Updated 24 March 2020: HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has launched new standard application forms for professional practitioners. Three of the grant of representation forms have been redesigned for the professional sector. These are the PA1A (applying for grant of letters of administration), PA1P (applying for a grant of probate) and PA8A (applying for… Read More Progress on UK probate delays
It has come to STEP’s attention that in HMRC’s GOV.UK guidance on how to register a trust, the guidance about which beneficiaries need to be registered on the Trust Registration Service (TRS) differed in certain important respects from the HMRC guidance that was published on 22 November 2017. For example, the GOV.UK guidance said: ‘When… Read More Trust Registration Service: clarification on reporting requirements
STEP is delighted and relieved by the news that the proposed increase in probate fees in England and Wales has been dropped. News reports emerged early on Saturday morning (12 October 2019), to the relief of practitioners and others in the industry. ‘STEP welcomes the news that the government has decided to scrap the proposed… Read More UK government drops probate fee increase
HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) recently organised a focus group, attended by practitioners from across the industry and representatives of various professional bodies, as part of its ongoing changes to the rules and processes around probate applications in England and Wales. As Deputy Chair of STEP’s England and Wales Regional Committee, I attended the… Read More Online probate applications update – Oct 2019
My tenure as Chair of STEP’s England and Wales Regional Committee began in January and I would like to thank Rita Bhargava TEP for being such a hard act to follow. January also heralded the arrival of STEP’s new Chief Executive, Mark Walley. Mark has been quick to get his feet under the table and… Read More What’s happening in England and Wales?
The UK Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has published a second report following its ‘Inheritance Tax Review: Call for Evidence’ published in April 2018. The first part of the review focused on inheritance tax (IHT) forms, administration and guidance and the OTS published their response in November 2018. The second part of the review focuses… Read More OTS inheritance tax review, second report: A welcome start, but could go further
The online system for England and Wales probate applications is to be extended further, after a Statutory Instrument was laid before the House of Lords last week. The Non-Contentious Probate (Amendment) Rules 2019 updates previous legislation to allow solicitors and probate practitioners to apply for grants of probate without an invitation from a registry. It… Read More EW to extend online probate service
STEP met HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) this week, together with The Law Society and Solicitors for the Elderly, to obtain an update on the delays and disruption to the Probate Service in England and Wales. HMCTS gave us the following update on work undertaken since our last meeting on 14 May: It has… Read More EW probate delays and disruption: an update
Update 18 July: The probate fees order has not been scheduled for debate in the week commencing 22 July. As this will be the final week before the UK Parliament rises for its summer recess, and the end of the parliamentary session, the order cannot now be debated or passed until parliament returns on 3… Read More What’s happening with the EW probate fees order?
The UK Treasury has published a consultation paper on the transposition of the EU’s Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD), which expands upon the scope of registration for trusts and widens the accessibility provisions to the beneficial ownership records. The 5AMLD Directive provides for public access, but it is up to each Member State to decide… Read More 5AMLD consultation: STEP’s view
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