💡 Law firm worker jailed for £634,000 charity fraud from estates of deceased

A law firm employee has been sentenced to four years in prison for orchestrating a £634,000 fraud by siphoning charity donations from the estates of deceased individuals over a 13-year period.

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💡 More than half of UK adults anticipate lower retirement standards compared to previous generations

A new independent survey of 2,000 UK adults has found that 54% feel their generation's standard of living when retired will be lower than that of their parents or grandparents…

💡 Over 38k charitable estates were found in wills in 2023 - report

38,178 charitable estates were found in wills in 2023, the highest number recorded since tracking sector data in 2012, according to Smee & Ford’s annual trends report.

Full story: todayswillsandprobate.co.uk/over-38k-chari……

💡 Dedicated auction platform for probate property launches

A dedicated probate auction platform has been launched exclusively for probate property, serving executors, administrators, solicitors and family of the deceased.

Full story: todayswillsandprobate.co.uk/dedicated-auct…

#WillsProbate …

💡 Survey: Exizent 2024 Bereavement Index

Exizent have announced the launch of its Bereavement Index for the fourth consecutive year. This index provides insights into the state of bereavement in the United Kingdom, highlighting areas where progress has been made and identifying…

💡 Make a Will Online wins Prestigious Award at Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards 2024

Make a Will Online has announced its victory in the 'Best Strategic Will Provider' category at the Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards 2024.

Full story: todayswillsandprobate.co.uk/make-a-will-on…

#WillsProbate …

💡 IHT hits record £7.5bn, escalating concerns over frozen thresholds

HM Revenue & Customs data has revealed that a record amount of £7.5billion in Inheritance Tax was paid to the Treasury in the 2023/24 tax year.

Full story: todayswillsandprobate.co.uk/iht-hits-recor…

#WillsProbate #IHT …

💡 Probate delays surge: A 65% rise in year-long cases

New analysis of Freedom of Information (FoI) data obtained from the Ministry of Justice by Quilter has found that the number of probate cases taking over a year to be granted has risen by 65% over the last three years.

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💡 UK faces looming dementia crisis without diagnostic overhaul

A report warns that over half a million individuals with dementia could slip through the diagnostic net in the UK by 2040 unless significant changes are made to detection methods, as reported by The Telegraph

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💡 Women in Wills kick off 2024 with strong attendance and new members

On Wednesday, the Women in Wills group met for the first time in 2024 at the fantastic Coal Shed by Tower Bridge, London. Organisers were beyond pleased to see a record number of attendees at a Regional Lunch…

💡 Have your say on dealing with charity legacies - Survey

The Institute of Legacy Management (ILM) has today launched a survey asking probate professionals for their thoughts and experiences of dealing with charities. ILM has teamed up with Today's Wills and Probate to…

**COURSE REMINDER** What’s Next for the Wills Act? – The Validity of Wills and Will Reform

📆 24th April and 1st May, 11am, 1 Hr
🎓 Practitioners will gain an understanding of the current key components and formalities required for a valid Will.
👨‍💻 cstu.io/90ada7

💡 Probate applications remain almost unchanged, data reveals

The waiting time for probate applications has slightly decreased in the number of weeks from submission to grant issue for all probate applications - decreasing from 13.8 to 13.7 weeks, according to HM Courts &…

💡 Labour to close non-dom IHT loophole

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, is set to announce Labour's plan to close an inheritance tax loophole for non-domiciled individuals and target tax avoiders to fund investments in schools and the NHS.

Full story:…

💡 'Unique' zero-interest estate funding facility launched

A new interest free estate funding facility has been launched by a national probate property services provider to help estate administrators access cash locked up within an estate while going through probate.

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💡 Legal Ombudsman say 'create a bigger picture of what’s happening in legal services, what’s going wrong, and what needs to change'

The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) reached the end of its 2020-23 strategy period in March 2023. Having put in place an interim strategy until…

💡 New leave entitlement supports unpaid carers balancing work and long-term care responsibilities

Pregnant women and new parents will now receive special treatment in a redundancy situation, as a suite of new laws are introduced – delivering the Government’s plan to support…

💡 Woman's £16K inheritance seized after caring for her unwell mother for five years

A Cheshire woman was left shocked after her £16,000 inheritance from her mother was seized by the DWP after being prosecuted. She was told that failing to declare her Co-op job whilst caring for…

💡 Women's pension pots 'worth half of mens'

Women's pension savings in the UK have been found to lag behind that of men, a recent study shows. With the average pension pot for women standing at £37,000.

Full story: todayswillsandprobate.co.uk/womens-pension…

#WillsProbate #PensionPot #Savings …

💡 Co-op Legal Services reports profit surge amidst strategic growth moves

Co-op Legal Services has announced an increase in profits - operating profits surged by 163% to £21 million in the year ending 31 December, accompanied by a 48% rise in revenue to £68 million.

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