Private Client Team Welcome Rianne Wilcockson – Trainee Solicitor

MKB are pleased to welcome Rianne Wilcockson to our Private Client Team.  Rianne will be working closely with Steven Dawson and Matthew Gibson.  Over the course of her training contract, Rianne will also be undertaking seats in conveyancing, employment and litigation. Rianne has particular interest in writing and drafting Wills, estate accounts and writing and

Legal 500 Recognition for MKB’s Employment Team

  The Employment Team at MKB Solicitors LLP, based in Barnsley, has been recommended in the 2013 edition of Legal 500. The team is recognised for its Human Resources and Employment advice in the Barnsley, Sheffield and South Yorkshire area. Partner and Head of Employment at the firm, Simon Brian, reports that the recognition is

Make Sure your Will is Updated …. The Importance of a Will

A lot of people ask – what is the point of making a Will if it is going to be contested or disputed by disappointed beneficiaries who have not been left anything in the Will, or if the Executor appointed is someone that the deceased person was no longer in contact with, or they no

Barnsley Hospice Will Writing Month – A Great Success

During the month of February the Probate team took part in an event to help Barnsley Hospice. Members of the public were invited to make a Will during that month and instead of paying the fees to us, they made a donation to the Hospice. The department, consisting of three solicitors and their secretaries were

Good News for Victims of Crimes of Violence (CICA Claims)

  The Government has recently announced that their proposed changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme have been placed on hold. These changes, if implemented, mean that no compensation will be payable for injuries worth less than £2,500. The current minimum payment is £1,000 and there would be a substantial reduction of awards

Beware Land Banking Schemes – Seek Legal Advice

What is Landbanking? “A landbanking scam involves the selling of plots of land which are usually worthless or very low in value, often using high pressure selling techniques, to members of the public as potentially high return investments. Victims are often led to believe that the land is likely to be developed for housing in

Proposals for Regulation of Will Writing Services

The Legal Services Board has recently announced proposals to make Will writing a reserved activity.  This would mean that anyone offering Will writing services would need to be regulated, therefore providing greater protection to consumers. Many people are surprised to learn that currently anyone can operate as a Will-Writer without being required to follow guidelines,

Deathbed Will successfully challenged

A recent case came before the Courts who were asked to decide whether a Will had been properly executed. Mike made a Will in hospital three hours before he diedleaving everything to his sisterJennifer.  The Will was challenged by someone who would have been entitled to his estate had no Will been made. A Will must

The Importance of Keeping Your Will Updated

Recent statistics provided by the BBC have indicated that only three out of every ten people in the UK have made a Will.  However, of those people who have made Wills, a large number may find that the provisions that have been set out are now out-dated or that the Will no longer reflects the