This is a question we are asked frequently at Barrett and Co. This is usually due to concerns about the costs of care as our clients become older, or perhaps fears that their home would have to be sold to pay Inheritance Tax on their death. Naturally, our clients want to preserve their home for…
The importance and usefulness of the Health and Welfare Lasting of Power of Attorney really came into its own during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of the elderly and vulnerable members of society had to have decisions made about their welfare and relatives and partners were often shocked to discover that without a Power of Attorney,…
In May 2020 the law surrounding organ donation changed so that all adults in England will now be considered to have given consent to donate their organs when they die, unless they have formally ‘opted-out’ and their decision has been registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Prior to this change in law, adults in…
Last year we discussed generally what happens to your digital accounts when you die: you can read the article here. We now report on updates during the last year. Apple Users On 13 December 2021, during the release of its iOS 15.2 update, Apple officially released its Digital Legacy feature, which lets people choose the specific people…
We are delighted to announce that Barrett & Co have joined Certainty, the National Will Register. This is a national register which records the existence of your original Will at Barrett & Co. Your actual original Will remains with us in Deeds Storage and all details about the contents of your Will remain confidential. On…
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…
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…
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us many challenges over the last 15 months, and unfortunately one of those is families having to come to terms with the loss of a loved one much earlier than would ever have been anticipated. One outcome of these unexpected deaths, is that many people unfortunately did not have the…
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…
We are receiving increased enquiries where a loved one has passed away overseas, for example, ex pats who spent the later years of their lives in Spain or Portugal. We are also receiving similar enquiries from the children of immigrant workers who have spent the last years of their lives working in the UK. In…
