Professional News
Thousands of Consumers are being ‘ripped off’ by unregulated Will-Writers
18 July 2011
The Legal Ombudsman have published their first report, listing will-writing by unregulated will-writers as one of the most common complaints they receive. Unfortunately, as the Legal Ombudsman can only act on complaints made against regulated solicitors, these complaints cannot be followed up. Protect yourself by using a solicitor practising in Wills and Probate, who as they [...] Read More
Where there’s a Will
14 December 2010
Your recent article, Rise in number of intestacy disputes, highlighted two interesting issues: hard times encourage people to contest inheritances; and intestacies offer more opportunities for such disputes to take place. My summary of this state of affairs is that necessity and greed are powerful motivators of human behaviour, and [...] Read More
Hairdresser handed £390,000 in eccentric customer’s will is told by judge to give the money back
13 August 2010
A hairdresser who inherited £380,000 from two elderly sisters will have to repay the money after a judge ruled that an earlier will leaving the estate to their family was binding. Eccentric siblings Ethel Willson and Mabel Cook, described as like ‘peas in a pod’, drew up a joint will in 1991 leaving their possessions to [...] Read More
Judges keen to make wills in favour of ‘Johnny-come-lately’ relatives
10 June 2010
Paul Hewitt, a partner at the leading law firm Withers, said that under a recent change in the law, the court dealing with those who cannot decide to whom they should leave their money must decide what would be in their “best interests”. As part of this, judges assume that the person in question would want [...] Read More
Minimising the Risk
03 December 2009
Since joining Certainty 6 months ago Morrisons Solicitors has registered over 400 Wills on behalf of their clients. Morrisons is a typical example of a firm that has embraced Will registration and used it to create a very positive effect for both client and firm. Morrisons Solicitors is one of Surrey’s leading law firms who has [...] Read More
The Marketing Agenda – By Ian Cooper
03 December 2009
In the last few months I have been asked to advise a number of small and medium sized firms on how to develop their private client department. As part of the planning process I asked each of these firms who they regarded as their competition? Every firm e-mailed me back a list of half a [...] Read More
Private Client – the Jewel in the Crown (April 2009)
30 April 2009
A national Will Register is not a new idea. Lack of technology and funding has previously hampered the implementation of an effective Will Register. My fellow legal colleagues and I joined Certainty because we realised it had taken an old idea (a Wills Register), grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and turned it into [...] Read More
One Year on – what the Members Say… (April 2009)
29 April 2009
During the last 12 months hundreds of solicitors’ practices in England & Wales have joined Certainty in order to offer their clients the unique benefits that Certainty’s on-line national Will Register service provides. We asked four firms for their comments on progress so far. Reading-based Boyes Turner is one of the UK’s leading full service law [...] Read More
Professionals in England and Wales now have a National Will Register (Sept 2008)
24 April 2009
A national will register is not a new idea. Lack of technology and funding has previously hampered the implementation of an effective will register. Developed over a two-year period, Certainty.co.uk has invested in excess of £1.5 million to provide a truly innovative national will register. Extensive research has ensured that the register complies with legal requirements. [...] Read More
A round-up of recent events in probate by Professor Lesley King, College of Law London
16 March 2009
Source: Law Society Gazette 03/03/2009 The statutory legacy payable on intestacy to surviving spouses and civil partners rose as of 1 February 2009 to £250,000 where there are children and £450,000 where there are no children but parents or siblings. Spouses and civil partners have a right to capitalise the life interest under sections 46 and 47 [...] Read More
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