Featured Articles

From: Kings Court Trust  When considering the role of an Executor, many people underestimate the complexity and responsibilities involved in administering an estate. This oversight can lead to significant financial and emotional burdens, as illustrated in the below...

August, 2024A Message from Steve Worsfold From the 1st August 2024, I will be retiring from my role as Principal of Sussex Will Writers. As many of you will know, I retired as a Chartered Financial Planner a few years ago and have now decided that the time is right to...

From: The Will Company Nina Angelova has successfully won a High Court case to amend her late fiancé Peter John Bryant’s Will, which had been mistakenly drafted due to a solicitor’s clerical error, as reported by The Law Society Gazette. Bryant, who passed away in...

From: The Society of Will Writers We’ve previously looked at the consequences of not having a Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place, however that’s only one of the two types of LPA available. In this article, we’ll take a look at the...

From: Kings Court Trust  Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a significant concern for many families in the UK. With frozen thresholds and increasing property values, more estates are subject to this tax. This blog explores the essentials of IHT and offers insights into...

From: Society of Will Writers We’ve previously looked at the consequences of not having a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place, however that’s only one of the two types of LPA available. In this article, we’ll take a look at the Property and...

From: The Will Company  What are Bereaved Minor’s Trusts? A Bereaved Minor’s Trust is one of the most common trusts that will arise from a will. It is a trust that will arise if a gift is made to the testator’s own children with an age condition of eighteen. It will...

From: Kings Court Trust  In certain circumstances, HMRC will allow a Personal Representative to postpone payment of all or part of the tax and interest due on delivery of an account. This is referred to as a Grant on credit. This year's Spring Budget (6th March 2024),...

From: Kings Court Trust https://www.kctrust.co.uk/blog/how-difficult-is-it-to-do-probate-yourself Probate is the process of obtaining a Grant of Probate, which is the legal document that an Executor may have to obtain in order to administer the estate of someone who...

There are three things you can do today to protect your digital memories 1. Update your legacy settings It takes just five minutes to log in to your digital accounts, update the legacy settings and protect your digital memories. CLICK TO MAKE THE CHANGES  2. Talk to...

From: The Will Company The England and Wales High Court's recent judgment in Leonard v Leonard (2024 EWHC 321 Ch) has broadened the scope of the fourth limb in the Banks v Goodfellow test for testamentary capacity to cover any disorder of the mind, such as dementia,...

from: Kings Court Trust  A step that often causes family members additional stress and anxiety when someone dies is locating the deceased’s important documents. This includes the Will, which details the Testator’s wishes regarding how they want their estate to be...

from: Kings Court Trust  When estate planning, there are some things that are essential to include. For example:  who will inherit any property,   who may care for a dependent child,   or what should happen to various personal belongings.   One thing that often gets...

From: The Will Company  A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) ceases when the donor of the power dies. It may also cease if an attorney dies. Even if the LPA doesn’t end on the death of an attorney there may be a change to how the power works, for example a replacement...

From: Today's Wills and Probate The dark comedy, psychological thriller that is Emerald Fennell’s ‘Saltburn’ has recently taken social media by storm, trending for its twisted storyline, leading to the demise of the aristocratic Catton family. *Trigger warning, and...

From: Kings Court Trust The period after the death of a loved one is a difficult time; and many people prefer to avoid thinking about it in advance. There are many challenges to consider; not only the emotional difficulties, but also the administrative duties that...

From: The Office of the Public Guardian  Your questions answered: Reporting and making changes to your LPA We receive thousands of phone calls each week from people looking for help and information on the lasting power of attorney (LPA) process. This blog series...

From: Kings Court Trust When estate planning or dealing with the estate of someone who has died, you may have to handle Inheritance Tax (IHT).   The different forms, rates, and requirements can be confusing, especially if you haven’t come across them before. This blog...

Getting around to writing your Will can be difficult. Most people don’t like to think about what will happen when they die, and it’s one of those tasks that feels easy to delay. Many people die without leaving a Will, which can cause a lot of stress for their loved...

Cost of dying hits record high amid economic struggles, research finds. Recent findings from SunLife's annual report reveal a significant increase in the UK's cost of dying, now at an all-time high of £9,658. This figure includes funeral expenses, professional fees,...

Probate service ‘now in recovery after management team replaced’, says UK government. The UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice has said that a new management team has been installed in the probate registry as part of a recovery plan to address...

Where a person owns animals or pets, considerations should always be given to what should happen to those pets on their death. Although many people will consider dealing with their pets in their Will as similar to guardians for their children, pets are considered a...

From: Today's Wills and Probate  New research from family justice body Resolution has found most people back a change in the law to give cohabiting people more rights. Currently couples have few or no rights in the event of a relationship breakdown meaning that unlike...

From: Kings Court Trust Executors are people chosen and named in a Will by the Testator, who is the individual whose Will it is. The Executors of a Will are responsible for administering the estate of the Testator when they have passed away. Up to four Executors can...

Who can Bring an Application Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975? From: The Will Company  Any person has testamentary freedom – the freedom to leave their estate how they see fit on their deaths. Despite this freedom, there are routes...

From: The Office of the Public Guardianhttps://publicguardian.blog.gov.uk/2023/11/10/power-of-attorney-stories-kamlesh A lasting power of attorney (LPA) allows you to nominate someone you trust, known as an attorney, to step in if you lose the mental capacity to make...

From: The Office of the Public Guardian https://publicguardian.blog.gov.uk/2023/10/23/power-of-attorney-stories-shirin A Lasting Power of Attorney (also known as an LPA) if a legal document that allows you to nominate someone you trust to step in and make decisions...

From: The Will Company The manual for the UK Trust Registration Service (TRS) has been amended several times over September 2023, as HMRC continues to iron out details of the complex rules for compulsory registration. Extra content on property held on behalf of minor...

From: The Office of the Public Guardian  Step forward to online lasting powers of attorney The most vulnerable in society will be better protected as reforms to simplify and streamline lasting powers of attorney are given Royal Assent. From: Ministry of Justice,...

From: Kings Court Trust  The term Personal Representative might sound daunting, especially if you’re navigating the complex process of estate administration for the first time. A Personal Representative is responsible for the administration of a deceased person's...

From: The Will Company A General Power of Attorney (GPA), also know as an Ordinary Power of Attorney, is a type of Power of Attorney that will allow a person to appoint attorneys to make decisions on their behalf. These are not as widely used as a Lasting Power of...

From: The Will Company Co-ownership of land and property by two or more individuals has some distinct implications. Usually, it may be entirely clear who the owners of a property are, however there are cases where there may be confusion. It is therefore important to...

From: The Will Company Writing a Will on an Ostrich Egg? To be valid a Will must comply with all of the requirements set out below which is found in section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. No Will is valid unless:- It is in writing and signed by the testator, or by some...

From: Kings Court Trust  Bereaved families and estate administrators across England and Wales continue to face delays when applying for a Grant of Representation – the umbrella term for Grant of Probate (when there is a Will) and Letters of Administration (when there...

From: The Will Company Trusts for Vulnerable People Some Trusts for disabled people or children get special tax treatment. These are called 'Trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries'. Who Qualifies as a Vulnerable Beneficiary A vulnerable beneficiary is either someone...

From: The Society of Will Writers As we know, a Will takes effect on death, so it’s important to keep it safe for when it’s needed. Some may choose to store their Will with their will writer, a solicitor, at their bank or with a professional storage company such as...

From: Kings Court Trust  What is probate?Probate refers to the process of obtaining a Grant of Probate, which is a legal document that provides the Executor of an estate with the legal right to proceed with estate administration. Estate administration refers to...

From: The Will Company ​Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts continued their record-breaking upwards trend into the new financial year, data released this week by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has confirmed. According to figures for April 2023, receipts during the month...

from: The Will Company  It is common for us to be asked the difference between a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and a General Power of Attorney. The table below is designed to give you some of the obvious stand out differences. In basic terms, the GPA is used as a...

from: The Will Company Can the terms of a donor’s Will be disclosed to their attorneys? When attorneys are acting under a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for Property & Financial Affairs (P&A) or under an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA), they may wish to...

from: The Will Company  Make a legacy account for Apple This one is a must. Clients can follow STEP’s easy guide below to make a legacy contact with Apple. It will take less than five minutes and it will mean that their legacy contact has access to all of their iCloud...

from: Today's Wills and Probates  New data on the timeliness of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) applications* has revealed that the well-documented delays affecting the process are beginning to ease. Answering a parliamentary question from Labour MP Beth Winter...

from: The Society of Will Writers  You may not have heard of an Advance Decision before but they’re a very powerful document for anyone who has strong feelings about what medical treatment they would want to receive, and would want to make sure that their wishes were...

from: The Society of Will Writers  A testator may want to make gifts of money to one or more of their children during their lifetime for a number of reasons, for example to loan money to the child or even assist with a house purchase. The monies would either be given...

From: The Society of Will Writers  A couple finds themselves writing their Will(s) as they’re getting on in age and ability, their child a vulnerable individual. Their vulnerability isn’t what’s important here, only that they have care needs, and they are not sure how...

From: Today's Will's and Probate  New data released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has revealed inheritance tax (IHT) receipts are some £700 million higher than this time last year. Total receipts from April 2022 to December 2022 now sit at £5.3 billion compared...

From: The Society of Will Writers  You’ve decided now is the time to put documentation in place to protect your estate. What next? There are different options available to you when it comes to making a Will:- See a professional; orWrite a Will yourself Many have the...

From: Office of the Public Guardian  We have simplified the process we follow after being notified that someone has died. We now verify deaths using the Post Office (HMPO) Life Event Verification system, so there is no longer a need for people to send in a death...

From: The Society of Will Writers  We receive many queries daily on care fees assessment and how a home can be protected from care fees and whether it counts towards the means test carried out by the local authority, so we thought we would put together some...

From: The National Will Register The National Will Register recently announced it now has 10 million Wills in its system. A first for such a will register in the UK and only 16 years since its inception. In that time, we’ve heard a lot of questions asking why it’s...

From: The Society of Will Writers  A discretionary trust is a type of trust where the trustees are given complete discretion to pay or apply the income or capital of the assets for the benefit of one or all of the beneficiaries. They have control over how much to...

10% Off Wills and Lasting Power of Attorney in November & DecemberOffer Valid: 8th Nov 2022 - 31st Dec 2022  Quote Offer Code: DEC10  Writing a Will isn’t nearly as difficult or disturbing as many people fear. In fact, when asked, all of our clients say that they...

From: Kings Court Trust  When someone passes away, their loved ones and those dealing with their estate are left with a variety of tasks that must be completed before inheritance can be distributed. If the beneficiaries of the deceased’s estate cannot be found, this...

From: The Will Company It has been revealed that 1-in-4 Baby Boomers don’t trust the younger generation to use their inheritance wisely, according to a national survey by professional services firm, Progeny. Additionally, nearly half (48%) of Baby Boomers say the...

From: The Society of Will Writers  Property Protection Trusts (PPTs) are by far one of the most common types of trusts included in wills. The PPT is designed to take the deceased’s share in the home and give someone else (known as the life tenant) a life interest in...

10% Off Wills and Lasting Power of Attorney in OctoberOffer Valid: 7th Oct - 7th Nov 2022  Quote Offer Code: SPOOKY10  Writing a Will isn’t nearly as frightening as many people fear. In fact, when asked, all of our clients say that they feel more relaxed and less...

From: Kings Court Trust  When someone passes away, all of their assets must be dealt with as part of the estate administration process. This can include property, personal belongings, cash, bank accounts, and more. One asset that is not as commonly discussed is...

From: The Will Company A mobile home is a tricky area under succession law and this article is only designed to take quick glance into dispensing of a mobile home by the Will; being that they are markedly distinct from what we may deem as more traditional property of...