Advice

How do you like to wear your hair? Do you like crosswords? What’s your favourite TV programme? This is the sort of detail required by someone entrusted to make decisions on your behalf by a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) if you lose mental capacity for whatever reason. A health and welfare attorney deals with…

Wills are legal documents that can be challenged in a courtroom so it’s important that the rules concerning the signing process are followed rigidly. Your money, possessions and property may not be distributed as you intended if your will is found to be invalid. Two witnesses are required who must be over 18-years-old, must not…

Assets placed in a trust may be exempt from inheritance tax, charged at 40% on everything over £325,000, as long as the person making the transfer survives for at least another seven years. It’s important to note that transferees relinquish ownership of that money or property but do retain a certain amount of control. Setting…

Making a will doesn’t mean you are about to die. But it does ensure your wishes are carried out when you eventually pass away. The rules of intestacy apply when no will exists. This can cause arguments and distress among relatives struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one. One reason is because…

Property owned jointly automatically passes on death to the surviving owner(s) regardless of anything stipulated to the contrary in the will. This may cause problems if, for example, a man in a second marriage wants half the value of his jointly-owned house shared amongst his children from a previous relationship. It also relates to life…

Putting aside the emotional aspect, there are various legal steps that must be taken in the immediate stages when someone dies, even before you start to worry about probate. Police and ambulance should immediately be called following an unexpected death as a post-mortem examination is likely to be required. If somebody dies at home –…

Probate is the legal authority to dispose of money, possessions, property and debts (the estate) on behalf of a person who has died. Providing there is a will, an executor must apply for a Grant of Representation from a probate registry (there is one in Winchester). In the absence of a will, an administrator –…

Social Services could decide who brings up your children if you and your husband or wife both die. It’s a little known fact that your kids would not automatically live with their grandparents or godparents or other relatives. The last thing your grieving family needs following a tragedy is a courtroom battle with the authorities.…

If you have possessions that are precious to you and your family, you will want to make sure that they go to the right people when you’re gone. However, six out of ten people don’t have a will which means their wishes will not be upheld. With Heritage Will Writing, it’s easy to write a…

It is becoming increasingly common for many of our clients – and their friends or family – to be faced with the prospect of paying care costs. With care costs averaging over £37,544 a year, this can represent a huge open-ended financial commitment that can cause a problem for even the best placed finances. Recent…