The value of assets owned by Britons who die intestate has nearly doubled in just a year, which means that the estates of more and more people are being transferred to HM Treasury.

The government has decided not to make Will writing a reserved legal activity, as proposed by the Legal Services Board (LSB).

The impact of technology on our everyday lives is becoming more and more evident with each new device launch, app roll-out and innovation announced. Digitalisation is increasingly pervading our world and it's no surprise that 63% of people are now willing to record their last wishes in a video, in addition to the traditional written Will.

When looking for legal services, consumers in the UK chiefly rely on recommendations from friends, relative and colleagues, but more and more people are using the Internet to choose the best provider, research suggests.

In recent years the legal services industry has seen some major changes, chiefly prompted by the emergence of new types of law firms and new pricing models. In a new report, SixthSense, the business intelligence unit of YouGov, looks into how the new legal landscape impacts consumers and how many Britons now use non-traditional sources of legal advice. The report chiefly focuses on consumer-related legal services, including Wills and Probate, personal injury and accidents, and conveyancing.

Britain said its last goodbye to Margaret Thatcher last month, when she was laid to rest with prayers and ceremony, but her financial legacy is still shrouded in mystery. The Iron Lady, a grocer's daughter who rose to become the country's first female prime minister, passed away peacefully while staying at the world-famous Ritz hotel, owned by her long-time supporters and media businessmen, the Barclay brothers.

Over the next two years the UK legal services market is likely to exhibit modest growth levels, fuelled mainly by larger sector players and the increasing presence of new legal models, says YouGov in its Legal Services 2013 report.

Thank you to all who attended our recent Partner seminars in Bristol, Swanley and Leeds. It was fantastic to see so many long-standing partners and lots of new faces too.

Joe Levenson, Director of Communications for the Dying Matters Coalition, tells us about the upcoming Dying Matters Awareness Week from 13-19 May 2013 and why we should 'be ready for it.'