Private Client


Solicitor who submitted false oath agrees to leave profession

5 March 2021

A former partner at a Yorkshire law firm who submitted a false statement to the probate court as part of the oath for executors has agreed to leave the profession.


Personal insolvency verses matrimonial law

3 March 2021

It is fair to say that there has, for many years, been a “difference of opinion” between the law governing personal insolvency and matrimonial law with each “side” believing that they are right and should take precedence. The principal, sometimes conflicting, legislation is covered in the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. However, the differing courts can and will give wide discretion when determining whether and how a married couple’s assets are to be divided.


Consumers willing to work with wills and probate solicitors online

15 December 2020

More than a third of consumers believe that video witnessing of wills is “a good alternative” to being there in person, according to a major study, while a majority are happy to have an online consultation.


Solicitor ordered secretaries to retrospectively “witness” wills

4 December 2020

The managing director of a law firm who ordered legal secretaries and a trainee solicitor to retrospectively “witness” wills which had already been signed by clients has been struck off.


Solicitors oppose move to digital signatures for LPAs

16 November 2020

The vast majority of solicitors want to retain the rule that donors must physically sign lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) rather than move to electronic signatures, a survey has found.


Lockdown triggers surge in searches for DIY wills

13 November 2020

Google searches for DIY wills surged by more than 15 times in the week leading up to the second national lockdown, while probate specialists have blamed institutions for delays in the process.


Lost wills: What to do when the original will cannot be found

11 November 2020

Personal representatives tasked with dealing with a deceased person’s affairs are often faced with a number of challenges, both legal and practical. Sometimes these challenges can be complex and involve dealing with contested wills.


Court: “No need for City lawyer” in professional executor tussle

4 November 2020

There was no need for a more expensive City lawyer to be appointed a professional executor in preference to one from the Home Counties in a straightforward probate, the High Court has ruled.


Funeral and burial disputes

30 October 2020

It’s not uncommon for disagreements to arise between family members and loved ones over funeral arrangements, burial disputes or possession of ashes. So, who has the ultimate say and what can you do? Richard Adams, senior associate in the Contested Wills, Trusts and Estates team at Hugh James who has advised clients in a number of such cases, considers this delicate and sensitive issue.


LSB “forced” accountants to withdraw from legal services regulation

15 October 2020

It was “fundamentally wrong” for Legal Services Board rules to force the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants to withdraw from legal services, another accountancy body has argued.

← Older posts Page 9 of 11 Newer posts →

Blog


Five key issues to consider when adopting an AI-based legal tech

As generative AI starts to play a bigger role in our working lives, there are some key issues that your law firm needs to consider when adopting an AI-based legal tech.


Bulk litigation – not always working in consumers interests

For consumers to get the benefit, bulk litigation needs to be done well, and we are increasingly concerned that there are significant problems in some areas of this market.


ABSs, cost and audits – fixing regulation after Axiom Ince

A feature of law firm collapses and frauds has sometimes been the over-concentration of power in outdated and overburdened systems of control.


Loading animation