In August, we considered the Law Commissions’ consultation on how Wills are made in England and Wales. That article reviewed four of eight key proposals, including: 

•    The courts being given greater flexibility
•    Online Wills being allowed
•    The age of testamentary capacity being reduced 
•    How the tests of capacity could be improved 

This month we are looking at four further proposals, namely: 

•    Amendments to the rules of ademption
•    Extending the protection of testators from undue influence
•    Clarifying the rules on revocation of Wills and marriage 
•    Reviewing the rules on deathbed gifts  

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Junior Legal Secretary – Real Estate – Owen Reed
Location: London
Salary: £25,000 

Owen Reed are recruiting a Junior Legal Secretary to join a top law firm in London.   

The successful candidate will be a proactive, positive professional who is comfortable working both independently and collaborating as part of a high performing team.

View the full job description here: 
https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/96278/

The Law Commission is an independent body, but one which has statutory powers in terms of the law in this country. It was founded following the Law Commissions Act of 1965, with the overarching aim of providing continuous review and reform of the laws of England and Wales.

The Law Commission itself states that it has four primary objectives in terms of how it carries out its role. It aims to make sure that the law is:

•    Fair
•    Simple
•    Modern
•    Cost effective

What Does the Law Commission Do, and How Is It Independent?

Last month, my article ended by emphasising how smiling can make you more approachable and likeable, and by maintaining that if you smile at someone, they will almost invariably smile back. In other words, if you are consistently cheerful, you will definitely be noticed and make a difference.

The next trait that will help you to stand out is efficiency. One dictionary’s definition of the word “efficient” is “functioning or producing effectively and with the least waste of effort; competent”. Look up the synonyms for this word, and you’ll see mention of attributes such as ability, adeptness, capability, competence, effectiveness, productivity, proficiency, skill and organisation.  

In this age of technological advances and reliance on social media, the topics that we see frequently grabbing the headlines are the problems that unwanted photographs or information online can cause unsuspecting individuals. Take, for example, unflattering or embarrassing photos or references to personal situations that happened long ago finding their way into the hands of someone’s prospective employer. Another example is the malicious spreading, in an act of revenge, of personal or even incriminating evidence about somebody. 

Crying Out for Better Protection

Everybody, at some point in their life, has procrastinated in order to avoid doing their work or a task, in the vain hope that it might complete itself or maybe even disappear. Unfortunately for you and me, the task never disappears; in fact it normally gets more and more urgent or difficult to do. The best way out of this circle is probably not to get into it in the first place.

Hot in the news recently has been the topic of the inequality of men and women in regards to pay. It has come to light that a gender pay gap still exists in some professions in our country, and this is an issue we need to resolve.

Even though we have a little way to go, we must remember how far we’ve come as women. Just a few decades ago, women were denied basic rights that we take for granted now, such as being allowed to vote, owning property or working in certain professions.  

How we communicate has a big impact on our lives. The purpose of communication is to get your message across to others. This is a process that involves both the sender and the receiver of the message. To be successful in business you must communicate well, and communicating effectively is at the heart of interpersonal skills. Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. Understanding your personal style of communicating will go a long way towards helping you to create good and lasting impressions on others.

Nonverbal Communication

This month, we will consider the Law Commissions’ consultation on how Wills are made in England and Wales. Some of the key issues that are under review include:

• Giving greater flexibility to the Courts to uphold Wills that do not meet legal requirements 

• The possibility of online or electronic Will writing in the future

• Reducing the age at which someone can make a Will from 18 to 16

• Improving tests of a person’s capacity to make a Will 

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Legal Secretary x 2 - Owen Reed
Location: St Paul’s, London
Salary: £36,000 - £38,000

Owen Reed is looking for two Legal Secretaries to join a top law firm near St Pauls, London.

One Legal Secretary will join the corporate team and the other will join the real estate finance & projects team.

You will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of the highest standards of administrative support working within a collaborative team. You will have strong experience of working within the sector and  bring a positive, professional, approach and the ability to deliver an exceptional quality of work under tight deadlines.