by johnireland | Legal Spotlight
Being named as an executor is not an honour — it is a legal job. You are personally responsible for securing assets, valuing everything, paying debts and taxes, applying for probate (now £526), and distributing the estate exactly as the Will directs. The process takes...
by johnireland | Legal Spotlight
On 13 July 2026, probate fees in England and Wales rose from £300 to £526 — a 75 per cent increase. The fee is only part of the cost. Processing delays, HMRC requirements, and incomplete applications can stretch the timeline from weeks to months. Current average...
by johnireland | Legal Spotlight
What Is Changing From 13 July 2026, the probate application fee in England and Wales rises from £300 to £526 — an increase of more than 75 per cent. The cost of additional copies of the grant falls from £16 to £2 each, but the headline increase is significant. Who Is...
by johnireland | Legal Spotlight
Will Disputes Have Risen 50 Per Cent in a Decade More complex families, higher property values, and bigger gaps between expectations and reality are driving a surge in contested Wills. Understanding the grounds for challenge — and how to prevent them — protects your...
by johnireland | Legal Spotlight
The Two Ways to Own Property Jointly Joint tenants: Both owners hold the entire property together. When one dies, the other automatically becomes sole owner — regardless of what the will says. Simple, but inflexible. Tenants in common: Each owner holds a distinct...
by johnireland | Legal Spotlight
What Is Happening? On 5 June 2026, the Ministry of Justice published a consultation proposing that qualifying cohabitants should receive automatic inheritance rights under the intestacy rules in England and Wales. Currently, unmarried partners have no right to inherit...
