Jade Gani

💻 Can You Make a Small Claim Online? 💻 If you’re owed under £10,000, you can submit a claim yourself – but it’s not always simple. Here’s a 5-step guide: Inform the debtor – you might be able to settle without legal action. Submit an online claim – both you and the debtor get a copy. Wait for their response – they can admit, dispute, or ignore it. Gather your evidence – emails, agreements, messages, etc. Attend a hearing – the judge will make the final call. ⚠️ Risks? Even if you win, there’s no guarantee they’ll pay – and you could be left out of pocket. That’s why so many businesses prefer our face-to-face debt recovery service. 📩 DM us to discuss your case. #SmallClaims #DebtSolutions #Finance

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The Risks of Online Wills: Why Professional Support Still Matters A recent article by Today's Wills & Probate (20 June 2025) highlights growing concerns around online Will-writing services — and it’s something we at Morecambe Bay Wills & Estates believe is vital for families to understand. Fairer Finance, a consumer comparison site, has launched a new ratings system for online Will providers. Their research uncovered serious issues including: • Ambiguous wording that could render a Will invalid • Poor guidance on proper execution and storage • Failure to flag complex legal needs • Hidden or unclear executor fees • In some cases, no legal advice or protections whatsoever Worryingly, some firms even appoint themselves as executors — taking a percentage of the estate — without being transparent about the fees involved. Fairer Finance has rightly called this a red line. Their analysis found that only two of 18 providers reached the top 5-star rating — and only one of them is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). At Morecambe Bay Wills & Estates, we fully support the call for better transparency and accountability in this space. We often help families who are dealing with poorly written or invalid DIY Wills — documents that sadly fail to do what they were intended to do, usually at the most distressing time. When you work with us, you get: • A calm, supportive conversation — not just a form to fill in • Clear explanations in plain English • Tailored advice for your circumstances • Transparency on costs, storage, and executorship — including clear guidance on choosing the right executors and understanding their role • The reassurance that your wishes will be valid and enforceable A Will is too important to leave to chance. If you’re unsure whether your current Will is suitable, or you’d like to start the process with confidence, we’re here to help. Call us on 01524 571032 or visit morecambebaywills.co.uk Reference: “Red line for firms who make themselves executors of Wills in new ratings system” – Today’s Wills & Probate, 20 June 2025 #MorecambeBayWills #OnlineWills #WillWritingAdvice #PeaceOfMindPlanning #KnowYourOptions

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What are the STEP Standard Provisions? The STEP Standard Provisions are a set of ready-made clauses that can be inserted into a will. They provide protections and powers that enable the executors or trustees to effectively deal with the estate. 👉Download the STEP Standard Provisions: https://lnkd.in/e7xHfmcu #STEPProfile #Wills

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As a follow up to my posts last week here is a more detailed piece on why I think that in the next 5 years people won't visit your website to enquire about your services. Instead of you clicking, filling out forms, and navigating drop-downs, client AI agents will do the admin involved in appointment setting. That means that your website will need to evolve: less about design for people, more about being machine-readable, structured, and ready for agent engagement. https://lnkd.in/efcGfRCF

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If a conveyancer’s contact details aren’t on their website, treat it as a reasonable red flag before accepting their quote. When comparing conveyancing quotes, most people focus on price. But one of the most revealing checks you can make takes seconds. Go to their website. Can you clearly see a direct phone number and email address? If those details aren’t openly displayed, that is a reasonable red flag. Buying or selling a home is time‑critical and often stressful. When a mortgage condition changes, a search raises an issue, or exchange is approaching, you need to be able to speak to someone who understands your file. If a firm hides contact details behind enquiry forms, portals or generic inboxes, communication can quickly become slow and impersonal. The absence of visible contact information can sometimes indicate a high‑volume, process‑driven conveyancing model where individual ownership is limited and case handlers manage significant caseloads. That may keep fees low, but it can also affect responsiveness when urgency matters most. Reputable conveyancers are not shy about being contacted. They publish their phone numbers. They show email addresses. They make it easy to know who you’re dealing with. Before accepting any conveyancing quote, ask yourself: if something becomes urgent, do I know exactly how to reach my conveyancer? If the answer isn’t immediately obvious from their website, treat that as a warning sign and think twice before instructing them. A conveyancer should be proud to promote their email and phone number - Timhigham@steeleraymond.co.uk 01202 099094 👍😀

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The Non-Contentious Probate (Amendment) Rules 2025 will modernise how we handle probate applications. Key changes include online caveat submissions and a new order of priority for intestacy cases. Read Alexandra Giles and Anoushka Nehra's article to stay informed👇 https://ow.ly/IonO50Xl10Y #ProbatePractice #LegalUpdates #Efficiency

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“You’re only asking me to bill that much so that you can make loads of money” (says fee earner) Law firm owners, directors, partners to fee earners: “You need to bill £x per annum” Fee earners: “why?” This is why! Watch short explanation below - breaks it all down and you can use as partners to better understand profit; and set it out for your teams #law #lawyer #lawfirm #solicitor #profit #billing

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It is obviously good practice to open separate file numbers for clients dealing with separate matters and to bill your time to the appropriate file. This will help you and the client know how much any particular matter has cost and ensure there is good value. It becomes *particularly* important to do this if you end up seeking a special costs award of over $2.4M for one matter, which will necessitate you going back through every single time entry over an eight year span and creating a three hundred page spreadsheet of time entries attempting to retroactively allocate each time entry to a particular matter. I can't even imagine how much time that exercise must have taken, all of which could have been avoided with a better billing practice from the start!

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'Contracts are just loads of words - words can't save your business'. Au contraire my friend. Good contracts can make or break your business. Here are some real life cases of bad contract terms and their financial effects 👇 ❌ A cheeky notice provision cost a client £15,000. They didn't give notice in the right format and were then locked into another year's office licence fee (which they couldn't afford). ❌ A software licence cost the client software developer an estimated £80k+. They assigned the software instead of licensing it and therefore couldn't reuse it with other clients. ❌ A referral agreement cost a telecoms client £45,000. They were required to pay the referrer a massive cut for contract renewals far beyond termination of the agreement. We helped the clients as best we could but there was still a financial hit. Because as good as I am, or any lawyer is, unfavourable contracts that are clear are not so easy to wriggle out of. The court doesn't concern itself with bad commercial deals. 2 of the clients bounced back but one didn't and sadly folded a few months later. It really can be make or break! So if there are deals that you have any doubt about whatsoever, drop me a line and I can give the contract a once over before you are locked in.

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