Kings Court Trust is excited to announce the appointment of Paul Toghill as the new Chief Executive Office (CEO), effective from May 2025. Paul will succeed Simon Hancox, who will step down after a transitional period in order to focus on family priorities.

In recent years, the probate process in England and Wales has undergone a digital transformation. With the introduction of online services by HMCTS (Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service) and HMRC’s efforts to streamline Inheritance Tax reporting, Executors and legal professionals have seen significant changes to the way estates are administered.

On 13 February 2025, His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) published its latest probate submission report. While the data suggests significant progress in handling probate caseloads, the reality highlights areas that still require improvement. For our partners, this update provides essential insights into the probate process and how these changes affect estate administration for the clients they refer to us.

Throughout 2024, 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 ongoing discussions that could affect professionals and their clients in 2025.

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.

This year has provided a lot of challenges and changes, both in general and within the probate and estate administration industry. This blog will summarise some of the key industry stories and updates that have been in the news in 2022.

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.

Over the past year, we’ve monitored several news headlines and developments that have impacted the estate administration industry, including the probate application delays, the rising cost of death, and everyone’s favourite topic, Brexit.

The Office of National Statistics has reported that there has been a 33% rise in the number of unmarried couples since 2005. Perhaps unsurprisingly, during this time there has also been a rise in the problems which result when an unmarried partner dies without a Will.