Article Category: Personal & Family Law – Insight & Opinion

When someone passes away and leaves an estate bearing inheritance tax (IHT), there are deadlines for filing the Account and paying the tax due. In many cases, the tax is paid before the Grant of Probate is sent for application. However, if there is land in the estate, some of the tax can be paid… Read more »

The great British public, long heralded as a nation of animal lovers, will frequently pamper their pooches and care for their cats in a variety of ways that may seem extravagant to some. With 49% of UK adults owning a pet and so many pets being a much-adored member of the family, it makes practical… Read more »

The Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) is an additional inheritance tax allowance which can be utilised by those who have a residential property and wish to leave this to their direct descendants. This includes children, grandchildren, stepchildren and even widows, widowers and civil partners of descendants in certain circumstances. On 6 April 2017, George Osborne… Read more »

A year or so ago Mr and Mrs Smith came to see me to enquire about a Lasting Power of Attorney. Mr Smith was sadly suffering from early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and as a result of her husband’s ill health, Mrs Smith had given up work to look after him. Following a drastic fall in their… Read more »

The High Court heard 368 probate dispute cases last year, up from 282 in 2017. It has been suggested that the reason for this increase is due to the growing popularity of DIY Wills. A DIY Will is one which has been made without professional advice, usually at home in someone’s own handwriting or using… Read more »

If you are concerned about the inheritance tax your family will have to pay and how much may go to the taxman, this article summarises various ways to reduce your inheritance tax bill when you are living. If you are a single person and your estate is worth over £325,000 or if you are married… Read more »

Contentious Probate Q&A My father has recently passed and I am the executor of his estate. He had a lot of personal effects, which my relatives are squabbling over. What should I do? These personal effects are called chattels. As executor, it is your duty to collect his personal effects and distribute them to the beneficiaries of… Read more »

Will writing is not currently regulated so anyone can write a Will. If you want to, you can write a Will yourself by picking up a will pack from your local post office or newsagents. It is also now possible to attend a course to learn how to write a Will in a day, for… Read more »

The law surrounding the inheritance rights of adopted children can seem incredibly complex and confusing with many adopted children not knowing where they stand legally when either their biological or adopted parents pass away. Adopted parents: Children who have been legally adopted are treated in exactly the same way as biological children for the purposes… Read more »

In 2014 the Alzheimer’s Society published a study on the increasing prevalence of dementia in the UK. It found that 1 in 14 of the population aged over 65 are suffering with dementia and 40,000 people living in the UK have early-onset dementia. These statistics raise many questions about the care available for patients but… Read more »