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We are delighted to share that Kash Mahmood, a solicitor in our Wirral family law team, has been admitted as a Member of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem — better known as the Order of St John.
The appointment was sanctioned by His Majesty The King on 21 April 2026, and was published in The London Gazette on 6 May 2026. Kash is now entitled to use the post-nominal letters MStJ.
The Order of St John is a royal order of chivalry, best known to the public through the work of St John Ambulance and the St John Eye Hospital Group in Jerusalem. Admission to the Order is a formal recognition of significant voluntary service to the welfare of others.
Kash has been a senior member of St John Ambulance for many years, giving his time alongside his legal career to support first aid, training, and community welfare. His appointment is a fitting acknowledgement of that long-standing commitment to public service.
Kash has been a qualified solicitor for more than 25 years and is a key member of our family law department on the Wirral. He is a Member of the Law Society’s Children Panel — a national accreditation awarded only to solicitors who demonstrate a recognised level of expertise in child law and child welfare matters.
Based at our Wallasey office, Kash specialises in child care law and provides advice and representation to parents, carers, and families across the Wirral and Merseyside in matters including:
Family law matters rarely arrive at a convenient moment. Whether you have been contacted by social services, are worried about contact with your children following a separation, or need urgent advice in a child protection matter, Kash provides clear, practical advice and steady representation from the very first conversation.
His combination of long experience, Children Panel accreditation, and a genuinely compassionate approach makes him a trusted choice for Wirral families facing some of the most difficult moments in their lives.
Our wider family law team at Burd Ward is led by Jenna Ellison, who is also a Children Panel member. Together, the department covers the full breadth of family law on the Wirral, from divorce and financial settlements through to children’s matters and protection from domestic abuse.
If you would like to speak to Kash or another member of our Wirral family law team, please contact us today to find out more about how we can help.
Once again, our warmest congratulations to Kash on a richly deserved honour.
A new report has highlighted a sharp rise in the number of people using a little-known legal tool to put the brakes on an estate being administered after someone dies. Whether you’re currently dealing with a bereavement or thinking about planning ahead, it’s worth understanding what this means.
When someone dies, their estate usually needs to go through a legal process called probate before assets can be distributed. A caveat is a formal notice that stops a grant of probate from being issued, effectively freezing the estate for up to six months while concerns are investigated. It can be renewed for further six-month periods if needed.
The process is surprisingly accessible: anyone over 18 can apply to the Probate Registry, and it costs just £3.
New data obtained from the Ministry of Justice shows that caveat applications rose by 12% in the twelve months to July 2025, reaching 11,589, up from 10,313 the previous year. That’s a significant jump, and it follows a longer-term trend: just over a decade ago, fewer than 6,500 caveats were filed in a year.
The reasons behind the rise aren’t hard to identify. Rising property prices mean that even relatively modest estates can be worth £500,000 or more, enough to make family disagreements financially significant. The growing complexity of modern families, with second marriages, stepchildren and half-siblings increasingly common, also plays a part.
Concerns typically fall into a few categories:
Once a caveat is in place, the executor cannot obtain the grant of probate needed to collect and distribute the estate’s assets. This can create practical complications if, for example, a property needs to be sold or there are debts accruing in the meantime.
It’s important to note that a caveat should only be used where there is a genuine concern. Entering one simply to delay or frustrate the process, rather than to investigate a real issue, is not appropriate.
The best protection against probate disputes is good planning during your lifetime. A well-drafted, regularly reviewed will is the obvious starting point, but a letter of wishes alongside it can also help explain your decisions to loved ones and reduce the potential for misunderstanding.
If a dispute does arise, early mediation is often a far better route than court proceedings. It tends to be faster, less expensive, and considerably less damaging to family relationships.
At Burd Ward, we work with clients on both sides of this issue.
If you want to protect your estate and reduce the risk of a dispute after you’re gone, we can help you put in place a carefully drafted will that’s built to stand scrutiny, one that clearly reflects your wishes, accounts for your family circumstances, and leaves as little room for ambiguity as possible. We can also advise on letters of wishes, Lasting Powers of Attorney, and other steps that make life easier for the people you leave behind.
And if you find yourself on the other side of the equation, with genuine concerns about a will that’s already been made, we can advise you on your options, including whether a caveat is appropriate and how to go about challenging a will.
Either way, the earlier you take advice, the better. If you’d like to talk things through, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.
Source: Law Gazette — Law firm research shows more people paying £3 to block probate grants for six months