OPG Campaign Praises Benefits of Lasting Power of Attorney

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is set to launch a targeted campaign in December aimed at educating the public about the benefits of making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). Prompted by recent OPG research and due to launch in December, the new campaign videos will focus on increasing the number of LPA…

Equity Release Still on the Rise

According to a recent study commissioned by LV= equity release is still on the rise. Figures just out report an increase of 77% increase in sales from equity release products. And the overall equity release market in the UK reached an all-time high of £3.9bn for 2018. Could be Mainstream in a Decade Furthermore, LV=’s…

Probate Fee Increase Scrapped by Government

Dubbed the ‘stealth or death tax’ by many commentators, plans to increase probate fees up to a maximum of £6,000, have now been scrapped. Ministry of Justice Announcement Originally announced last November, Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland, has now reversed the decision to change the current flat-fee structure in England and Wales to…

The Importance of Making A Will

Leaving a Legacy is Brilliant… Whether for tax purposes or for a real desire to help a cause that matters to you, most of the UK’s population support leaving a legacy to charity in their Will, once their family has been provided for. But a startling 30 million of us have yet to make a…

The Benefits of Leaving Money to Charity

Making a Will is the only way to decide who benefits from you after your death. Naturally, making sure your family is looked after financially is an important consideration. However, there are benefits to leaving money to charity too. It means you’re not only supporting a worthy cause but your gift or legacy can also…

Clients Pledge Over £3.35 Million for Cancer Research

The clients of Curtis Parkinson have been recognised by Cancer Research UK for supporting their Free Will Service for almost 20 years. Since 1999, the generosity of their clients means that over £3.35 million worth of gifts have been pledged by those choosing to leave a legacy to the charity in their will. Solicitor and…

Inheritance Tax and The Residential Nil Rate Band (RNRB)

Maximising What You Leave Behind Most financial and legal experts will admit that the rules governing UK inheritance tax (IHT) are complex. Back in 2007, in an attempt to simplify the regime and “take the family home out of Inheritance Tax”, George Osborne promised to increase the nil rate band (NRB) from £325,000 to £1…

Daughter Beats Stepsister in £300k Inheritance Dispute

John & Ann Scarle, who died at home from hypothermia in October 2016, have been at the centre of a bitter inheritance dispute which settled recently, in August 2019. The argument ended up in the High Court after their two step-daughters, quibbled over which parent died first. The case revolved around a little used 100-year…

Living Together & Owning a Property

Joint Tenants -vs- Tenants In Common – Which Arrangement is Best? Out of 19.1 million families in the UK in 2018, 3.3 million were co-habiting. That’s an increase of over 25% over the last decade. Yet, from a legal standpoint, it can be confusing what your rights are when you buy a home and live…

Why DIY Wills Can Cost A Fortune

DIY Wills are very tempting. And easy to find. Check online and you’ll be able to download a form and complete a Will in less than an hour. In some cases, for less than £10. But in writing a Will for yourself, you could end up leaving your family in an emotional and financial mess.…

Persistent Probate Registry Delays Cost Dear

An Update Huge delays in submitting probate applications persist. A process that should take 2-3 weeks, in our experience, is still taking up to 12 weeks to turn around. According to a recent media report, as staff at the probate registry master the intricacies of their new software and battle with the backlog of applications,…

Squabbling Over Wills …

Were Relatives of Amy Winehouse & Aretha Franklin Destined to Argue? The importance of keeping your Will up-to-date and legally sound cannot be overstated. Do this and you’re covered. No squabbling among family members and no inheritance disputes. Nothing to affect your wishes after your gone. Most people think that. Yet every year there are…

Meeting the Cost of Care for the Elderly

And addressing challenges from Local Authorities As people live longer, the cost to central and local government of providing care for the elderly has increased massively. According to a 2018 study in The Lancet, an estimated 446,000 of over-85s will have “high dependency” care needs by 2035. An increase of over 91% from 233,000 in…

Is Your Care Home Contract Fair?

UK care home providers face direct fines if they mislead ‘customers’ Care homes are much the same as any other business. They are obliged to provide their ‘customers’ with a contract. And that contract should comply with consumer law. However, according to research by consumer association Which? in 2018, many care homes they looked at…

Will the EU Succession Regulations (Brussels IV) Affect Your Estate if You Own Property Abroad?

The principal aim of the EU Succession Regulations (EU 650/2012) – known as Brussels IV – was to unify succession laws across EU members states. Brussels IV has been in place since 17 August 2015. Whilst the UK (and Ireland and Denmark) opted out of this legislation, it’s still relevant to any UK resident individuals…

Continued Delays in Probate Applications

Despite announcing that they issued 960 grants in a single day in May, the new online probate application process, introduced by the HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) in March 2019, continues to wreak havoc. Historically, the application process took between two to six weeks. But teething problems with the new software have meant the…

Divorce, Remarriage and Inheritance Issues.

Modern relationships can be complicated. Divorce and re-marriage are commonplace. As your personal circumstances change, so too should your Will. It’s very important your Will truly reflects your wishes and beneficiaries receive what you want them to. So, we thought it might be useful to briefly look at how marriage, separation and divorce can affect…

Implications of Serious Probate Registry Delays

At the start of 2019, a new £1bn online service was unveiled by the government. This was aimed at streamlining the probate application process and reducing stress on families. But not everything has gone to plan. Bereaved families have suffered lengthy delays, leaving them in financial limbo. Reports of up to six weeks at HMRC…

Reinvigorating commonhold – will it work?

In light of recent controversies and issues with the traditional leasehold ownership of properties, the Law Commission is pushing commonhold ownership as a viable alternative. Consultation paper In their Consultation Paper entitled Reinvigorating commonhold: the alternative to leasehold ownership the Commission outlines how commonhold ownership would work in practice. The paper closely examines what impact…

Trusts and Protecting Your Assets

We’ve written a few articles recently about the government’s planned increases in probate fees. A plan which, if implemented as intended, has been dubbed a ‘stealth tax’. Unsurprisingly, amid widespread condemnation, we’ve seen a marked increase in enquiries from clients about the potential benefits of setting up trusts. Can this approach mitigate against inheritance tax…

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