As our children are heading back to school and university, and home-working with a full house becomes a distant memory, now is as good a time as any to take the opportunity to review our financial and personal affairs. September is often a time for families to get organised for the future; with children progressing…
HM Revenue & Customs has reported that total inheritance tax receipts were £5.35 bn for the 2020/2021 financial year. This is a 3.68% rise from the previous year. In the tax year 2018 to 2019, London and the South East accounted for 53% of the total inheritance tax charged across England. The average tax paying…
I have spoken to so many charity trustees over the past year or so, and there is a common theme behind their concerns, which is what should they be doing during the pandemic, and whether there will be any changes to the way they are regulated. The Charity Commission has issued guidance to charity trustees,…
It has recently been highlighted by me as well as others (see article Can you exclude entry to someone for not wearing a face mask – 7th May 2021) that it could be disability discrimination if you refuse entry to someone if they refuse to wear a face mask. However, some social media posts claim…
Readers of this month’s newsletter will note Juliette Spanner’s article “What is mental capacity and how does it impact me?”, which refers to the The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). All attorneys should familiarize themselves with the MCA in order to carry out their duties properly and effectively. It is very easy, when asked to…
In order to make a Will in England or Wales, the law requires you to understand fully what you are doing and its implications. This is known as having “testamentary capacity”, which is a special category of capacity. Broadly, in relation to making a Will, it relates to whether a person is capable of understanding:…
The Right to be Forgotten emerged from people’s desire to control the course of their lives without being forever or periodically stigmatised as a result of past behaviour. It is an incredible tool to digitally erase unwanted details to enable you to have a fresh start in life, by avoiding the terror of undesirable data…
Did you know that as an employer, you still have to make sure that your staff working from home are ok? If they are going to carry on with some part-time or full time home working, then you should have a checklist… You will need to ensure that: The work is suitable to be done…
American singer and song-writer Britney Spears shot to fame in 1999 following a string of successful musical hits and soon Spears became a household name recognised globally for her musical achievements. However, following her divorce in 2006, Spears suffered a highly publicised mental health crisis, which resulted in her father being appointed as her conservator…
When a loved one passes away, we often receive telephone calls from family members who simply do not know where to start. Often families feel that there must be a million and one tasks to be getting on with and they are not sure which to prioritise, and which can be left on the back…
