Rachael is on a mission to share her expertise and help more people avoid the all-too-common misery caused by not having a Will, poorly drafted Wills, or the lack of relevant estate planning provisions.
The articles below share her nuggets of wisdom, drawn from years of working with personal and business clients, to help protect you from these pitfalls, explained in straightforward, plain English (not legal jargon).
How the court decides what is ‘reasonable financial provision’ under a Will claim
When claims are made against an estate the courts can make ‘reasonable financial provision’ for the applicant. This article looks at what this means and how the courts come to their decision.
Resolving the issue of Asset Protection Trusts sold to “protect your home from care fees”
Universal Wealth Preservation – a cautionary tale about the damage Asset Protection Trusts can do.
Providing complete solutions to property investors
An extremely important project for a couple of property investors who were in a very precarious situation if anything should have happened to either of them.
Will provision for husband and wife business owners
The intricacies of balancing your family and business when preparing your Will – and the pitfalls of getting it wrong.
The Danger of Asset Protection Trusts sold to “protect your home from care fees”
Back in 2018, I wrote a blog on this topic, having been contacted by several of my clients who had received door drop leaflets inviting them to attend a free…
Who can make a claim against your estate?
The complexities and legalities of making a claim against a Will.
Will Writing Statistics…
Internet advice company unbiased.co.uk recently carried out a survey into Wills and the process of regularly reviewing and updating them in line with a client’s changing circumstances. The study, which…
What is a Trust…?
Many Wills may have a Trust written into them but there is often confusion surrounding the reasons why it has been included and what it actually means. A Trust…
Does your Will have a Survivorship Clause…?
Having a survivorship clause in your Will isn’t always a good thing and can in some circumstances increase the amount of Inheritance Tax due. To understand why, we need to…
Court ruling proves you need a higher degree of mental capacity to write a Will than to get married…
The Court of Protection has approved the right of a man with dementia to marry his long-term partner, against the wishes of the daughters of his first marriage. The father…
What do Care Homes cost in this day and age?
The prospect of paying for care homes can seem a daunting one, especially when it appears that so many factors go into assessing out how much exactly you will be…
The difference between Probate & Estate Administration
Both Probate and Estate Administration are associated with handling an individual’s estate after they’ve died, but they are defined differently and often misunderstood. ‘Probate’ is a widely used term but…