When someone dies, if they own their own home this may be their most valuable asset. For those charged with administering the estate of the deceased person (the donor), dealing with a property during probate can have its complications. James Woods, a private client...
Private client law
Are mirror wills right for you?
Mirror wills are a popular way to ensure that you or your partner are financially looked after when one of you passes away. Such wills involve you both leaving everything to each other when the first person dies or to your children (or other mutually agreed...
Why do you need a health and welfare power of attorney as well as one for finances?
More and more people are prudently registering a financial lasting power of attorney to ensure their economic affairs are managed by someone they trust if they should lose mental capacity and are unable to make decisions for themselves. But why do you need a health...
The use of wealth protection safeguards in a will
If you spend your life carefully amassing your wealth to ensure your loved ones have a financially stable future, it would be distressing to think that all your hard-fought gains could be swallowed up by inheritance tax, gambling debts, or a divorce settlement after...
Legitimate costs of administering an estate
When someone dies, somebody will need to act as a personal representative and be in charge of dealing with the deceased person’s estate. A personal representative is known as an executor if the deceased person left a will, or an administrator if they did not. The role...
LPAs: who will manage your finances if you get ill or have a head injury?
Head injuries can occur in a wide variety of circumstances, such as in a skiing or cycling accident, and our brain is not immune to illnesses, such as cancer or dementia. Any health problem involving the brain may mean that you would be unable to carry out many tasks,...
Bonus Family? Why a blended family needs a will
It is increasingly common for couples to marry while one or both have children from a previous relationship, and the couple may then go on to have children of their own. The Swedish drama on Netflix Bonus Family provides a light-hearted exploration of the complexities...
Valuing stocks and shares for probate
When someone dies, all of their assets and investments need to be valued to work out the sum total of their estate to ensure the correct amount of inheritance tax is paid. How stocks and shares are valued depends on whether they are listed or unlisted and there are a...
Providing for a vulnerable child in your will
If you are the parent of a vulnerable child, it is perfectly understandable that you will want to ensure that they are provided for and looked after well even when you are no longer around to oversee their care. The best way to ensure that this happens, and indeed to...