We were delighted to receive this thankyou note from Sawston Village College for our support of their 2019 Sports Awards Evening.
It is our pleasure to help an important local community and we hope the evening goes well.
Please click on the image below to read the full letter.
A Will is a legal document confirming how you wish your assets (your estate) to be dealt with following death.
Every adult who owns assets should make a Will rather than rely on the Intestacy Rules (statutory provisions) where there is no Will.
What is worse than not making a Will? Leaving an out of date or incorrectly drawn up Will.
Even if you have already made a Will, this ought to be reviewed periodically and in particular if you or your family’s circumstances have changed and following new legislation.
Have you married since making your Will? Marriage automatically revokes a Will made prior to the marriage unless it has been made in contemplation of, but not conditional upon, the marriage taking place.
Have you separated or divorced since your Will was made? A review would be advisable.
Have you had children since you made your last Will? Or perhaps you have subsequently become involved in a business which should be catered for separately in your Will.
Do you need to consider the joint ownership of any freehold or leasehold properties? Do you own as joint tenants or tenants in common and what is the difference?
Would a review of your Will ensure your property could be safeguarded against possible future nursing home fees of a surviving spouse?
Furthermore, there are Inheritance Tax considerations insofar as there is a new Residence Nil Rate Band that may be applicable to your estate and might require a review of the terms of your existing Will to fully utilise this new exemption.
If you require advice in relation to making a Will or reviewing the terms of your Will, contact a member of Adams Harrison’s Private Client Department for expert and professional advice.
Melanie Pratlett
Partner
Head of Private Client Department
In December of 2017 the Government announced it would prohibit nearly all future sales of new build leasehold houses and would be proposing modifications to the existing rules applicable to leasehold properties to circumvent what it has referred to as “feudal practices” and “unnecessary leaseholds, unjustifiable charges and onerous ground rent terms.”
Although for flats leasehold ownership is often practical, the Government sees little reason, other than additional profits for developers, for houses to be sold on a leasehold basis. A ban on leasehold house sales will only protect future purchasers of newly built properties and would not present any respite for the millions of people in the country who already own leasehold houses.
To assist existing leasehold homeowners the Government has asked the Law Commission to prioritize modifications to the current enfranchisement scheme. Leasehold property owners have “enfranchisement rights” which include a right to purchase the freehold interest in a property or to extend the leasehold term. However, at present, the rules relating to enfranchisement are complex, technical and burdensome.
The Law Commission has published a summary of proposed modifications to the leasehold enfranchisement scheme relating to leasehold houses. The modifications proposed are aimed at simplifying the regime to make enfranchisement more accessible for leasehold property owners and include recommendations for the removal of unnecessary technical hurdles, modifications to the eligibility rules, and simplifying the enfranchisement procedure. Under the current scheme a leasehold owner must have owned the property for at least two years before the rights can be exercised, however, the proposed changes would do away with this time requirement to allow leasehold house owners to seek immediate relief.
At this stage the proposed modifications are just that, proposals, however the Law Commission has advised that an in depth Consultation Paper will be published this month and it is our hope that the proposals will lead to substantive changes in the enfranchisement regime which will make the enfranchisement process simpler and less expensive for our clients.
If you have any questions please contact our Conveyancing team.
