18th Century Naval Ships Cannon From Probate House Clearance It was June 2019 when I was contacted by an executor who was winding up his late father's estate and had instructed me to carry out a full probate valuation of the house contents and chattels. This was a … [Read more...]
An Overview of What Being an Executor Implies
You are legally responsible for the assets of a deceased person if you are appointed the executor of their estate, and there is a legal will. There may be other executors of course, including the solicitor who drafted the will, and the late person’s spouse or trusted … [Read more...]
Why You May Not Need a Solicitor to Apply for Probate
Having a friend suddenly die on you can put your mind in a spin. You have a horde of things to do ranging from calling the family doctor and arranging a death certificate, to contacting a funeral director to make arrangements. Moreover, you may find yourself in … [Read more...]
A Bad Apple Almost Robs a Family of Their Past
It was once fashionable for people to leave their ‘earthly possessions’ to the fortunate few. Presumably this was since their wealth in the ‘heavenly realms’ did not have title deeds for solicitors to transfer. The digital era has re-awakened the debate regarding … [Read more...]
Are UK Probate Delays Manipulative? Not an Easy Call
We’re not making direct insinuations because we don’t have hard evidence to hand. However, one way to find the reason for an unexpected change is to ask who benefits. The Express romped in with the banner headline on May 8, 2019, ‘Probate delay: Bereaved families … [Read more...]
Three Ways Executors Get into Trouble with Probate Law
Being an executor of an estate is a serious responsibility. It should not be taken on lightly, especially if you don’t fully understand the law. That because estate beneficiaries could sue you if they end up being out of pocket. We have heard of cases where quite large … [Read more...]
Abuse of Privilege When a Beneficiary Robs an Estate
When a person makes a will before they die, they trust that someone will implement it according to their wishes. Unfortunately, these things are not as sacred as they were decades ago, if they were ever. Therefore, they would probably protect their interests best if … [Read more...]
Probate Tax Still in Commons under Brexit Heat Shield
The proposal to impose a heavy tax on dying is still on the House of Commons calendar awaiting approval. Meanwhile the polemic over Brexit continues unabated. The idea of increasing the cost of dying from £215 to as much as £6,000 could therefore become the new … [Read more...]
UK Inheritance Tax Who Pays at What Rates
Inheritance tax is something we would rather do without. However the government has the upper hand and the best we can do is choose any legal wiggle room we can find. If we leave money or other assets our heirs might otherwise have to fork out 40% of the … [Read more...]
Princley Probate Valuation In Ryde Isle Of Wight
This week I was asked to carry out a probate valuation in Ryde on The Isle Of Wight for an overseas executor. This was a valuation I was looking forward to doing as it was at a very special property. It was in fact Prince Consort Building in Ryde. Prince Consort … [Read more...]
