A customer-first strategy is crucial in most businesses. Not only does it help nurture clients in a way that meets their needs and exceeds expectations, but it is also the result of a corporate culture that fosters loyalty, value, and win-win relationships between a business and its customers. In the bereavement sector, this approach is arguably even more important. Whether you’re providing funeral services, drafting Wills, or offering an estate administration service, client relationships need to be handled sensitively and with the utmost respect.

Our ‘Wealth Transfer in the UK: the continuing story of the inheritance economy’ research paper, provides new insights into an area of growing importance to the UK economy – intergenerational wealth transfers. It follows on from our first Inheritance Economy research paper, ‘Passing on the Pounds’, which identified that £5.5 trillion will pass between generations within the next 30 years. This amount of inheritance is unprecedented and raises both opportunities and threats for the financial services industry.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has recently changed the Inheritance Tax (IHT) reporting requirements for excepted estates. The amendment made under The Inheritance Tax (Delivery of Accounts) (Excepted Estates) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 applies to all deaths on or after 1 January 2022.

The legislation, which was first passed in 2020, that allows for Wills to be witnessed via virtual means in England and Wales due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended until January 2024. Though the amendment was originally due to end 31 January 2022, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has deemed it necessary to remain in place, as many continue to isolate.

A year ago, we reflected on one of the most unpredictable and uncertain years in our lifetimes due to the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back, most industry news and headlines directly, or indirectly, mentioned the pandemic and the impact it had on our professional and personal lives.

Due to the rise in estates that include a business or land/pasture used to rear animals, it is more important than ever to understand the reliefs available that may help reduce an Inheritance Tax (IHT) bill. In this blog, we explain the basics of Business Relief and Agricultural Relief, by explaining what they are, what can be claimed upon death, the process of claiming, and how you can best advise your clients.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has outlined plans to align the fees for Grants of Probate to cost recovery, stating that the current fees do not cover the cost of running the service. The proposal outlines that the probate fee in England and Wales would increase from the current £155 for probate professionals and £215 for personal applicants to one standard fee of £273 for both professionals and individuals.

If you work in the wealth management industry, you’re already likely to be familiar with intergenerational wealth transfers and the associated risks and opportunities that they present to your practice. Although, from my experience, many Financial Advisers have only just scratched the surface and are still unaware of the importance of acting now to retain funds under management upon the death of a client.

Looking back to our first blog of 2020 where we predicted what could make headlines throughout the year, there was definitely a prediction that did not make the list – a global pandemic that would affect our personal and professional lives in unprecedented ways. Aside from the pandemic, we saw some other news that impacted the estate administration industry, as well as accomplishments from Kings Court Trust that have affected how we work with each of you.