It is always advisable to have a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place to ensure that a trusted friend or family member can deal with your affairs on your behalf, should you become unable to manage them. We take a look at the decisions you will need to take before signing an LPA. There
Your Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is an important document. It gives your chosen attorney the power to deal with your affairs on your behalf, should you lose the capacity to do so yourself. But is it a good idea to appoint your children? You can make an LPA giving someone the power to deal
Should I make all of my children attorneys on my LPA? Read More »
Applying for probate is not always necessary when the deceased is survived by their spouse. After someone dies, a grant of probate is often needed. This is the legal document that gives their executor the right to wind up their estate in accordance with their Will. If the deceased did not leave a Will, then
Do you need to apply for probate when your spouse dies? Read More »
A Living Will, also known as an advance decision or advance directive, is a document by which you can refuse medical treatment in the future. It can be used if you become unable to communicate or unable to make decisions for yourself or if you become terminally ill. You must be over the age of
What is a living Will and how can I write one? Read More »
Spousal maintenance is a regular payment made by someone to their ex-spouse or civil partner. It will only be ordered to be paid where someone is unable to support themselves. It is different to the maintenance payments made in respect of children and is intended to support the spouse to a reasonable standard. When
Spousal maintenance Read More »
If you jointly own a property at the time of your death, your share will not necessarily pass to the other owner. We take a look at the two different types of joint ownership and what happens when one owner dies. When you buy a property with someone else, you have the choice of owning
Who will inherit your property when you die? Read More »
The Will of a lottery millionaire has been published following his death at the end of 2019. Colin Weir and his wife Chris won £161 million in 2011. Colin, who was 71 at the time of his death, was from Largs in North Ayrshire. The prize was one of the biggest ever in the Euromillions
The Will of Euromillions £161m jackpot winner Read More »
Financial services firm Canada Life says that 59 per cent of adults in the UK have not made a Will. This means that some 31 million people have not chosen who to leave their estate to. Who doesn’t have a Will? The study found that 22 per cent of those without a Will are aged
Survey finds that three-fifths of UK adults do not have a Will in place Read More »
In July 2020, the Ministry of Justice announced that video witnessing of Wills was to be made legal during the coronavirus pandemic. As health concerns pushed many to take steps to make or update their Wills, practical considerations made it difficult for the document to be legally witnessed. Witnessing a Will Normally, the signature to
New legislation allows video-witnessing of a Will during the Covid-19 crisis Read More »
When someone dies, the person administering the estate needs to let the beneficiaries know what they are entitled to. All too often, beneficiaries are challenging to track down. And that can have a significant impact on the probate process. Finding an identified beneficiary If you know the name of a beneficiary (for example, if they
Locating Missing Beneficiaries Read More »