Wills & Probate

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The High Court's decision in Parfitt v Jones [2025] EWHC 1552 (Ch) provided a striking reminder of the need to instruct the right expert in retrospective capacity assessments, says Ann Stanyer of Wedlake Bell in NLJ this week

Wills disputes have surged 61% in five years as relatives grow more willing to fight legal battles over larger inheritance pots

Lessons to learn from a High Court case involving both bigamy & intestacy, by Shivi Rajput

Dinsdale v Fowell is a High Court case entangling bigamy, intestacy and modern family structures, examined in this week's NLJ by Shivi Rajput of Stowe Family Law

Writing in NLJ this week, Katherine Harding and Charlotte Finley of Penningtons Manches Cooper examine Standish v Standish [2025] UKSC 26, the Supreme Court ruling that narrowed what counts as matrimonial property, and its potential impact upon claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975

Lawyers acting in cases funded by damages-based agreements (DBAs) cannot claim their share of the damages if no damages are awarded, the High Court has clarified

The Ministry of Justice has published its first evaluation of digital services introduced under HM Courts and Tribunals Service’s Reform programme

A leading probate researcher has urged the government to explore ‘safer’ ways to unite long-lost heirs with the estates they are due, following the discovery fraudsters have targeted the Bona Vacantia list

Predatory marriages are exploiting the weaknesses of current wills law: Sarah Everington, Alex Adams & Farida Hindi set out what can be done to safeguard vulnerable adults

Writing in NLJ this week, Sarah Everington, Alex Adams and Farida Hindi of Penningtons Manches Cooper expose how English law enables ‘predatory marriage’—where vulnerable adults are manipulated into marriage for financial gain

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Freeths—Ruth Clare

National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Partner appointed head of family team

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return

NEWS

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Conveyancers celebrate U-turn over mortgage handbook fee

Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook

Are you suited to a career in prosecution?

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors

LSB marks Mazur homework

Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)

NLJ this week: When AI hallucinates, lawyers risk real-world sanctions

The dangers of uncritical artificial intelligence (AI) use in legal practice are no longer hypothetical. In this week's NLJ, Dr Charanjit Singh of Holborn Chambers examines cases where lawyers relied on ‘hallucinated’ citations — entirely fictitious authorities generated by AI tools

NLJ this week: Stuck in the past?

The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness

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Wills & Probate

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—Ruth Clare

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison