Private Client


Most consumers no longer use solicitors for wills

22 April 2025

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

22 April 2025

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

16 April 2025

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

3 April 2025

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

28 March 2025

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

26 March 2025

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

25 February 2025

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

19 February 2025

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

17 February 2025

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

7 January 2025

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

3 January 2025

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

18 December 2024

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.


From convenience to confidence: safeguarding clients in the age of online divorce

17 December 2024

Supporting clients who have opted to use an online divorce provider can be challenging for family lawyers, but they can offer valuable assistance to protect their clients’ interests. Educating clients about the limitations and risks of online divorce services is essential, especially to avoid pitfalls like those in Vince v Wyatt [2015] UKSC 14.


Wills and probate market expands despite number of firms falling

17 December 2024

Big increases in grants of representation and powers of attorney applications have increased the growth rate of the wills and probate market to 7% but 500 firms left it too.


Lawyer executors “could do more” about risk of conflicts in probate

16 December 2024

Law firms handling probate work could do more to guard against the risks of a conflict when administering estates and also acting as the executor, the SRA has cautioned.

Page 1 of 9 Page 2 →

Blog


Why better domestic abuse screening in mediation is long overdue

If there’s one thing the legal profession could do today, it would be to make domestic abuse and safeguarding training mandatory for all family lawyers and mediators.


AI in personal injury – the future

The traditional lawyer in me – and one who increasingly finds technology more confusing with each passing day – is resistant but it doesn’t take a lot to surmise that AI will likely become a very important tool.


Ten top tips for turning transparency into positivity and new clients

New SRA guidance on transparency issued last autumn – thinly disguised as continued support for COLPs, firms and individuals – was without doubt also borne out of regulatory frustration.