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).
Implications of an intended new “Death Tax”…
Before the snap General Election, the Government was planning to introduce a new fee structure for applications for Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration (under intestacy), which would have…
Government Considers “Death Tax” to pay Care Costs…
When we lose someone, ‘how much will it cost?’ is not usually the first factor that springs to mind. As much as we’d like to be rational, emotions tend to…
Factoring Dependents into Your Will…
One of the first significant considerations you will need to think about when planning or reviewing your Will is who your dependents are – who relies on you financially or…
What are Someone’s “Best Interests”…?
Becoming an Attorney for someone means taking on the responsibility to either help them make decisions, or to make decisions on their behalf when they lack the capacity to do…
The Cost of Dying is Increasing…
The Government is introducing a new fee structure that will affect the cost of accessing an estate when someone dies. Fees for Applications for Grant of Probate – or Letters…
The New Tax Relief: What if my Property is “In Trust”
The way properties are judged for Inheritance Tax has changed. On 6th April 2017, the new Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) was introduced. This new tax-free allowance is designed to…
An Executors liability…
As an Executor of someone’s estate, am I personally liable? The short answer is ‘yes’. Recent research suggested that 96% of Executors did not realise that they were legally and…
New Year, New Will..?
Why now is a great time to review your Will 2016 will long be remembered as a year which saw a number of historically significant events take place, many of…
Vast Probate Fee increases…
Government announces significant overhaul of Probate Fees from 1st May 2017 Last February, the Government launched a consultation into probate fees and how much families should be charged for extracting…
New rules to reduce IHT bills – possibly…
The new Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) comes into effect this April, supposedly meaning you can now plan to hand down your family home with either a zero tax bill…
HMRC loses tribunal over pension transfer rule
Changes might be on the horizon for the rules surrounding inheritance tax (IHT) on pension transfers, after an appeal from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) was recently rejected. The case…
Before you forget
Early signs of a loss of memory are an uncomfortable reminder of the aging process, and are certainly no joke – particularly if you haven’t put in place the right…