Featured Articles

From: Society of Will Writers  When your child is a minor, as the parent, you are able to manage their finances for them. However, what happens when they reach the age of 18 and considered to be an adult? This article will focus on adult children who may suffer from a...

From: Kings Court Trust  Arranging a funeral is a task that needs to be completed upon a death, but it can make an already difficult time even more stressful for those dealing with a bereavement. We appreciate that there is a lot to think about, so we have created...

From: Assured Probate Services  An executor’s role is to identify estate assets, settle liabilities and distribute remaining property/money in accordance with the will or rules of intestacy. A person’s debts become the responsibility of the estate upon death and do...

Latest HMRC data reveals that IHT receipts for the period April 2021 to February 2022 now stand at £5.5bn; £0.7bn higher than the same period last year. Also, almost half (47%) of Brits who have a Will haven’t updated it for more than five years, meaning nearly half...

ESTATE ADMINISTRATION: Deceased's nominees can now be given access to Apple iCloud Apple has released a digital legacy feature allowing account holders to nominate up to five family members or friends who will be able to access their account after they die. These...

From Kings Court Trust  When someone close to you dies, it is easy to get overwhelmed when considering the upcoming tasks and the unfamiliar language associated with them. Firstly, it is important to understand the basics; this blog post aims to answer some of the...

From The Will Company What are Protective Property Trusts? Protective Property Trusts (PPTs) are one of the most widely used Trusts in Wills today. The Trust will usually take the deceased’s share in their main residence and give another person known as the life...

From Kings Court Trust  Life isn’t predictable nor does it happen in any specific order. Some people may get married at 21 or others at 60. Some may get divorced while others may have an opportunity to move to a new continent every few years. Whatever path we are led...

From The Will Company  ​On 17 November 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care published an updated policy paper. This paper contains the government’s plans for funding adult social care and reforms to funding in England. The changes are currently proposed to...

from The Will Company Property wealth hits new high. Residential Nil Rate Band Allowance Potential Loss. The overall value of UK housing stock has risen from £5.67trn to £6.42trn over the last year, with private property wealth reaching a new high of £4.87trn,...

Video Series - Featuring Steve Worsfold and Mike Jenkins Welcome to our Video Series on Funeral Plans What is a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan? Part 1 | What are the different types of Funeral Plans? Welcome to Part 1 of 8 in our 'What is a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan?' series. To...

from The Will Company Since 1st March 2017, it has been accepted that a donor’s Will can be disclosed to the attorneys of their Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). Before this date, it was believed that the Will could only be disclosed if...

from Kings Court Trust  The rules of intestacy Under the rules of intestacy in England and Wales (as an example), if the Deceased has a living husband, wife or civil partner and the estate (in the sole name of the Deceased) is not worth more than £270,000, the spouse...

Martin Lewis talks about the risks involved in using cheap and simple online Will Writing services - many people imagine their finances are simple and straightforward, only to find that the laws that govern what happens to your money and assets after you die are more...

From: The Kings Court Trust    Our friends at Kings Court Trust have put together an excellent article about Life Insurance Policies and Probate. When a loved one dies and they have a life insurance or assurance policy, that policy may pay out a very significant...

Applying to become a deputy Helpful advice from The Office of the Public Guardian  It can be a tough time when applying for a deputyship. If you’re having to deal with the application process you’ll also be trying to manage certain aspects of life for someone who no...

Acting as a deputy for a loved one ​ Helpful advice from The Office of the Public Guardian  Acting on behalf of a loved one after being appointed as their deputy can seem a bit daunting. We’ve got some hints and tips here to help you on your way to being the best...

Thursday, 16 September 2021 The England and Wales High Court (EWHC) has clarified the costs principles engaged where a Will challenge is abandoned mid-trial. The testator in the case was Tom Goodwin, a businessman and farmer who died in November 2018 with an estimated...

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Will is to remain secret for at least 90 years to protect the “dignity and standing” of the Queen, the High Court has ruled. It has been convention for over a century that, after the death of a senior member of the Royal Family, the courts are...

As a business owner, you will know how much time, money, and effort you invest in your business. Protection and Peace of Mind Having a business continuity plan is essential to enable your business to function and protect those who depend on it if disaster strikes. A...

Understanding what will happen to your business when you die is essential for you and the people who depend on it. Your business may be one of your most valuable assets. What happens to my business if I die? Sole Trader – Your business is not separatefrom you as an...

The Office of the Public Guardian's FAQ's on Lasting Power of Attorney There are some very helpful FAQ's about Lasting Power of Attorney on their blog with useful links too. https://publicguardian.blog.gov.uk/2021/08/26/creating-an-lpa-frequently-asked-questions/ OPG...

Protecting Your Children's Inheritance Do you have a Protective Property Trust in place to ensure your children receive their inheritance?  Find out how you can protect your children's inheritance from care costs, family disputes, re-marriage, bankruptcy and debts...

from The Will Company  The link at the end of this of this post is a wonderful commentary on the income from IHT to HMRC. Very worthwhile reading. The keys points from this year’s publication are: In the tax year 2018 to 2019, 3.7% of UK deaths resulted in an...

from The Society of Will Writers When your child is a minor, as the parent, you are able to manage their finances for them. However, what happens when they reach the age of 18 and considered to be an adult? This article will focus on adult children who may suffer from...

By Ann-Marie Shine-Newton, Will Writer, Stanford Legal Services Wills - a delve behind the stats We recently had Census day, which takes place every 10 years. According to the Government it gives them the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in...

from The Will Company ​In recent years, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) have modernized their Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) processes. Last summer, the OPG introduced their ‘Using a Lasting Power of Attorney Service’ – an online service letting donors and...

from The Will Company A donor may occasionally review their Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) and realise that their circumstances have changed since the documents were signed. There are unfortunately no steps in place to amend an...

from Kings Court Trust  The tasks that need to be considered following the death of a loved one are not something you will face on a regular basis. Therefore, knowing where to start can often be daunting and it can be a difficult process to get the ball rolling....

From The Will Company Protective Property Trusts (PPTs) are one of the most used Trusts in Wills today. These Trusts are very helpful for clients who wish to allow a person (usually a spouse or partner) to live in their property whilst also offering protection over...

From The Society of Will Writers  When you think about making provisions for your estate after your death, what will often come to your mind is who should be your executor, trustee, whether there are any money gifts or specific gifts you want to make to family and...

From The Kings Court Trust  As we shop, many of us collect loyalty points from multiple companies and throughout a lifetime this can amount to a substantial value. So what happens to unclaimed loyalty points when we die? This blog post explores how different retailers...

by BBC News  'Power of attorney more important than will', says widow The wife of a man who died in an electric skateboard crash has spoken of the importance of a legal document that let him "die with dignity". This BBC News article shows the importance of having a...

Lasting Power of Attorney  Why you should have a Health and Welfare LPA Here, the BBC demonstrate why it's so important to have a Health and Welfare LPA in place. If you would like to talk to us about setting up your LPA's, give us a call or book up for one of Steve's...

Lasting Power of Attorney  Why a financial LPA is so important In this BBC Programme, the One Show explore why a financial LPA is so important.  If you would like to talk to us about setting up your LPA's, give us a call or book up for one of Steve's free weekly slots...

Risk of inheritance battles grows after surge in people dying without wills Exclusive figures show 60p jump in people dying during the pandemic without setting out their last wishesfacebooktwitterlinkedinWhy Should I Write a Will?  In this video, Steve Worsfold and...

Getting started as an attorney or deputy Helpful advice from The Office of the Public Guardian  https://publicguardian.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/09/getting-started-as-an-attorney-or-deputy/  facebooktwitterlinkedinCould you do with some FREE, sound advice on: Writing a...

From: Steve Worsfold at Sussex Will Writers ​Office: 01903 533681Email: info@sussexwillwriters.co.uk Intestacy is dying without a Will. Intestacy means the state dictates the distribution of your estate. The laws of intestacy have little regard to your family...

From: Steve Worsfold at Sussex Will Writers What are ‘Discretionary Managed Funds’? ‘Discretionary Managed Funds’ refer to when an investment professional known as a Discretionary Fund Manager, commonly known as a stockbroker or wealth manager, builds and manages a...

From: Steve Worsfold at Sussex Will Writers  PROBATE REGISTRY TIMESCALES FEBRUARY 2021 Timescales at the Probate Registry and for the Probate service overall have been fluctuating ever since the controversial announcement was made back in 2018 to increase the Probate...

From: The Society of Will Writers  In this article, we’ll take a look at the Property and Financial Affairs LPA, and what the consequences of not having one of those are. What is a Lasting Power of Attorney? A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document which...

From: The Society of Will Writers  In our first article of the year, we looked at the reasons why you should make a Will (if you have not already of course) and what a Will enables you to do i.e. appoint guardians and specify how your estate should be distributed and...

A new post, “Lasting Power of Attorney and the COVID Vaccine” has just been published on the Office of the Public Guardian blog. This update from the OPG addresses some of the questions people may have about what happens if someone does not have mental capacity and is...

Why Should I Have a Lasting Power of Attorney - Part 2 What Happens if I Don't Have a Lasting Power of Attorney? Welcome to Part 2 of our 'Why Should I Have a Lasting Power of Attorney?' series. In this video Steve Worsfold and Mike Jenkins will be discussing the...

Shakespeare's Will Crown Copyright courtesy of The National Archivesby Steve Worsfold of Sussex Will Writers Writing a will is an important task and one that shouldn’t be neglected. A Will is there to distribute your estate to the people you want to inherit and to...

by Steve Worsfold of Sussex Will Writers People who make Wills know that, unfortunately, they will always come into effect eventually – after all death is one of the few certainties. We all hope however, that we will retain our physical and mental abilities throughout...