Private Client

A fast-growing law firm specialising only in contentious probate is launching a network to support non-specialist firms later this month, to be followed by two tech products.

The value of the wills, trusts and probate market topped £2bn for the first time last year, with contentious work on the rise, and law firms’ grip on will-writing work continuing to slip.

The way a solicitor went about preparing a £100m will was “reckless and quite possibly dishonest”, the High Court ruled yesterday.

An immigration solicitor certified a lasting power of attorney for a walk-in client without checking his capacity, allowing the man’s son and attorney to misuse some of his money.

The Legal Services Board has refused to ‘de-designate’ an accountancy body as a probate regulator over concerns that its members are now practising unregulated.

Lawyers have welcomed yesterday’s government’s decision to renew the temporary legislation allowing for the remote witnessing of wills for another two years.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales is finally set to impose compulsory price transparency on the accountancy firms that offer probate services.

Listed law firm Ince has heralded a return to City firms offering private client services by launching an integrated private wealth offering for corporate clients.

Justice secretary Dominic Raab is “in the market for something quite drastic and bold” to reduce the number of private law family cases in the courts, he said yesterday in a wide-ranging discussion.

A solicitor who “dumped” hundreds of hours of unjustified time on a largely completed file in a bid to meet his billing targets has been suspended for nine months.

The Legal Services Board has approved CILEx Regulation’s application to take over the regulation of probate work carried on by members of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

The Law Society has attacked plans to replace witnessing of lasting powers of attorney with electronic signatures and also force solicitors to use a digital portal.

A solicitor “considered herself to be the client” while operating under a lasting power of attorney, sending bills to herself and massively overcharging the elderly client involved.

A solicitor who abused his position as the executor of an estate and stole £275,000 from it to spend on an “excessive lifestyle” has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

The Legal Services Board has given itself more time to decide on whether to approve a new breed of law firm created by CILEx Regulation and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.