Christmas is seen as a time for giving so if you are thinking of making or updating an existing Will, have you considered leaving money to charity? The Charity Commission has revealed that 35,000 people in England, Scotland and Wales who died in 2014 made donations in their Wills, benefiting more than 2,200 charities. Whilst […]
Most people are aware of the importance of making a Will to deal with physical assets. Relatively few of us, however, have probably considered what will become of our digital assets when we die. What is a digital asset? A digital asset is one that requires a password and username to access. For example, digitally-stored […]
Internet scammers are now scamming individuals into responding to emails about receiving unexpected inheritances. The emails claim to give the recipient the opportunity to claim ownerless properties and funds through the ‘Bona Vacantia Division.’ As a result of such scams, the Bona Vacantia Division (BV Division) has recently issued a warning:- ‘Neither Government Legal Department […]
The Inheritance and Trustees Powers Act 2014 came into force in October 2014 and made a number of changes to the law on wills and intestacy. Intestacy arises when somebody dies without having made a Will. If you die intestate then the law will state what will happen to your Estate rather than you. If […]
When Mrs Jackson died in 2004 she deliberately excluded her daughter from her Will and left her estate to animal charities with which she had little connection. In a surprising decision the Court of Appeal has, however, awarded the daughter a substantial settlement from her mother’s estate. This case could prove to be a landmark […]
What happens to your Will if you get divorced or end your civil partnership? When you divorce or end your civil partnership your former spouse/civil partner is treated as having died before you. This means that they will not inherit anything from your estate unless your Will specifically states that divorce or dissolution of a […]
A Will is one of the most important documents you will ever make but an increasing number of people are preparing homemade Wills, possibly in an attempt to cut costs. However, although DIY Wills could be relatively inexpensive, the legal costs involved to remedy their potential errors may well exceed the cost of a professionally […]
The Chancellor has outlined a promise he says he could not fulfil in coalition. From April 2017, parents can pass £1m on to their children free of inheritance tax. A “family home allowance” worth £175,000 per person will be added to the existing £325,000 tax free allowance from April 6, 2017. This means that individuals […]
