by johnireland | Articles
The Change at a Glance From 13 July 2026, the fee for applying for a grant of probate (or letters of administration) in England and Wales will increase from £300 to £526 — a rise of more than 75 per cent. The increase was announced by the Ministry of Justice and...
by johnireland | Articles
Will Disputes Are Rising — And Most Could Have Been Prevented The number of contested Will cases in England and Wales has risen by more than 50 per cent over the past decade. The reasons are straightforward: families are more complex than ever, property values have...
by johnireland | Articles
The Scale of the Problem Despite decades of public awareness campaigns, an estimated 54 per cent of UK adults still do not have a valid will. When someone dies without one — known as dying “intestate” — their estate is distributed according to a rigid set...
by johnireland | Articles
Your Online Life Does Not Disappear When You Do When someone dies, their family must deal with far more than a house, a bank account, and a pension. The average UK adult now has over 100 online accounts — from email and social media to streaming services, cloud...
by johnireland | Articles
A New Record — and No Sign of Slowing Down In the twelve months to March 2026, HM Revenue & Customs collected £8.5 billion in inheritance tax (IHT). That figure is £200 million more than the previous year and marks the highest annual IHT haul in the history of the...
