Probate fees have increased to £273 per application from 26 January 2022. The flat fee applies to both individuals and legal professionals, removing the probate practitioner discount.

Here’s what you need to know.

Family lawyers and others have been campaigning for decades for the introduction of a ‘no-fault’ option to be available to people wanting a divorce – an option that has now taken effect as of 6 April.

Previously, if couples wanted to divorce without apportioning blame, they had to be separated for at least two years, unless one of the spouses had committed adultery.

In the popular imagination, a Last Will and Testament is virtually synonymous with a person’s final say – an immutable document that cannot be changed or challenged.

However, that’s not quite true. Not only can a Will be challenged in certain circumstances, but the beneficiaries can also agree to change its provisions.

Legal experts are urging families to “break the stigma around death” and talk about planning for the future.

The report, published by Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), comes after research revealed that less than half of adults in the UK have written a Will.

There was good news for first-time home buyers in 2021, with numbers up by 35 per cent on the previous year.

Part of the reason was a knock-on effect caused by the stamp duty holiday in 2020, which meant more so-called ‘first rung’ homes came on the market as other buyers sought more space during lockdown and took advantage of low-cost borrowing.