We're delighted that our Legal Services Director, Charlotte Toogood, recently joined the latest episode of the Today's Wills and Probate podcast, "Shared experience; insight and best practice in estate administration", as a special guest. Charlotte has over 16 years of experience working within estate administration and is a qualified solicitor and STEP qualified practitioner. Her role at Kings Court Trust involves using her specialised knowledge on both simple and complex cases, to provide technical support and skills training to our Case Managers and their teams. Throughout the episode, Charlotte imparts her experience on a wide variety of subjects, and reflects on how both client's and practitioner's needs have changed over the years.

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a significant concern for many families in the UK. With frozen thresholds and increasing property values, more estates are subject to this tax. This blog explores the essentials of IHT and offers insights into mitigating its impact. While we are experts in estate administration, we do not provide financial advice. Our goal is to assist your clients with the probate process and support partners in delivering comprehensive estate planning services.

According to data from the Ministry of Justice, Will disputes are on the rise.

Throughout 2023, there were a number of legal industry updates and news stories that affected the Wills and probate sector. We’ve summarised some of the key changes and the ongoing discussions that could affect professionals and their clients in 2024.

Intergenerational wealth transfers, either in the form of inheritance after death or via gift transfers, are continually increasing.

Kings Court Trust is celebrating its 20th anniversary since being founded in 2002. Over 20 years on, we are proud to be the UK's leading specialist estate administration provider and work in partnership with hundreds of Will Writers, Financial Advisers, Estate Planners, and Funeral Directors to provide our award-winning probate and estate administration services to their clients.

The number of inheritances and financial gifts taking place each year in the UK is increasing and predicted to continue to grow substantially. This is due in part to the ageing population and increasing wealth. HM Revenue & Customs collected £5 billion in Inheritance Tax (IHT) in January 2022, which is up by £700 million from the same period a year earlier. The rise in IHT receipts is likely due to increases in wealth, including higher property prices, as well as the rise in inflation.

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.