Posts Tagged ‘Duties of an Executor’
Who can be a beneficiary of my will?
Anyone can be named as a beneficiary in your will – as long as you live in England. Many other countries have different laws, often referred to as forced heirship. As you might expect, the rules can change as you cross borders. In Scotland, your immediate family has legal rights even if they are not…
Read MoreWhat do I do with my personal belongings?
What happens to your personal belongings after your death is entirely up to you – as long as you have made a will. You may want your diaries and fading love letters piled on a bonfire to save embarrassment. You may want your bits and bobs given to charity. You may want everything sold and…
Read MoreHow long does probate take to get?
Online applications for grants of probate should be processed within eight weeks, the government now says. But don’t forget that a huge amount of work has to be completed beforehand. The estate must be valued. That means contacting the deceased person’s bank, building society and any other financial institutions to discover their work at time…
Read MoreWhat is probate?
Probate is the official proving of a will – which probably leaves you none the wiser. In layman’s terms, probate is the whole process of dealing with the estate of someone who has died. Many people believe that as long as they are named as an executor in a will, they can just plough on…
Read MoreFuneral Wishes
You may want your ashes buried under the centre spot at Wembley or sprinkled on the top of Mount Everest. Perhaps you want your body launched into the Solent on a blazing Viking longboat (as outlined in a previous posting – putting the “fun” into funeral requests!) As long as it’s legal, anything is possible…
Read MoreGeographic Limits
Please don’t try this at home, as they often say on TV to placate the health and safety brigade following the broadcast of a dangerous stunt. Writing your own will is fraught with danger at the best of times but attempting to do so when you own assets in another country should really be left…
Read MoreWho looks after my children if I die?
After the initial cuddle and the tears of joy and the barrage of phone calls and Facebook messages, what is the next priority for a new parent? As any mum or dad will tell you, life becomes hectic when a baby is born. However, one of the most important things on your to-do list should…
Read MoreWhat is an Executor and what do they do?
We often say we’d trust someone with our life. Well, an executor is the person we trust with our death – or at least what happens after our demise. An executor is the friend or relative or professional that we nominate to carry out the instructions in our will. It can be a great honour…
Read MoreControlling access to computer passwords after death
Technology may be taking over our lives but the digital age is in its infancy. Where we will be in 20 years is anyone’s guess. Whether it be banking or shopping or car insurance, our affairs are conducted more and more these days on mobile phones and laptop computers. These things need to be secure…
Read MoreHow powerful is the Taxman?
It’s often claimed that tax inspectors have more power than the police. Perhaps we’ll leave that debate to the civil liberty lobbyists. But it is a fact that Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officials leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of what is rightfully theirs – which, in effect, means ours. Some people…
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