When is a Will invalid?
There are many traps that people can fall into that could potentially make their Will invalid. Without employing a professional to help construct your Will, you run the risk of making these mistakes. An invalid Will could potentially cause chaos for your loved ones at a time when they really don’t need the additional upset, […]
Can a Will be changed after death?
The short answer is YES: if all beneficiaries are in agreement, it is possible to amend an Estate Plan (or the standard division of assets, if your loved one died intestate) within two years of death. Sometimes families can be surprised by the contents of a loved one’s Will – and the surprise is not […]
Common Law ‘Spouses’ – what are your legal rights after death?
Many believe that if they live together long enough, they become married in common law. This is not the case. So what happens if you are not married or in a civil partnership, and your other half dies? Although discussing future inheritance can be uncomfortable, a sudden bereavement can turn your life upside down in […]
Sideways Dis-inheritance
Sideways dis-inheritance is the phrase used to describe when children, often unintentionally, end up losing out on their share of their parents estate due to remarriage. If you pass away, and either have no will or a standard mirror will, your property generally passes straight to your spouse, so they now own all the assets. Should the […]
Probate Explained
What is probate? Probate is not a topic of conversation that many wish to have, but most people will have to deal with probate at some point in their life, so it best to know what the process is and what is involved. What is needed to distribute a person’s estate? When a person passes […]
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?
Although associated mainly with those who are either ill or elderly, a Lasting Power of Attorney, or LPA, can be useful for any person at any stage in their life. With the current pandemic, it has brought to light the importance of loved ones or those you trust, to be able to manage your affairs […]
Role of an Executor
The person appointed an executor in a will has been entrusted, by the deceased, to arrange the payment of the estate’s debts and expenses as well as the distribution of the deceased’s property. The role of an executor is not an easy one, or one to be taken lightly. They will have a legal responsibility […]
The Rights Of A Beneficiary
When a person passes away, the people named as beneficiaries have various rights when it comes to the administration of how the deceased’s estate is distributed and how any trusts are being administered. As a beneficiary under a will, you only have a legal right over the share of the inheritance only when it has […]
What Happens to My Estate If I Do Not Leave A Will?
When a person passes away without a will or had a will that was considered invalid, they are considered to die ‘intestate’, If you pass away without a will, what happens to your estate will depend on the intestacy rules depending on where you live in the UK. The rules follow an order of succession […]
