Continuing Probate Delays
Probate application delays reveal a continued increase from the start of the year despite a slight decrease from the previous month – decreasing from 15.4 weeks to 15.2, new data from HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has revealed. For the 27,664 grants of probate issued in October, the average timeline from submission to grant […]
Cohabitation law: Government rejects calls for reform
Extracted from an article on Todayswillsandprobate.co.uk 4 November 2022 The government has rejected almost all proposals for cohabitation law reform put forward in the Women and Equalities Committee’s recent report. The report highlighted the lack of legal protection afforded to cohabiting couples, with Resolution describing their position as one of “legal limbo”. Key recommendations included an […]
Ombudsman offers guidance on capital deprivation disputes in England
https://www.step.org/industry-news The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has issued guidance to English councils on making decisions on whether someone has deliberately deprived themselves of assets to avoid paying residential care home fees. Disputes regularly arise when a person who goes into long-term care has previously given away or otherwise disposed of assets, thereby […]
Estate Planning for Digital Assets
Extracted from an article on Fraserandfraser.co.uk 7 July 2022 What are digital assets? Digital assets are intangible records or files that are stored online. Usually we can only access these files through a device such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop etc. A digital asset can include: Email accounts Social media accounts Online banking accounts Online […]
Lasting Powers of Attorney registration time in England and Wales now twice the official target of 40 days
Extracted for Step.org industry news Thursday, 23 June 2022 The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is currently taking an average of 82 days to register lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) in England and Wales, more than twice the OPG’s official target time, according to a written parliamentary answer from Parliamentary Under Secretary of State […]
Gifting and Inheritance tax
June 17, 2022 Extracted from an article by Parisa Jones on Solicitors for the Elderly sfe.legal Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a tax paid on your estate after you’ve died. It’s a concern for many people who want to ensure their loved ones receive maximum benefit from any inheritance. IHT rules are complicated but with […]
Sufferers of dementia dismiss their symptoms as “old age”
May 20, 2022 Extracted from an article on todayswillsandprobate.co.uk New research has shown that four in 10 dementia patients said it took them a long time to be diagnosed with the condition as they had believed their symptoms were caused by old age. The research, conducted by the Alzheimer’s Society, suggests many are missing out […]
Arranging an LPA is one way to stay in control after a dementia diagnosis
Extracted from todayswillsandprobate.co.uk 12 May 2022 Monday 16th May marks the start of Dementia Action Week. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently around 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. As dementia tends to affect people over the age of 65 (although it can also start at a younger age) the number […]
A post-Covid rise in disputed wills has led to warnings from experts that complex probate should be left to the experts
Extracted from an article in ‘Today’s Wills & Probate’ Contested probate cases in England and Wales rose in 2019 and 2020, when there were 192 contested wills, the highest number ever recorded. In 2019 cases were 50% higher than in 2018 and the trend is expected to continue. Solicitors suggest the rise is partly due […]
UK Government is Urged to Educate Public in Use of LPAs
Source: STEP Bulletin Monday, 21 February 2022 The general public has a poor understanding of lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) and often have difficulty getting banks to deal with them correctly, according to UK-wide research by Which?, the consumer campaign company. The survey of 2,000 UK residents found that only one in seven people have […]