We are often asked by clients “do I need a Will?” or “does my (loved one) need a Will?” and when answering this question there are several factors to consider. It is also important not simply to see a Will as something you might need but, in fact, something you might want! Firstly, it is…
Do you know that from Spring 2020, the law is changing so that all adults will be considered to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are an excluded group? (The excluded group are people under the age of 18, those who have lost mental…
We are continuing to see long delays at the Probate Registry. When we submit an application for probate, the usual turnaround time has usually been around 2 weeks. The recent delays, however, have seen applications taking up to 12 or 13 weeks. We have been told that the delays have come about due to an unusually…
Ada Richards, a widow, wrote a Will in 2010, a year before she died aged 92, leaving her fortune, including a £1.5 million home in Highgate, to Tony De Jong who had been her carer in her last years. Ada’s nephews, Derek and Ian Seager, issued a claim that the Will was invalid as Tony…
As a Private Client Solicitor, I am often asked by clients, usually within a Will meeting, “what is Probate?” Probate is defined as a judicial process whereby a Will is proved through the Courts; this, as one might expect, is not an overly helpful or clear explanation to give to clients! Generally speaking, Probate is…
The estate and family of the author J.R.R. Tolkien are opposed to the film entitled “Tolkien”, due for release in May 2019, about the author’s early life. They issued a brusque statement on 16 April 2019 declaring their opposition to Dome Karukoski’s film, which stars Nicholas Hoult in the title role and Lily Collins playing…
Recent statistics show that the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) are bringing, on average, five prosecutions a week for the abuse of powers of attorney. This shocking statistic goes to show just how significant the problem has become in recent years. Unfortunately, it comes as no surprise to many solicitors working with elderly and…
There are two kinds of Power of Attorney that are commonly used today, Enduring and Lasting, and both must be registered before they will be recognised by organisations with which an Attorney might need to communicate. The registration process differs hugely between the two kinds of document and, thankfully, has become a much more straightforward…
As Reading-based solicitors we often get involved in contested or contentious probate issues. There’s a lot of wealth in the Thames Valley and not everyone dies leaving a will that’s properly thought out. Some people will find it surprising that you can make a claim when you have not inherited what you expected from someone…
Last year, HM Courts and Tribunals Service proposed a massive increase to the fees charged to obtain probate. This would have seen the charges for the most valuable estates increase to £20,000. Currently, the fees are fixed at £155 for Solicitor applications and £215 for personal applicants. The plans were dropped ahead of the 2017…
