Anglia Research Services Limited

Anglia Research is a full-service probate genealogy firm.  Now in our sixth decade, we have successfully traced thousands of missing beneficiaries and unclaimed assets in the UK and all around the world. 

Legal firms work with us as we offer a full range of probate genealogy services that support the needs of their Probate teams through the estate administration process, as well as specialist services for Court of Protection teams.

We also help and support local authorities in the UK and financial institutions internationally. 

Our range of services includes: 

➡️ Family tree verification service
➡️ Finding missing beneficiaries
➡️ Missing beneficiary insurance
➡️ Estate distribution guidance
➡️ Global bankruptcy searches
➡️ Financial asset searches 
➡️ Statutory Will research

We can also provide expert guidance on and around intestacy cases, with the rules of intestacy being something we encounter on a daily basis. 

We pride ourselves on providing a professional yet personable service and believe that it is our staff that sets us apart; we have more accredited genealogists, legally qualified and independently regulated staff than any other UK probate research firm.

Director of Business Development

Legal Services Business Development Manager

The Ardonagh Group

Client-facing role focused on commercial insurance products and related services for the Towergate brand.

Key responsibilities: 

* Generated new business revenue using a consultative sales approach

* Initiated effective and considered prospecting activity, helping build a strong pipeline of short and long term qualified leads 

* Devised strategic sales plan that identified potential new sectors & distribution channels

* Developed new and existing relationships 

* Proactively developed carrier relationships

* Broking of risks

Commercial Insurance Broker

Broker-facing business development and key account management role focused on commercial insurance delegated authority schemes in the UK. Key responsibilities:

•	Identified, developed and onboarded new scheme opportunities. 

•	Delivered Delegated Authority Schemes profit and volume targets by utilising a wide panel of both independent and national brokers and MGA’s. 

•	Delivered key account management of broker panel within designated territory. 

•     Planned and executed a considered contact strategy plan for each broker. 

•	Demonstrated a consistent pipeline of validated opportunities, in line with strategy. 

•	Managed and maintained relationships with internal AXA branch colleagues, supporting the development of local action plans delivering financial results for mutual benefit. 

•	Drove internal education of schemes proposition plus supported external awareness campaigns. 

•	Collaborated closely with scheme underwriting team to assess individual scheme performance. 

•	Tracked delivery of income against plan for broker panel.

Scheme Business Development Manager - London, Kent & Scotland

Marsh

Marsh Schemes & Affinity worked with brands, trade associations, introducers and franchisors in developing, placing and administering affinity programs for their members or customers. 

My role was primarily responsible for the identification and acquisition of profitable new client and affinity partnerships, as well as delivering the overall relationship management strategy for the new client partners.

Key accountabilities:

•	Client and market-facing development role within division which provided commercial and consumer products to employee, customer and member groups through affinity partnership distribution channels
•	Collaborated with a portfolio of partners and brands from a cross section of industries such as vehicle manufacturers, financial institutions, retailers, trade associations and other member organisations
•      Identified, prospected and onboarded profitable new affinity partnerships
•	Delivered the day to day relationship management strategy for partners, liaising with key business stakeholders at a senior level, both internally and externally
•	Ensured the ongoing development of existing partnerships by regularly reviewing the account project plan
•	Worked closely with new partners during the onboarding process
•	Managed relationships with markets, both composite and Lloyd's
•	Created business plans in support of potential new opportunities, new propositions and untapped distribution channels
•      Updated Salesforce CRM system

Business Development, Schemes & Affinities

Willis Towers Watson

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the day to day running and development of division which provided insurance products to affinity groups
• Managed and planned financial performance of the business unit, responsible for P&L
• Proactively developed existing accounts
• Bid for new business and built up a robust sales pipeline
• Increased capabilities of division by sourcing new products and offerings 
• Created suite of promotional materials 
• Developed strong relationships with insurers and third party providers

Business Unit Head, Employee & Member Scheme Solutions

Providing access to expert probate genealogy services for law firms, financial institutions and local authorities. 

I work for Anglia Research, a highly regarded probate genealogy firm that specialises in tracing people and assets all over the world. In my role, I act as the conduit to our expert research team, whether that’s assisting legal professionals with estate administration and Court of Protection matters, or helping local authorities trace next of kin or the owners of an empty property.

The services we offer include:

✅ Finding missing beneficiaries
✅ Family tree verification service 
✅ Providing estate distribution guidance
✅ Providing advice on the Rules of Intestacy
✅ Accessing Missing Beneficiary Indemnity insurance quotes 
✅ International bankruptcy searches and UK financial asset searches
✅ For Court of Protection teams, undertaking Statutory Will research
✅ For the public sector, tracing property owners and locating next of kin (at no cost)

I interact with a variety of professionals daily, including probate practitioners, Court of Protection solicitors and other Professional Deputies, legal services managers, estate planning professionals, public sector employees, financial institution managers, and other sales and marketing people in the legal services sector and beyond.

There is a large element of Marketing to my role too, involving:

➡️ Developing and executing marketing plans
➡️ Handling the firm's social media accounts
➡️ Maintaining an ongoing digital presence 
➡️ Helping manage the corporate website
➡️ Exhibiting at and attending events
➡️ Creation of content marketing
➡️ Running outbound campaigns
➡️ PR and Promotion
➡️ CRM tasks

Overall, my role as Legal Services Business Development Manager is to help the company grow and achieve its business objectives. 

Always open to chat; I am interested in growing my network whilst learning more about this intriguing area of law and welcome any connection requests from inside or outside of the industry.

Lastly, as a staunch LinkedIn advocate, and of Social Selling generally, I was delighted to participate in the UK’s first LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Programme, held towards the end of 2022, which was a great learning experience. So, I am always open to connecting with those with an interest in the platform itself too.

📧 joe.lander@angliaresearch.co.uk 

📞07787 462251

What happens when someone dies without having a valid will? The rules of intestacy are a pre-defined order of who is entitled to inherit when someone dies intestate. 

Only married or civil partners (note: not unmarried long-term partners) and some other close relatives can inherit under the rules of intestacy. There are only eight specific classes of beneficiary. 

As outlined in the slider document, the order of entitlement is as follows:

1️⃣        Married couples and Civil partners
2️⃣        Children
3️⃣        Parents
4️⃣        Siblings of whole blood (or their children)
5️⃣        Siblings of half-blood (or their children)
6️⃣        Grandparents
7️⃣        Uncles or aunts of whole blood (or their children)
8️⃣        Uncles or aunts of half-blood (or their children)

Back in July 2023, the Statutory Legacy amount – relevant when an individual passes away intestate leaving behind a spouse or civil partner AND any children – increased. 

This now means that the surviving spouse or partner is entitled to receive the first £322,000 of assets with the remainder of the estate divided in half – one half to go to the surviving spouse or civil partner, with the other half to be divided equally between any children.

The rules of intestacy will celebrate their 100th birthday next year and are thus not that aligned with the more modern family dynamics we see today such as cohabitation and “blended families”. In addition, whilst fully adopted children are recognised, foster children and stepchildren are not. 

Perhaps most infamously, couples living together who are not married or in a civil partnership - often referred to as “Common law spouses” – are not recognised by the rules. This could turn out to be particularly troublesome, given that the cohabiting couple is the fastest-growing living arrangement in England and Wales.

Also covered by the rules are cases of partial intestacy, where a valid will is in place but does not deal with all of the deceased’s estate, a scenario that crops up more often than you might think. 

It is a fascinating but at times a little confusing topic – one as probate genealogists we encounter every day - so if you do have any queries feel free to send me a message.

#Probate #Inheritance #LegalProfession #Intestacy #RulesOfIntestacy

Joe Lander

Order of Priority - Rules of Intestacy

It is no secret that the role of lay executor carries a great burden of responsibility and legal liability.

Whether handling the estate of a dear friend or close family member out of a personal duty or perhaps due to a feeling of sticking to a promise made, it certainly doesn’t make the job any easier. 

As for the admin side, as we know there’s plenty for the executor to do of course, even in the more straightforward cases. Plenty of opportunities to trip up along the way, especially for an executor with little or no insight into the estate administration process.

Knowing that in England and Wales, executors can be held personally financially liable for any loss to the estate resulting from a breach of their duties under section 25 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925 is enough for many to decide to use a professional.

And it’s not just the administration side that is often underestimated – there can be a huge emotional burden as well, particularly if it’s the estate of someone very close.

If it’s someone very close it can become very difficult. This was so eloquently written about by Jacqueline Emmerson recently and I’ll find a link to her post and put it in the comments. 

Question for the day: Is DIY probate worth the risk?

P.s. For those unaware, this meme features the anti-hero of the much-loved American comedy Scrubs, Dr Perry Cox.

#Probate
#Executor 
#LegalProfession
#Inheritance 
#Scrubs

Do you believe everything you are told about your family history? 
For Private Client practitioners, there is a real danger in relying entirely on family testimony when it comes to establishing a client’s family tree. 
 
Quite simply, sometimes that testimony is incorrect. 
 
This is ironic really as family members can of course be an absolute treasure trove of information. But they may not know all the ins and outs of the entire family history… Situations can crop up over time, such as:
 
➡️ Emigration
➡️ Illegitimate births
➡️ Adoptions (in and out)
➡️ A divorce that was not finalised
➡️ A ‘relative’ who actually was not a relative
 
These types of scenarios crop up regularly in the probate genealogy world.

Of course, the family’s version of events may well be what they honestly believe; in fact, it most likely is. Usually, there is no intent to deliberately misguide, but there could be a genuine misunderstanding or mistake, or even due a complete secret that never became exposed. 
 
Skullduggery! Though not often, there can be times when there is a desire to mislead or obstruct… we had a case recently when someone could not remember if they were divorced or not. We managed to prove that a divorce had indeed taken place.
 
Whatever the reasons, a probate genealogist will simply follow the paper trail and find hard evidence to confirm matters once and for all; for better, or for worse. 

Our research takes the guesswork out of it, removing the myths and family fables. 
 
Clearly, this service is most sought after for intestacy (or partial intestacy) matters but it’s also critical for Statutory Will applications in Court of Protection cases, so we’re able to assist deputies too.
 
Instructing an accredited and experienced firm to undertake a full family tree verification service really is vital if there is any doubt whatsoever about the family tree. We're always happy to check over a family tree on a complementary basis - sometimes it can be more confirmation than verification. Just get in touch.
 
🔼No Chatbot-created content here. Like what you've read? Then click on the 🔔 on my profile to receive notifications of new posts, or send me an invite if we’re not connected. 

#Probate #Genealogy #CourtofProtection #LegalProfession #FamilyTree

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹: Parents of school-age children… we made it! It’s someone else’s turn now to entertain the kids as frankly, I’m all out of ideas. 💡

What felt at times like a never-ending school holiday finally finished for many of us this morning with the sweet sound of the school bell ringing 🔔
 
Though in truth there was no need for a bell – no parent was going to be late this morning… in fact, I think some families may have camped out on the school playground last night just to be sure. ⛺

I'm expecting to hear stories of mums and dads skipping away after the school drop-off this morning as some sort of order is restored to the world. 🌍
 
Today will no doubt seem a little strange to those who’ve had their kids in and around the house since last month (yes, it has been that long). 🗓️
 
Of course, I jest – none of us would have it any other way; there is though a serious point to all this. For many parents, school holidays are a stressful time – it can sometimes be a double whammy of the trouble of finding childcare AND the cost. 💷

Not everyone can always rely on family or friends.
 
The fact is childcare over the longer school holidays is a significant expense. That’s if you can find a setting that can take your children in; with a number of nurseries and holiday clubs closing over the last few years, it’s not always a given.😵‍💫
 
To me, it is shocking that in the UK we consistently have some of the highest childcare costs in the developed world as regularly highlighted by the excellent vlogger Christine Armstrong. ⭐

It will be interesting to see the impact of those who’ll this month be able to start benefitting from an enhanced 15 hours free childcare that is being extended to two-year-olds. And not before time. ⌚

So you can perhaps understand why there’s a sense of relief today amongst some working parents.
 
#Parenting #WorkingAtHome #Childcare #WorkLifeBalance #BackToSchool

The rules of intestacy are a pre-defined order of who is entitled to inherit when someone dies intestate. 
 
Only married or civil partners and some other close relatives can inherit under the rules of intestacy. There are only eight specific classes of beneficiary. 
 
As outlined in the slider document below, the order of entitlement in England and Wales is as follows:
 
 1️⃣        Married couples and Civil partners
 2️⃣        Children
 3️⃣        Parents
 4️⃣        Siblings of whole blood (or their children)
 5️⃣        Siblings of half-blood (or their children)
 6️⃣        Grandparents
 7️⃣        Uncles or aunts of whole blood (or their children)
 8️⃣        Uncles or aunts of half-blood (or their children)
 
Back in July 2023, the Statutory Legacy amount – relevant when an individual passes away intestate leaving behind a spouse or civil partner AND any children – increased. 
 
This now means that the surviving spouse or partner is entitled to receive the first £322,000 of assets with the remainder of the estate divided in half – one half to go to the surviving spouse or civil partner, with the other half to be divided equally between any children.
 
The rules of intestacy will celebrate their 100th birthday next year and are thus not that aligned with the more modern family dynamics we see today such as cohabitation and “blended families”. In addition, whilst fully adopted children are recognised, foster children and stepchildren are not. 
 
Perhaps most infamously, couples living together who are not married or in a civil partnership - often referred to as “Common law spouses” – are not recognised by the rules. This could turn out to be particularly troublesome, given that the cohabiting couple is the fastest-growing living arrangement in England and Wales.
 
Also covered by the rules are cases of partial intestacy, where a valid will is in place but does not deal with all of the deceased’s estate, a scenario that crops up more often than you might think. 
 
If you have any queries feel free to send me a message.

Intestacy Order of Priority - England & Wales

I didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended when I was asked: “Who do you use to help you with your videos?” 🤔

The answer is I don’t use anybody. What sort of marketing professional would I be if I was outsourcing the more straightforward stuff? 

Sure, it is different for corporate projects which will have a bit of a budget behind them and when I can call on my ever-dependable colleague Lee Brady. But for my own projects, the budget I have each time is precisely £0.00. 💷

So, it’s not a case of “who” I use but “what” I use. And my absolute go-to for all things video-related is CapCut, which I absolutely love. 💘

There has been PLENTY of trial and error along the way, particularly with the video editing – at times it’s been painful. There is no Harry Potter-style magic short cut either (hence the video background).

It’s like many things in life – select the right tools and crack on with learning how best to use them. And it’s a constant learning process… Just last week, I had an issue with CapCut where it didn’t pick up any speech on a short meme. 

At times like that, there’s not really any other option than to roll up your sleeves and learn this stuff. It must be self-taught.

There are a couple of guiding principles I do have though which have served me well along the way with video content:

  📹 Always include a cover image/thumbnail so that you can include a title, plus it allows you to select a different image to the default that is the first slide (which is often not the best option).

  📹 Make sure to include captions (a.k.a subtitles) on your videos, particularly for LinkedIn where the majority of users have the volume muted

It’s the sort of practical stuff not often covered in professional qualification courses, but some might say that it’s just as important as a shiny badge or a couple of letters after your name. It’s stuff that helps you, and your business, every day. 

It’s the stuff that helps you advance.

Let’s face it, in the world of marketing there can be so much hot air spoken about the “right” way of doing things… Sometimes you just have to stop talking about things and get on with doing it. ✅

With numerous apps and an ever-increasing amount of AI out there, there probably hasn’t been a better time to try out some video content of your own. 🅰️ℹ️

As ever with these memes, it's better with the sound up, and yes, this is a slightly weird one!

#Marketing #LegalMarketing #Video #SocialMedia #Meme

𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿.

Whilst a lesser-known welfare benefit, it is available to those whose husband, wife, or civil partner, or long-term partner with whom they have children, died in the last 21 months.

The benefit is not means-tested and those eligible receive either a standard or higher benefit rate dependent on whether they are responsible for children or not. 

For both rates, a one-off payment is followed by up to 18 monthly payments (dependent on when claim is made).

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲:

➡️ Initial lump sum on the standard is £2,500 followed by 18 monthly payments of £100.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲:

➡️ The lump sum is £3,500 with 18 months of payments at £350

Applications can be paid up to 21 months after the partner’s death. But to get the full amount available, a claim must be made within 3 months of death. It is therefore advisable for applicants to apply sooner rather than later. 

Applicable for deaths on or after 6th April 2017, there are some other conditions such as: 

-     The deceased must have paid National Insurance contributions for a period of at least 25 weeks in one tax year since 1975, or the deceased died due to an accident or disease at work

-     The surviving partner was living in the UK or a nation that offers bereavement payments and under pensionable age when the death occurred

-     The surviving partner was living in the UK or a country that pays bereavement 

To confirm, all payments, including the lump sum, are tax-exempt and have no impact on other benefits received.

Bereavement Support has replaced previous benefits such as Widowed Parent’s Allowance, Bereavement Allowance and perhaps the more widely known Widow’s Pension.

Whilst no support payment can take away the pain of losing a loved one, they can at least help provide a little bit of financial help at a most difficult time.

#Bereavement #BereavementSupport #Probate #LegalProfession

Bereavement Support Payment

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼-𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟭𝟬 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁? 👇👇
A cheery thought for a rainy Thursday morning. 

Whilst some of the more traditional choices such as “My Way” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” are included, there’s also some more contemporary – and perhaps surprising – music that makes the cut.

The list below was compiled by Funeral Guide and details the most requested music at funerals in the UK. 🎶

Are any of your chosen songs there or do you have something different lined up? 

As for me, whilst being a fan of The Jam makes the track “Going Underground” a tempting choice, but I think I might opt for a more modern day take on number 2 from the chart below… 

Coolio’s “See you when you get There” samples this bit of classical music – a perfect blend of tradition with a slice of 90’s hip hop, that will do for me! 🎤

The top 10 is…

1️⃣ Last of the Summer Wine theme tune
2️⃣ Canon in D - Pachelbel
3️⃣ My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
4️⃣ BBC Test Cricket Highlight theme tune (Booker T & the MGs)
5️⃣ You’ll Never Walk Alone – Gerry and the Pacemakers 
6️⃣ Angels – Robbie Williams
7️⃣ Nimrod – Edward Elgar
8️⃣ My Way – Frank Sinatra
9️⃣ No Matter What – Boyzone
1️⃣0️⃣ Match of the Day theme tune

It makes for a eclectic final playlist… Did your favourite make it?

#Bereavement #Probate #Funerals #LegalProfession #Wills

A mother is accused of conspiring to steal £50,000 inheritance left to her daughters, recruiting her father into the ‘secret theft plot’. 

Both deny the charges of fraud by abuse of position.

The case, currently being heard at Swansea Crown Court, is being followed closely by the UK press.

Taplio

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