Dementia has been brought into the headlines recently following the Oscar success of film ‘Still Alice’ and the sad passing of author Terry Pratchett. It is an illness that affects more than 800,000 Britons and the number of sufferers worldwide...
Wills and tax
New measures were announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement concerning the inheritance of Individual Savings Accounts (ISA’s). This could save married couples (or civil partners) thousands of pounds but it may be necessary to update your...
Seven months after the death of actor Robin Williams, his widow and children are in a legal battle to dispute his Will. There is a bitter disagreement over money and property between his widow, Susan Schneider Williams and his three children from his...
Mental capacity is broadly defined by the ability to make decisions in an informed way, in other words understanding what an LPA is and who you should appoint as your attorney. You might wrongly assume that your loved ones will sort things out if and when it...
Gone are the days when photos filled up shoeboxes and albums, bookshelves groaned under the weight of book collections and CD’s were everywhere. When a person died all these precious memories were shared out amongst their friends and family. Technology...
“The Inheritance and Trustees’ Powers Act came into force in October this year. It affects how intestate estates are distributed and how trustees can distribute income and capital to beneficiaries and apply to persons living in England and Wales...
There are two options: A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) that deals with property and finance and an LPA that deals with health and welfare. They are both different and come with different responsibilities. It’s easy to think that it’s never the...
Much of the current law relating to Wills dates back to the time of Queen Victoria – the Wills Act 1837. The Law Commission, which is a non-political body, was set up by Parliament in 1965 to keep all the law of England and Wales under review, and to...
The Government recently announced that Care Homes and home-care agencies are to come under the same scrutiny as failing hospitals. The special measures system introduced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to improve failing NHS hospitals across England is...
Question : We are married but neither of us has a Will. We both have independent children from previous marriages. Our house is owned outright but is in my husband’s name although I have contributed towards this quite significantly. We are partners in...
An executor is a person or persons appointed by you in your Will to deal with your affairs after your death. He/she will be authorised by the Courts to do this. Your executor will inform the next of kin, heirs and possible beneficiaries of your Will that...
When you die who do you want to benefit from your Will? Your nearest and dearest or the taxman? Inheritance Tax (IHT) is charged at 40% on everything over the ‘nil rate band’, which is currently set at £325,000 and which will remain at that...
I’m worried that when I die my money will be taken in taxes and none left for my family If your estate totals in excess of £325,000 then there will be Inheritance Tax to pay. Although this will depend on a number of factors, if your total worth...
Anyone can set themselves up as a Will writer and charge money for this service. They do not have to have any legal training or qualifications. A survey by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) of their members, found that there was a...
What happens if the worst should happen? If you are divorced and have children but no Will, what happens to your estate? Would your children inherit or would your ex-husband have a claim? Wills & Tax Partner Lee Young says,...
It is estimated that almost 50% of people in the UK are connected to someone living with dementia. One of the biggest problems facing families and carers is how to deal with the banks which are not noted for being ‘dementia friendly’. No one...
Mrs Lorraine Feltham from Fordingbridge, head of a property letting company, has sued her step-grandmother’s lawyer for failing to change the 90 year old’s will in her favour, saying that it has cost her more...
The Partners at Frettens Solicitors are delighted to announce their recommendations in this year’s Legal 500 Directory. Matthew Fretten , Managing Partner and Head of the Commercial Team was noted for having a “ very responsive team...
2-Oct Are there problems ahead with the proposal by the Office of the Public Guardian to launch an on-line system for applying for a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)? The Public Guardian, Alan Eccles, said that ‘more and more people are taking the...
Even if you have a valid will you should consider keeping it updated, especially after any major changes in your life. It’s very easy to forget to change it after marrying, re-marrying, moving house, the death of your partner or a significant change in...
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