Posts Categorised: News

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

  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

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,

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

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

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has recently announced possible changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme run by the CICA. This is a Government scheme designed to compensate innocent victims of crimes of violence. At present claims for all injuries worth £1,000 or more can be made.  If implemented, the planned changes mean that only

The firm’s Private Client department has continued to develop its reputation for outstanding service and has recently appointed Matthew Gibson as a solicitor within the team. Matthew joins the established team of solicitors already in place of Steven Dawson, Cassie Worton and Angela Coles to further build the department. Steven Dawson, Head of the Private

Landlord and Tenant – Compliance with conditional break clauses In these uncertain economic times, it is essential that tenants who have the benefit of a “break option” in a lease ensure that they validly exercise the right to break.  Often, landlords would prefer to have a reluctant tenant rather than no tenant at all and

The Law Commission has published proposals that the Intestacy Rules (that determine how estates are administered when someone dies without leaving a Will) be amended to give some cohabitants the right to claim their deceased partner’s estate. If these proposals became law then a spouse or civil partner would become the sole beneficiary of the estate