Creating a Will is a crucial step in crystalising your wishes for the distribution of your assets after you pass away. However, many people underestimate the importance of regularly reviewing and updating their Wills to reflect changes in their lives. Life is unpredictable and what may have been an appropriate Will when first drafted may not reflect your wishes further down the line.
Read MoreDeputyships are crucial tools for ensuring the welfare and financial affairs of individuals who may lack the capacity to make decisions for themselves and there is no valid Lasting Power of Attorney/Enduring Power of Attorney in place.
Read MorePrior to the Autumn Statement on 22nd November 2023 there was speculation that the Chancellor could make changes to Inheritance Tax, albeit the rumoured changes varied in their scope. In the end, the changes were nothing more than rumours; but what exactly is inheritance tax and where did it come from?
Read MoreEstate planning is a critical aspect of securing your family’s financial future and ensuring that your wishes are met. One tool that can be utilised to tailor your estate plan, under certain circumstances, is a deed of variation.
Read MoreWhen someone dies without a Will, the ‘intestacy rules’ govern who will inherit their estate. Broadly speaking, the rules work through family members from most immediate to more distant. Where a person exists in any category that is where the estate passes.
Read MoreIncluding a charitable gift in your Will can have a significant impact, both on the causes you care about and on reducing the tax liability of your estate. Charities rely on legacies from individuals, and by directing a portion of your assets or a specific sum of money to charity, you can support their important work. Making a charity donation in your Will allows you to leave a lasting legacy and contribute to causes that are meaningful to you.
Read MoreDealing with the administration of an estate can be a complex process and depending on the assets held, it can take some time for all matters to be fully resolved. An executor is the person responsible for dealing with the deceased’s assets however, if the executor themselves then passes away, who will be able to finalise the original estate?
Read MoreThe latest timescale published by the Government is advising that it can take up to 16 weeks for a Grant of Probate to be issued by the Probate Registry once an application has been made. This timescale has doubled from the period of 8 weeks which had been advised in the later part of 2022.
Read MoreFiona Bruce Solicitors are pleased to congratulate Assistant Solicitor Jessica and her husband Sam on their recent marriage.
Read MoreIn the modern world, more and more of our information, and sometimes our property, is stored online. The sorts of digital assets you may need to consider could range from photographs, to social media or email accounts, to crypto-currency.
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