A Will is an important document that we should all write, no matter what our age or state of health. We set out a few key points that will help you decide how to craft yours, including a description of the key roles of Witness, Executor and Beneficiary. When you have made your Will, you can get on with living.
You know you should have a valid Will, but do you remember to update it? As your life changes, as relationships change too, you should also make sure that your Will changes to reflect these changes and protect your loved ones – and your legacy.
What is ‘Intestacy’? And what happens if you die with no Will? In the event that an individual dies in England and Wales without a Will or their Will only disposes of part of their assets then their residuary estate (or the undisposed part thereof) will fall under the Rules of Intestacy – described in […]
The duties of an executor can be onerous, and you might not be in the right frame of mind to properly administer a loved one’s Will. We go through the areas that an executor has to cover: lifetime gifts, advertising for beneficiaries and creditors, Will searches, determining digital assets, genealogy, and Section 160 Valuations.
How Cunningtons’ Wills & Probate team learnt from the unique challenges of a global epidemic
We discuss the process of administering a Will after someone has died; this includes probate issues and who is entitled to read a Will.
If you have a cohabitee you need to consider them in your Will: we go through some of the options
An inheritance sometimes creates tax or state benefit issues for a person receiving it but what are these potential issues, and can anything be done about them?
Did you know you can reduce your inheritance tax liability on death by making tax-free lifetime gifts? We are now about to end the tax year 2021/2022, and with the next tax year beginning on April 6th you are running out of time to make use of the year’s exemptions and allowances. Making use of […]
Winter can be a dangerous time for the elderly, as they are more vulnerable in the cold It is a sad fact that every year approximately 20,000 more people aged 65 years or over die during the winter months. Ways we can help the elderly in the winter months There are simple things we can […]
Costs of probate – or the administration of a Will – are rising by 26%. And the system is still taking far too long. We hope that increased cost will be accompanied by an improved service. Time will tell …
Our Intestacy Rules Flowchart goes through all the steps taken to decide what happens if you die without having a valid Will.