of AI on digital marketing for law firms
GEO represents the biggest change in online business generation that I can remember. You cannot afford to stick with the same old engine optimisation techniques.
What the law can learn from fintech’s onboarding revolution
Client onboarding has always been slow. It’s not just about the paperwork and manual workflows; it’s also about those long AML checks and verifications.
