The Sun Life Direct ninth annual Total Cost of Dying Report 2012 was released last week. As well as looking at general trends in the cost of dying, this year's survey entitled “Death shouldn’t mean debt; responsibility, choice and selflessness” looked at what motivates people to plan and make decisions for their funeral.

The Legal Services Board (LSB) this month published a discussion paper outlining how it would evaluate the impact of key changes in the legal services market, such as the new business model (issuing of ABS licences), on access to justice. The organisation proposed a set of eight measures to monitor access to justice for individual consumers, making wide use of previous research and approaching areas where it has scarce information, such as the impact of technology on the legal market.

Christine Houghton, Sales and Marketing Director at Kings Court Trust, provides a summary of the ABS licences issued throughout August and shares her thoughts on the situation so far…

In this age of rapidly changing technology and widespread use of the internet, many people gather large collections of digital music and e-books that they would, naturally, wish to leave to their loved ones once they are gone.

The first task following the death of a loved one is usually to register their death. This is because, in England and Wales, you have up to five days to register the death. It is the start of the process and needs to be done before you can begin making any funeral arrangements.

Latest data from the Office of National Statistics show mortality rates for 2011 at the lowest ever recorded. 9000 fewer deaths were registered in 2011 compared to 2010. Despite this decrease, probate lawyers and probate service firms are holding on to their market share.

The town council in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, has changed its burial policy after a complaint by a grieving family, the Oxford Times reported recently.

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is an Approved Regulator for conveyancing and a Licensing Authority for probate and estate administration services.

Kings Court Trust has today become an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) licensed by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), who will be regulating probate and estate administration activities.