Almost every person who dies in England or Wales leaves possessions behind. Probate law protects their interests, and seeks to allocate those resources as they would have wished. If you are a close relative or beneficiary you may like to help in these circumstances. … [Read more...]
How and Why to Place a Deceased Estate Notice
After a person dies they leave an estate behind them. This is a legal term for their property, possessions, investments, creditors, and other obligations. Although estate originally meant any land and buildings they owned. A deceased estate notice begins the process of … [Read more...]
Your Next of Kin Is Not De Facto Your Custodian
A next of kin has no legal status in Britain to make decisions on behalf of another, whether disabled or deceased. Yet how often don’t we hear people saying ‘So-and-so is my next of kin. They’ll take of my affairs when I am gone.’ However, the truth is your next of kin … [Read more...]
How to Value a House and Contents for Probate
A deceased estate must be valued for inheritance tax purposes before there can be any question of dividing up the assets. This article explains how to value a house, and contents because these often make up a significant part of any estate. It is worth mentioning … [Read more...]
First Step After Loved One Dies in England or Wales
Losing a loved one leaves a traumatic hole in your heart, whether or not you expected it. You may wish to close the door on society for a while. However, you may not be able to do so if they appointed you executor, or you otherwise have to take the first step after your … [Read more...]
Who Gets Your English and Welsh Assets When You Die and Your Will is Invalid?
This article is about assets in England and Wales that are your legal entitlement. You can only bequeath things that you truly own. Because if you try to include anything else, the rightful owner could challenge your will and even overturn it completely. You should … [Read more...]
How to Make a Legal Will that Holds Water
I was helping clear a family home after one of two life partners died. ‘If only I knew how to make a legal will,’ the survivor told me ‘I could have stayed on and retired here. But you see my partner died intestate, and because we never married everything has to go to … [Read more...]
How to Access Medical Records of Deceased Persons in England
Disputes over contents of wills are quite common. Especially during COVID that limits contact between family members. Some testators change their minds quite frequently. Long COVID can affect mental ability in the short term. Hence more people may be asking how to … [Read more...]
How to Calculate UK Inheritance Tax Correctly
Inheritance tax is a toll the UK government levies on deceased estates within its ambit. An executor, or another responsible person is legally obliged to make a full and honest account. Should they fail to do so, and the government is out of pocket then it could hold … [Read more...]
Offshore Estate with UK Assets? Resealing a Foreign Probate Grant
If you are closing out an overseas estate with UK assets, you may find it a real bind sorting things out between two governments. However, you may be in luck if the overseas country features in the archaic United Kingdom Colonial Probates Acts. These laws date from the … [Read more...]
