Taking Care with Wills
Some aspects of Wills are obvious; some are less obvious given the passage of time. People often make Wills and then do not make further Wills for 20 or 25 years. Lots can change. There is a danger of your wishes being undermined by events.Gifts of Bank Accounts and SharesIf you had made a Will…
Freedom in Wills and the problem of estranged children
When clients come to solicitors, they do so that when they die, their wishes are carried out. In unusual situations, where there has been duress or the person making the will has some form of mental illness, a will can be overturned. For most people, there are some limitations on giving away things in your…
Leaving a house in a Will
Here’s something to think about when you are leaving a house in a Will. You own the property on your own This might seem straightforward; you can name the property and leave it to whom you want in your Will. There are dangers in naming specific properties. You own a piece of a plot of…
Wealth Preservation and Asset Protection Trusts
A leaflet was posted through the door inviting me to attend a free seminar where I would learn how to protect all my assets from Care Home Fees and Inheritance Tax. Being in this line of work, this offer interested me. I was curious about how the protection that was offered would be regulated and…
Future Medical Treatment
Most people associate the use of Wills as only having an impact on the passing of the individual in question, however this is not the case. Many people are unaware of the use of ‘Living Wills’ (sometimes known as advance decisions) and also the use of advance statements. A person lacks mental capacity if they…
Intestacy
Many people die ‘intestate” i.e. they do not have Wills. The effect of being intestate is that, effectively, Parliament makes a Will for you (whether you like it or not!). From 1st October 2014, the surviving married partner or civil partner will take all of the first £250,000 and then be fully entitled to half…
Will Aid
Tassells took part in Will Aid in November 2015. Solicitors taking part in Will Aid provide the Will and advice for free, their clients paying a donation to charity in place of the normal charge. Will Aid distributes the donations between the charities involved, which were Action Aid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid,…
The importance of a will and keeping it up to date
Statistics show that two-thirds of adults in England and Wales pass away each year without having made a valid Will. Some people do not make one, others don’t realise that some events in their life can revoke a Will they have already made. If an individual dies intestate their estate is governed by the intestacy…
YOUR SECRET TRUST IS NO SECRET ANYMORE (OR IS IT?)
Once a will is admitted to probate it is a public document, so sometimes a testator will resort to a secret trust. Secret trusts are back in the news, or at least the legal news, because of a court case involving the estate of the artist Lucien Freud. Freud made a will in 2004 containing…
Challenging a Will (1) Testamentary Capacity
Avoid a Will Contest