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Should you rely on the Rules of Intestacy?
If you die without a valid Will, the division of your assets will be determined by the Rules of Inte...
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Too young to have a will? Think again
Many people in their twenties, thirties or even forties think that drafting a Will is not necessary ...
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Couples can now leave up to £1 Million inheritance tax free
6 April sees the start of a new tax year, which often brings about new tax thresholds and allowances...
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Protection against the “Armageddon scenario”
When preparing your Will, you should consider what you would like to happen to your estate on your d...
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Inheritance Tax and Lifetime Gifts
Following a consultation process, the Office for Tax Simplification (‘OTS’) has recommended an overh...
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The life stages that go into legacy making
Record property values and family structures make inheritance planning a growing issue yet research ...
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Personal Representatives can be personally liable for Inheritance Tax
Did you know? Personal Representatives can be Personally liable for Inheritance Tax.
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The Liabilities of a Personal Representative – The Will
When a person dies leaving a valid Will an Executor is named to deal with the administration of thei...
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The effect of marriage and divorce on Wills
Getting married is one of the happiest times of your life and preparing a Will probably isn’t at the...
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Do your attorneys have all the powers they need?
It may often be the case that attorneys acting under either an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) or a...
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Knowing your limits at Christmas
Christmas is often described as a time for giving, but did you know that there may be tax consequenc...
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Supreme Court gives Judgment in landmark case for Inheritance and Testamentary Freedom.
Mrs Ilott pursued a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (the ...
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Glad to Care Week
Are you looking at care homes for yourself or for a loved one? If so, you may want to mark nex...
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Challenging times : what happens when family is cut out of the will
High profile inheritance disputes follow celebrities and the super-rich as surely as night follows d...
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Create a Digital Legacy
Do you have any of the following? Email account Bank accounts with online access Social media a...
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Whitehead Monckton help Dementia Friends reach their target
When Kerin Speedie, Katie Broadfield, Hannah Durston and Caroline Speed undertook training to become...
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EU Succession Rules
If you have a connection with any of the EU member states listed below, or expect to have a connecti...
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Where there’s no Will there’s only one way – the Intestacy Rules
Latest statistics from Will Aid show that only 47% of adults in the UK have a Will, so 53% of the ad...
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Heir Hunters – Don’t let the state get your estate
Every year, thousands of people die intestate or without a will. That means they haven’t left ...
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Personal Injury Trusts
It is important for someone who has successfully claimed compensation for a personal injury claim to...
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The devilish detail on inheritance tax
When Chancellor George Osborne announced significant changes to inheritance tax (IHT) in last summer...
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Care Fees and the Family Home
With people in the UK now living longer and the average life expectancy reaching 79 for males and 83...
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Digital Assets and the Limits of Technology
For Personal Representatives, so called ‘digital assets’ can provide an additional heada...
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Health and Welfare Lasting Powers of Attorney
There are currently over 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia and the Alzheimer’s Soc...
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Families who leave court the losers after inheritance claims
Record numbers of inheritance disputes are going through the courts as modern family structures and ...
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Asset Protection Trusts In Wills
An Asset Protection Trust (also called a Family Protection Trust) is a method designed to ring-fence...
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Soaring fees set deadline for executors and estate planning
Controversial court fees which have been branded a stealth tax on bereaved families are expected to ...
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Will law should be brought into 'modern world'
The law around wills should be updated and brought into the "modern world", the Law C...
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Where there’s a Will, there’s a way
When thinking of making a Will, the idea of a lawyer taking down last instructions at the bedside st...
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Dementia and the Power of Attorney
One of the fastest growing health issues in UK society is the rise in dementia. This category of dis...
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Powers of Attorney: Alleviating risks a response to the comments made by Denzil Lush
Retired Court of Protection Senior Judge Denzil Lush spoke on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 ear...
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Family Investment Companies
In these days of hyper-low interest rates it is often very difficult for clients with very large cas...
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A quick guide to Probate
Dealing with the death of a loved one is hard enough. However, there are still practical considerati...
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Nuptial Agreements and Wills
Couples who marry or enter into a civil partnership may also enter into a nuptial agreement to set o...
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Inheritance tax – could the rising value of houses push more ordinary people into the inheritance tax bracket?
The last thing you want to think about when you’re mourning the passing of a loved one is divv...
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In April 2017 we saw the introduction of the Residence Nil Rate Band (‘RNRB’); an additional inheritance tax allowance.
You may remember the newspaper headlines prior to the introduction of the RNRB additional inheritanc...
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Be alert to tax changes!
Estate planning was mentioned in the Autumn 2017 Budget in a number of ways, including increases in ...
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Cohabitees: Matters of Life and Death
Nowadays it is very common for couples to live together for extended periods of time before getting ...
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Law reform to permit video witnessing of Wills
In the past couple of weeks, an amendment to the current law surrounding the requirements to witness...
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You Either Have Mental Capacity Or You Don’t, Right?
Wrong! Many people think that you simply have capacity or do not have capacity. Many peo...
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Age suit gives Whitehead Monckton staff an insight into the difficulties some older people face
This week, Kent County Council kindly gave Whitehead Monckton’s Maidstone office the opportunity to ...
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Maximising opportunities to minimise inheritance tax – Junior ISAs
When it comes to tax planning, the smaller inheritance tax allowances can sometimes be overlooked. H...
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The Liability of a Personal Representative - Tax
Following on from my previous article entitled “The Liability of a Personal Representative – The Wil...
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Protecting your business when preparing for the unexpected
Business continuity planning may range across various disaster scenarios, from cyber-attack to fire ...
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Covid- 19: we are still with you every step of the way
In these unprecedented times that we are living through, people turn to the news for up to date info...
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Giving To Charity
It seems that people in the UK are a charitable bunch. In fact, last year, just under £3 billi...
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Making provision in your Will for a vulnerable beneficiary
There are various issues to consider when leaving a gift to a vulnerable beneficiary, such as a chi...
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The end of Inheritance Tax?
Inheritance Tax (‘IHT’) is a tax of transfers of wealth, and most commonly arises on a p...
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Powers of Attorney and Advance Medical Directives in the light of COVID-19
In these extraordinary times, it is more important than ever to review what arrangements you have in...
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Safeguarding is vital when appointing others to act
Financial abuse of vulnerable people by those acting on their behalf is on the rise, with investigat...
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How is an estate taxed on death and during its administration? Part 2
Although upon a deceased’s death the personal representatives are often aware of the need to c...
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How does COVID19 affect your role as an attorney or deputy?
If you are an attorney (appointed by an individual by an Enduring or Lasting Power of Attorney) or a...
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A guide to looking after those most vulnerable: COVID-19 update
These are difficult times in light of the ongoing lock-down prohibiting people from leaving the hous...
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How to make a valid Will during lockdown – Covid-19
The effect of the Coronavirus has highlighted the importance of having a valid Will in place, find o...
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Coronavirus: NHS and Social Care Life Assurance
Our latest article by Bekka Fuszard talks about the National Health Service and Social Care Coronavi...
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Halloween & The Day of The Dead
In this article, Bekka Fuszard talks about Halloween, the Day of the Dead and encourages us all to h...
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Who will take care of my animals when I am no longer able to do so?
When making a will, people often consider who they wish to leave their financial assets to, though s...
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Why should you make a Will?
With lockdown 2.0 ongoing, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a huge impact on our everyday liv...
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Changes to Capital Gains Tax on the horizon?
Put simply, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is the tax paid on the difference between the value at which an ...
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Lasting Powers of Attorney are not just for the older generation!
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) are legal documents that allow you to appoint people you trust to ...
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Spread a little kindness this Christmas
2020 has been tough. As a lawyer dealing with Wills, Probate and Mental Capacity, I have seen first...
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New year, new you? Why it might be a good time to write a will
There is no denying that 2020 is a year which will go down in history - for many reasons. The global...