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).
Will You Make the Change…?
28% of Wills are found to be invalid on death – many due to not having been kept up-to date. Life is constantly subject to change, giving away little indication…
The Pitfall of Gifting Assets
It’s no secret that there is a care crisis in the UK. In order to deliver social care, the Government is being forced to consider increasing Council Tax to help…
Til’ Death Do You Part…?
Around one third of parents are unwilling to leave an inheritance to their children or provide them with financial aid, as they are concerned a future divorce may mean that…
Off the Shelf & Off the Mark
Having a poorly written Will is often as bad as having no Will at all, but what are the risks of ‘doing it yourself’ when it comes to writing down…
A Change in Circumstances…
Statistically, the beginning of the year is the busiest time for divorce lawyers, so if you’re currently feeling the chill of a winter break-up, don’t forget to change your Will…
Lasting Powers of Attorney – Planning for the Unexpected
Dementia is a growing problem in the UK. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently 850,000 people with dementia, and that number is set to reach one million by…
Will this be the Year…?
By now the majority of people will either have given up on their New Year’s resolution, or be celebrating the end of ‘dry January’. Writing a Will probably wasn’t top…
Is your Will up to date? Changing family dynamics is a key reason for an increase in contested estates
Three animal welfare charities have mounted an appeal to challenge a judge’s decision which allowed a woman’s estranged daughter to overturn her Will. They will be appealing the decision to…
Many more ‘ordinary’ families face paying Inheritance Tax – are you prepared?
HMRC collected a record £4.56bn in Inheritance Tax (IHT) in 2015/16, a 21% increase in IHT payments from the previous year and an enormous 70% increase since 2010/2011. The reason…
The number of LPAs granted has tripled – do you understand the benefits of having an LPA?
The number of lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) registered annually has tripled between 2010 and 2015. The increase in the number of LPAs being registered may be due to a…
Around one in ten people write their own Will – but are you aware of the risks posed by DIY Wills?
Mistakes made in DIY Wills are often not discovered until after that person has passed away, by which time it is too late to rectify the damage that a poorly…
Grieving families face a significant rise in Probate fees
The Financial Times reported recently that Government proposals unveiled earlier in March; could result in a hundredfold increase in probate fees for some families. This came to light when the…