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 »
Clients can often misunderstand the difference between mutual Wills and mirror Wills, despite them differing in their legal aspects. When it comes to Will writing, many couples believe that only a single Will is required between the both of them. The reality is however, that everyone who chooses to make a Will must sign one
What is the difference between a mirror Will and a mutual Will Read More »
A Lasting Power of Attorney or LPA is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your wishes should you become unable to make financial or health decisions for yourself. But, all too often people fail to make an LPA because they are unsure about what it involves and why it is needed. Here
Common Misconceptions About Lasting Powers of Attorney Read More »
Cryptocurrency is an increasingly popular method of online payment. It is best understood as a form of currency that exists as a digital asset, with no paper or coins. One of the main benefits is it is secured in such a way that it is near impossible to forge or double-spend. Cryptocurrency, the most well
Are Bitcoins covered in your Will? Read More »
Having a will in place is essential if you want the final say in what happens to your business and other assets after you die. If you die without a Will, everything you own – including business and non-business assets – will be distributed under the laws of intestacy. This means that you or your
Securing your business in the event of the unexpected Read More »