The programme is based on the work of probate detectives trying to find an eligible relative for a surprise inheritance. So why did 55,000 estates last year pass to the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government? Simply because the deceased failed to make a Will and did not leave any eligible relatives. If you do…
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…
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…
The short answer to that question is . . . not yet. In November’s newsletter, I wrote an article warning that the Government was about to bring in a massive increase to the fees charged to obtain probate. The proposed changes will increase probate court fees from the current cost of £215 (or £155 if…
