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I recently read a news article highlighting yet another case of someone abusing their power as a Property and Financial Affairs attorney and stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds from a vulnerable relative. Geraldine Skevington-Roberts has been...
Gordon Ramsay and his wife, Tana, welcomed their sixth child at the end of last year. He has recently spoken out to say that despite being millionaires, they will not be financially spoiling their children during their lifetime. He commented that the...
A judge has ruled that a grandad was entitled to give his grandchildren just £50 each out of his £500k estate. Frederick Ward died aged 91, splitting his estate equally between his two surviving children, Terry and Susan. Frederick had...
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a document which appoints attorneys to act on your behalf in relation to your property and financial affairs, or health and welfare in the event that you cannot make decisions yourself. It is imperative that you take...
Protect Your Stepfamily's Financial Future If you are a parent and your child has remarried and their new partner has children already from a previous marriage or relationship, now is a good time to consider whether or not you should update your...
Protect Your Inheritance in Blended Families It is becoming increasingly common for two families to merge together, as nuclear families are becoming a thing of the past. Often, clients in blended families put off putting in place a will as they do not...
Protect Your Assets Through Conversation Often, it is seen as taboo to talk about what inheritance you are likely to receive, as it is human nature to avoid uncomfortable situations. Parents are sometimes oversharers when it comes to talking about...
Protect Your Future by Rethinking Wills As a wills lawyer, I often hear young people say, “I haven’t got much” and that they think they don’t need to put in place a will. A misconception is that you need to be extremely...
"Protect Your Legacy and Plan Ahead" Gap years are becoming more popular both before and after educational studies and usually contain some form of travelling around the world before they have to settle down and start on their career ladder. ...
What happens if you die without a will? Your estate, regardless of its size, will pass in accordance with the rules of intestacy. These rules dictate an order of who will inherit your estate and this can vary depending on whether you are married or in a...
Soul singer Aretha Franklin died in 2018 without a formal Will. Under normal circumstances, Aretha’s $6 million estate in the USA would have been distributed in accordance with the intestacy rules. However, the discovery of two handwritten documents...
We live in a world where most of us have digitally stored financial details, emails, music libraries, social media accounts, photos and other precious items that have monetary and emotional value to us and our loved ones. When a loved one dies or becomes...
Do you have a plan like Jackie Chan? The famous actor has reported that he will not leave any of his $400 million pound fortune to his son. Jackie has written in his autobiography that he plans on leaving his entire estate to charity and that his son...
Many of you will be familiar with the character Dot Cotton from the popular TV show Eastenders. Dot’s character has received a lot of attention recently from the public due to the large Inheritance Tax bill which was payable on her death. ...
As many of you will know, the actor Heath Ledger sadly passed away in 2008 at just 28 years old. What you may not know is what happened to his £12 million estate. Heath executed a will stating that 50% was to be split between his parents into equal...
Going into the New Year knowing that you are getting your financial affairs in order by executing a will, will give you peace of mind for the rest of the year! Did you know that 59% of adults in the UK do not have a will? This equates to over 31...
Sir Michael Butler died in 2013 and was a collector of 17th-century Ming porcelain and had over 800 individual items estimated to be worth over £8 million. 500 of the items were left to his four children in equal shares by a Deed of...
Roy Panther who famously discovered the “Comet Panther” died in 2016 and a dispute has arisen about who his £400k estate passes to. Roy was a keen amateur astronomer who had always loved space and created a homemade observatory in his...
It is estimated that 40% of the UK want to leave a gift to charity when writing a will, but only 6.3% actually do. The organisation, Remember a Charity, has recently carried out a survey to uncover how many people leave gifts to charities in their wills....
Executors are responsible for dealing with the estate of someone who has died. They are the people that have been legally appointed by a person in their will to administer their estate. The role of an executor can be demanding, so when you make a...
I have been a horse owner for many years. Owning a horse or pony is a lifestyle rather than a hobby and I am all too familiar with the commitment involved in owning these beautiful animals, they are like family. There is nothing I enjoy more than riding my...
Yet another farming case has made the headlines. Williams v Williams 2022 was heard in the High Court last month. About the Williams v Williams case: In this case, a challenge was made by one farming son who claimed that he was promised the farm by his...
We are now coming very close to the 1 September 2022 deadline to register trusts with HMRC’s Trust Registration Service (TRS). If you are a trustee, or you administer or benefit from a trust, it’s very important that you understand how...
I am a Chartered Legal Executive, working within the private client department which covers wills, lasting powers of attorney, trusts and probate. I prepare lasting powers of attorney for my clients and can complete all necessary requirements...
Businessman, Hamish Ogston, has recently announced that he is leaving his £130m fortune to various charities and will not be leaving anything to his children. Parents are often referred to as “the bank of mum and dad” but for Hamish it is...
I recently visited the Old Park Meadow Natural Burial Ground in Chelmsford which is a private natural burial ground which specialises in eco-friendly burial and ash interments. Old Park Meadow has over 34 acres of wildflower meadows and young woodland...
Did you know that one of the best ways to support charities is to leave a legacy to them in your will? Charities often rely on donations made under a deceased’s will to keep the charity going financially, as most charities do not receive lottery...
Daniel Craig has recently made the news, as he has commented again that his children will not inherit his £117 million estate when he passes away. His philosophy is “get rid of it, or give it away before you go”. Daniel, along with many...
Actress Elizabeth Hurley’s 19-year-old son, Damian Hurley, will not receive any inheritance from a trust fund established by his grandfather, Peter Bing, as she was not married to his late father, Steve Bing, who died in June 2020. Background of the...
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) announced that severe delays in processing Lasting Powers of Attorney applications are due to social distancing rules limiting the number of people in the office. The OPG has stated that once the court fee is received,...
Would you like to make a gift in your will & not name them? Secret Trusts vs Discretionary Trusts.
Bill and Melinda Gates have announced that they are filing for divorce after 27 years of marriage. I very much hope that Melinda and Bill have an amicable divorce but for a large proportion of couples, divorcing can be a stressful and acrimonious...
You may have watched a recent episode of the BBC One show, the Repair Shop, where a lady was stunned after finding out a painting that had been passed down to her by her grandparents, was one of the earliest paintings of King Charles II. Often family...
Kate Garraway’s situation regarding her husband, Derek Draper, and his battle with COVID-19 has hit the headlines several times over the past year. Derek has been in hospital struggling with the long-term effects of COVID-19 for over a year....
If you pass away without leaving a valid will and no known family to inherit your estate, then your estate by law passes to the Crown as ownerless property. Ownerless property is often referred to as “Bona Vacantia”. If you have ever watched...
Many people find it tough to hear that in most cases there is no getting away from the fact that you will have to pay for your own care needs. You work hard your whole life and then when the time comes and you need care assistance, your assets can easily be...
Many people do not know that if you get married, this automatically revokes your last will prior to the marriage. To ensure that your assets pass in accordance with your wishes, you will need to update your will once you remarry. ...
As Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.’ Generally speaking, inheritance tax (IHT) is payable on the estate of someone who has died, and this is often a big concern for Personal...
The Nottingham Crown Court has announced recently that a deceased’s daughter, Susan Johnson, has pleaded guilty for fraud. After Susan’s mother passed away in 2016, Susan forged her mother’s will by imitating her mother’s signature...
If you have been appointed as a Financial Affairs Attorney under a lasting power of attorney , then you have the responsibility to the donor to act in their best interests. In many instances, the donor appoints a family member or close friend to look after...
When considering making a will , people automatically think about what people or charities they would like to leave their assets to. But what happens to your pets? Pets are often thought of as one of the family and your pet deserves to be looked after in a...
The latest figures released by the court show the number of contentious probate cases continue to rise. These include cases where the validity of a will is being challenged, and claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. It...
Hope for success fees in claims against estates under Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (“the Inheritance Act”) are usually made by disappointed...
The High Court has issued a warrant for an executor to be arrested. The executor failed to obey previous court orders requiring him to account for his dealings of his mother’s estate. This case should be a stark warning to executors to comply...
During the coronavirus pandemic, the Court of Protection are prioritising their workload. One type of work they are prioritising is statutory wills for people who have a very short life expectancy. What is a statutory will? These are wills...
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, presented the 2020 Budget on 11 March 2020 and announced that the government will be increasing the Capital Gains Tax allowance for the 2020/2021 tax year. What is Capital Gains Tax? Capital Gains Tax is...
Recent statistics confirm that 82% of people have not yet made lasting powers of attorney (LPA). An LPA is a legal document that enables you to appoint one or more people as your attorneys. Attorneys are able to assist you in making decisions or can...
Last week, after a devoted Norwich City FC fan sadly passed away, it became clear that he had left a legacy in his will to buy all the players a drink. Did you know there are different types of legacies which could be included in a will, depending on how...
The House of Commons ruled this week (15 January 2020) that the statutory legacy for partners under the intestacy rules will increase to £270,000 as of 6 February 2020. The update, which was due in October 2019, has been welcomed by the Law Society....
