News

A majority of professional advisers believe recent inheritance tax (IHT) developments will increase the number of charitable legacies, according to a recent survey from the Remember A Charity consortium. The research found that more than six out of 10 advisers (65 per cent) expected charitable incentives to become more important to their clients, as more […]

One of London’s most historic cemeteries has completed a six-year, £7.2m refurbishment project largely funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Lambeth Council. Originally opened in 1837, West Norwood Cemetery covers more than 40 acres and contains 69 listed monuments. These include the chapel of St Stephen, designed in the style of the Parthenon in […]

Proposals to reform the Wills Act are long overdue and should be welcomed, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) has said. Last month the Law Commission published a list of 31 recommendations for reforms to the Wills Act 1837. These cover issues linked to how wills are made, who can make a will […]

Around 500 empty properties will be allocated to housing homeless people in a push to reduce numbers of rough sleepers in London. The plan was announced last week by London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and follows a manifesto pledge made in 2024 that promised to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2030. The proposal […]

The High Court has revoked a grant of probate after it decided a woman who had been reported dead is, in fact, still alive. June Ashimola, who was born in Nigeria and lived for a time in Plumstead, southeast London, was declared dead in 2019 based on a forged Nigerian death certificate. Probate was then […]