If you are widowed and your spouse/civil partner was an ISA saver then did you know that you benefit from the right to retain their ISA wrapper? Under the previous system, when someone died, any savings held in an ISA automatically lost their tax-free status, and the tax benefits were lost forever. This meant that…
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…
Nowadays many people have second marriages where their new partner already has children, some of whom are adults. If you have a step-child and you have not formally adopted the child, then they will not automatically inherit your estate when you pass away. This is particularly important where the step-child is of adult age and…
If you have recently reviewed your Will and noticed a few things that you want changing, or maybe a few things that you think need updating, like addresses of your Executors or Beneficiaries for example, your first instinct might be to grab a pen, cross through the information, and write on the document what your…
Were you taken in by a leaflet put through your letterbox from Universal Wealth Preservation? Or perhaps you were invited to attend a seminar locally called “Keep It In the Family”, run by Universal Wealth Preservation or any of its associated companies? The police’s Eastern Region Specialist Operations Unit is investigating over 100 reports of fraudulent activity relating…
As a Firm we regularly advise our clients of the importance of a Power of Attorney and the usual response, quite understandably, is “I don’t think I am in a position to need one of those yet”. We have recently been instructed in several cases where unfortunately, a person has lost their capacity to articulate…
Administering the Estate of a loved one or friend can be an extremely challenging experience, particularly when acting without legal advice. We have therefore outlined a few points of interest that may assist you along the way. If you would like to discuss the administration of an Estate with a member of our team then…
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…
