It’s important to have someone you respect agree to be the executor of your will. That’s because you have an opportunity to discuss your intentions while you are alive, and make sure everything is crystal clear to them. They may even make suggestions where you could … [Read more...]
Probate Caveat – What It Is and What It Does
‘Caveat’ is a Latin word telling the reader to beware of something. And thus we have ‘caveat canem’ beware the dog, ‘caveat emptor’ beware the buyer, and so on. It follows a ‘probate caveat’ says ‘watch out, before applying for a grant of probate or letters of … [Read more...]
Unusual Angle on Hoarding May Shed Fresh Light
Hoarding seems embedded in the English psyche if for no reason that the habit is so persistent. Scientists have been re-visiting Anglo-Saxon hoards in England, and wondering why they dumped such valuable things. Artefacts found in the Tattershall hoard in … [Read more...]
Applications for Probate on the Internet Are Still Chaotic
While the higher probate tax is on indefinite hold at least for now, the digital scheme it was supposed to help fund is still chaotic. The Register blew the cover on October 30, 2019, as the disgraceful treatment of mourners continued unabated. That’s because closing … [Read more...]
Valid and Invalid Wills – The Pitfalls to Avoid
Wills are called ‘last testaments’ for good reason. That’s because once we die, there is nothing we can do to change them from ‘the other side’. We tackle the question of what makes a will invalid today. Or put differently, how to make sure we leave a valid will. For … [Read more...]
How Do I Know I Have a Hoarder on My Hands?
Some hoarding situations are pretty obvious. Social services have to break a window to get in because of stuff piled up against the doors inside. Chaos reigns as they battle to reach the room where an elderly person lies bedridden. The neighbours gather in the street … [Read more...]
A Quick Guide to The Ins and Outs of Probate
In the first instance probate refers to the process of validating a will, and officially appointing an executor to implement it. However, it also includes distributing the assets in the estate to the heirs according to those wishes. The Probate court confirms the … [Read more...]
Unusual Wills in Wales and England the Law May Allow
Many solicitors in Wales and England will say a will is only valid if (a) it is in writing, and (b) the person signed it, or another person in their presence acting under their directions. Finally, the signature must also be attested by two witnesses who are both … [Read more...]
Is Hoarding the Same Thing in the Minds of Children
Most research into hoarding focuses on adults. As far as untidy teens are concerned their ‘collections’ are signs of rebellious minds. And as for kids, well they are too young for that. But are they really not old enough? What follows may surprise you. A child does … [Read more...]
New Probate Fee Dropped Is This a Public Victory?
We were delighted to see Justice Secretary Robert Buckland give up on the idea of a scaled probate fee. The current administration had been pushing for the thinly-disguised stealth tax since 2016, and was facing a mounting wave of opposition. The top-end fee was … [Read more...]
