After a loved one goes missing, their financial affairs roll on. Utilities must still be paid or there is a chance they might lose their home. After a storm breaks a windowpane, someone must to repair it. However the missing person’s bank cannot compensate them because … [Read more...]
The Big ‘Probate Mystery’ Unravelled
Probate has cropped up in the UK news lately, what with the government changing the system and having computer problems implementing it. Brexit has been a huge distraction too. The polemic over probate fees is still not solved although the overall rules haven’t changed. … [Read more...]
Probate in the Royal Family Versus Choosing a Guardian
The Sun published a robust article on this controversial topic. We decided to attempt a more balanced version of how the law dictates royals - and the Queen in particular – should respond to a death in their immediate family. This has become more relevant given the … [Read more...]
What is Probate and How to Do It in England and Wales?
Probate is an old-fashioned word meaning ‘something proven’, in this case the intentions of a person leaving a will. In fact, much of our UK law around succession has strong overtones to days when marriage was sacrosanct, and the church was responsible for what happened … [Read more...]
How Intestacy Rules Apply Where There Is No Will
Intestacy refers to the situation of an estate when the deceased person left no will (or diligent effort failed to find their testament). If there is a will, but it only mentions a few assets then the balance of that estate is intestate too. However, either of … [Read more...]
What to Do After a Loved One Dies (Part 2)
This is the second post in a three-part series about handling the paperwork after a loved one died, and entrusted the sad task to you. You may have never actually spoken about it. However as their partner you have decided it is your sad duty to follow through. We … [Read more...]
Did the UK Wills Act of 1837 Pass Its Use-By-Date?
The year 1837 was an interesting, even a momentous one. Any British schoolkid may remember that was the year Victoria became United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, and Defender of the Faith. The government launched an enquiry into the possibility of … [Read more...]
Solicitor Who Jumped the Probate Gun Pays £15,000 Fine
One needs to be extra careful when handling funds in the estate of an ultra-high net-worth foreign national, as a London solicitor discovered. He sent £1.575 million to the widow while a dispute was raging according to Legal Futures. For his trouble, the Solicitors … [Read more...]
What Is the Difference Between a Trustee and an Executor?
A will describes the full and final distribution of the assets of an estate of a deceased person. Once an inheritor receives their portion they can do anything they want with the proceeds. That’s because a person who leaves a will cannot ‘dictate beyond the grave’. … [Read more...]
How the UK Probate Disaster Muddles On
If the UK probate system were our employee, we would have dismissed it three months ago. If it were a company, its customers would have closed it down. However, it is still stumbling on despite the mess it finds itself in. Government departments seem to soldier on … [Read more...]
