You may be acting as the Executor of a deceased person’s Will, in which case you will be responsible for winding up the deceased’s estate and carrying out the terms of their Will. If the estate includes a property, then it will be your responsibility to sell the property unless the beneficiaries under the Will…
This article deals with those who act in a representative capacity for a house owner, as their attorney or deputy. Selling under a Power of Attorney It is important to be aware of the extent of your powers, which will be defined by the type of Power of Attorney you have, and any specific directions…
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…
We are pleased to welcome Rebecca Rai as our new Trainee Solicitor. Rebecca is currently working in our Private Client department where she assists Hilary Buckle, Jane Whitfield, Charlotte Fox and Vanessa Ruparel in a variety of different matters including Wills, Powers of Attorney and the administration of estate. Prior to starting her training contract…
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…
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…
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…
