Tales from a Will writer
As a member of the UK Institute of Professional Will Writers as well as being a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, I am told some remarkable human stories, in confidence of course. It’s a…
Lords discuss proposed Cohabitation Rights Bill on 4th February 2020
The plethora of proposed private members’ bills making their way through the House of Lords could have huge implications. Many couples opt to cohabit without making a legal commitment which is still leaving them vulnerable and exposed. On 04 February…
Assisted Dying Bill to be discussed in Parliament
Significant bills will be discussed concerning end of life care and decisions during the next House of Lords sitting. This includes a revised Assisted Dying Bill and Right to Die at Home Bill. In 2014, Lord Falconer proposed the Assisted…
Funeral Costs Increased By 3.4% Last Year
The average funeral costs have increased by 3.4% to £4,417 since last year. The increase is forcing a lot more grieving families into financial difficulties according to the latest ‘Cost of Dying’ Report by SunLife. 12.5% of all families faced the unenviable prospect of…
Dying without a Will changes in law
Dying without a Will Law change. The Lord Chancellor has announced an increase of the statutory legacy figure from £250,000 to £270,000. Which comes into force on 6th February 2020. This means that spouses or civil partners with children will…
British Expats can remain UK domiciled without realising
This can result in their estates being liable to UK inheritance Tax (IHT) @ 40%. It is domicile not residence which determines whether you are liable to UK Inheritance tax. Living abroad does not necessarily protect you. There are three…
Lost Wills
Lloyds Banking Group failed to return the Wills of thousands of deceased customers to their families, leading hundreds of them to distribute assets to the wrong people. The company discovered this year that it had about 9,000 Wills of deceased…
Save 10% IHT
Reduced rate of inheritance tax where 10% of estate left to charity Cutting your Inheritance Tax bill Leaving a part or your entire estate to charity can reduce, and in some situations, eliminate the Inheritance Tax liability. If you leave…
Forced home sales
1,750 Homes Per Month Sold To Fund Social Care On average, 1,760 older homeowners per month or 406 older homeowners every week are being forced to sell their homes to fund their social care costs. According to new research by…
Probate Fees
A swingeing ‘death tax’ which was set to hit grieving families with bills of up to £6,000 has been scrapped. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has abolished the controversial planned increase in probate fees introduced by Theresa May. Set to come into…