Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has posed the question of whether we might find a cure for dementia in near future. Speaking on World Alzheimer’s Day he said: “This is the question that for years no one has dared to ask. We assumed – wrongly – that dementia was just part of the ageing process instead
Three sisters have won a dispute with their father’s widow over the validity his will, which he made shortly before he died. The case involved a man who lived in Grenada with his second wife. In 2014, he had visited England to see his three daughters from his previous marriage. While he was there he
The law governing the writing of wills needs to be updated to reflect modern understanding of dementia and mental capacity. The government should also consider the introduction of electronic wills and reduce the age for making a will from 18 to 16. Those are some of the recommendations from the Law Commission in a public
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to refund nearly £90m to thousands of people who’ve been overcharged when taking out lasting powers of attorney (LPA) in the last four years. The errors occurred between April 2013 and March 2017. In its annual report, the MoJ said: “More people have been registering for lasting powers of
Families in the UK have paid more than £5 billion inheritance tax in a single year for the first time ever. The record figure reflects the increasing value of estates, largely fuelled by rising house prices. HMRC says that £5.1 billion was collected through inheritance tax receipts in the 12 months to May. That was
A family have been told they cannot make a claim on their stepmother’s estate following the death of her husband. The case involved a couple who died within a few months of each other. The wife had an estate worth more than £26m, while the husband’s estate was valued at £320,000. Both partners had children
The recent Dementia Awareness Week, organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, put the spotlight on the challenges we face as we live longer lives and encounter the illnesses associated with old age. A study published by the journal, BMC Medicine, showed that the number of people who die from dementia is set to almost quadruple in
The problems that can arise if a person fails to keep their will up to date was highlighted in a recent case involving a deceased man’s estranged wife and his new partner. The man had separated from his wife in 1994 but they did not divorce. Shortly after the separation, he began living with his
The government has postponed its proposed increases in probate application fees because there won’t be time to introduce them before the coming election. Ministers hope to go ahead with the changes later this year despite strong opposition from lawyers, charities and the public. Under the current fee structure, fees for grants of probate are set
The increasing demand for powers of attorney have enabled the government to reduce costs. It means the fee for applying to register a lasting power of attorney (LPA) or an enduring power of attorney (EPA) has been reduced from £110 to £82. The fee for resubmitting an LPA for registration has been cut from £55