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More ‘Do-It-Yourself’ Wills are ending up in Court
The High Court is reporting a significant increase in the number of Wills ending up in disputes at Court, because the deceased attempted to write their own Will. This is partially due to the number of people who have attempted to write their own Will during the pandemic, and especially during lockdown, but also due…
Read MoreWe are open for business
We are open for business! In fact, we’ve never closed but it’s understandable that other things have been on people’s minds. In March and April we had a huge surge in enquiries from people who felt worried about the upcoming Covid-19 pandemic. (As I type that, it seems so, so long ago. Now we’re in…
Read MoreHow to write a Will or Power of Attorney using Skype, FaceTime or phone with us
Write your Will with us remotely. Going to see a solicitor has always been difficult; you’d need time off work or a quick visit during lunch break. Will Writers have always been one step ahead: typically we visit you in your home or place of work. Covid-19 has changed how we offer our services. I’m…
Read MoreSolicitors Regulation Authority refuses to make complaints data available to the public
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has reneged on its original proposal to require solicitor firms to make details of complaints made against them available to the public. The business world has increasingly recognised the power of providing customer feedback data as a means of showing future purchasers the quality of service and products they themselves might…
Read MoreAt last – inheritance tax may be simplified!
The Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, has just announced his intentions to overhaul and simplify inheritance tax and the respective reliefs. Anyone who has taken an interest in inheritance tax would be well aware of the tortured history of this relief. There are something like 12 more commonly known reliefs available. All of these can impact on…
Read MoreMutual Wills can wreak havoc on a family!
Mutual Wills can wreak havoc on a family! Surprisingly there are different types of Will which can be written for you. The simplest is a single Will – as it suggests this is a Will for you and you alone, and details where you would want your worldly goods to go to should you die.…
Read MoreLasting Powers of Attorney becoming more popular
It has recently been reported that Lasting Power of Attorney documents have increased in popularity by 30% between April and June this year, when compared to the same period last year. Lasting Powers of Attorney documents are extremely important – they allow someone to appoint trusted members of the family or friends to manage their…
Read MoreNew Government figures show another increase in inheritance tax payments
New figures released by the Government show that inheritance tax payments netted just under £5 billion for the 2016 / 17 tax year. This was the highest figure ever recorded for inheritance tax, and 4% up on the previous financial year. The rise has been attributed partly to the old perennial of high property prices,…
Read MoreOffice of the Public Guardian to repay registration fees
Registration fees charged by the Office of the Public Guardian have been found to be excessive. Government departments can only charge fees to cover what are known as operating costs. In other words, they cannot make a profit or a surplus. However, over recent years, the OPG has introduced a number of efficiencies into how…
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