News
Should you think about putting a trust in your will?
Blended family? What will happen if you die prematurely? What are the risks of basic mirror wills?
Who should I get to write my Will?
Want to know if the person writing your Will is qualified to do it? The legal market is baffling to the lay person. Do you know how to differentiate between someone who claims to be a ‘professional’ Will writer and what this actually means? There are tiers of service available: - Will kit from stationers - not recommended for anyone really (very easy to make fatal mistakes). - Online service - proceed with extreme caution, as it’s very difficult to understand a persons requirements without...
I’ve completed my Will…. What do I do now?
The most important thing is that your executor/s know that they have been appointed and where your Will is stored. Remember there may be many years between your completing your Will and it being needed, so always keep a copy with important paperwork. Where shall I store it? The recent unexpected closure of a long established Brighton firm of Solicitors, and the issues faced by the long-suffering clients of ‘Universal’ highlights that there is very little that is completely...
The doctorine of survivorship…. mutual accidents and intestacy
Perhaps you are thinking... why do I need a Will? If I do, should I write it myself? ‘The bank owns my house, I’m married so everything will go to my spouse anyway’. Well that all depends. Is it likely your estate (including any life insurance or death in service benefit) would be less than £250,000? If not then it may not be that simple. If you have children then everything over £250,000 will have to be split between your spouse and the children, which the children will then inherit at 18....
Cautionary tale shows the possible terrible reality of attempts to circumvent Inheritance tax and care home fees.
Awful Court case after father signs over his home to his son. I’m often asked if a client should transfer their property to their children and I would always cite cases where the later financial needs of the children and their dependants can discolour perception and lead to dreadful disputes. It’s very hard to know that you can completely trust anyone when hundreds of thousands of pounds are involved:...