The government is to allow vulnerable people to continue to be able to have their wills witnessed via video-link until 2024. The move extends measures brought in because of the pandemic. It’s designed to help people who are forced to isolate either with Covid or from another vulnerability. Ministers hope it will reassure all those
The government has confirmed that probate fees will increase to a rate of £273 for all applicants, regardless of the size of the estate, from 26th January 2022. At present, where an estate is more than £5,000, HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) charges on a two tier scale. If you are a probate practitioner
January is the time for making resolutions to give ourselves a fresh start for the New Year. It’s good to take stock and decide to eat less or exercise more but there’s so much more we could be doing to improve our lives and protect ourselves for the future. Here are three New Year Resolutions
A widow has been granted a court order to prevent her deceased husband’s children from challenging his will under the Italian legal system. The deceased was born in Italy but moved to England aged 20, where he remained resident until he died aged 78 in 2018. His entire working life and most of his assets
The increasing use of unregulated online will writing services could lead to a surge in family disputes over a loved one’s estate, researchers have warned. Online services have become more popular over the last few years, particularly during the Covid lockdown periods. The consultancy firm, Funeral Solution Expert (FSE), analysed 26 online will writers. It
Probate lawyers are urging the government to introduce reforms to make it easier for families to access the ‘digital assets’ of deceased relatives. A new report carried out by STEP – the professional body for inheritance planning advisers – highlights the extent of the distress caused by being cut off from digital assets when family members
A man has been removed as an executor of his mother’s will after his brother complained that he was obstructing the administration of the estate. The case involved three brothers; two of them were executors of her will. Following several years of disagreement, one of the brothers raised a petition seeking the removal of the
The High Court has reconciled contradictory instructions relating to a deceased woman’s estate so that all three of her children can receive an equal inheritance. The court made the ruling after the trustees of a settlement applied for an interpretation of the woman’s will. Under the deed of settlement, the woman had a special power
The process of managing a loved one’s affairs using a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is to be made simpler and safer. An LPA is a legal document that allows people to appoint someone else (an attorney) to make decisions about their welfare, money or property. They are often used by older people to choose
The High Court has outlined some tests for mental capacity and whether a person may have had delusional beliefs when making a will. The issue arose following a family dispute involving a brother and sister. Their parents had divorced in 1980 when their mother discovered letters written by her husband which revealed that he had