Posts tagged “Wills”

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More people are leaving donations to charity in their Will

Posted on 12th May 2022

More people are leaving donations to charities in their Wills

More than one in five wills now include a donation to charity according to a recent survey carried out by Remember A Charity.

Seven out of 10 solicitors and Will-writers say they make people aware of the Inheritance Tax (IHT) benefits of leaving a gift to charity in their Will. That’s an increase from six out of 10 in 2013.

Can your next of kin access your digital devices?

Posted on 29th April 2022

The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) is supporting a campaign to give bereaved families access to their loved ones’ digital assets.

Friends and family might not be able to access your digital devices when you die

House of Lords rejects care cap proposals for a second time

Posted on 12th April 2022

the proposed care cap could mean poorer people have less to leave to their families.

In March the House of Lords voted against changes to the way we pay for our care that could mean poorer people have much less to leave to their families.

Funeral costs have fallen

Posted on 25th March 2022

There have been widespread concerns in the UK for many years about the cost of funerals. The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) review has been delayed during the pandemic and expected controls are not yet in place.

Dementia cases will increase

Posted on 11th March 2022

By 2050 1.6million people in the UK could have dementia

Research shows that more than 153million people around the world could have dementia by 2050. That’s almost three times the 2019 figure.

Your Will can still be witnessed via video

Posted on 28th February 2022

Vulnerable people across England and Wales can continue to have their Wills witnessed via video link until January 2024. In the meantime, the Law Commission will continue to consider reforms concerning Wills, including whether to make these changes permanent.

Probate delays continue

Posted on 11th February 2022

Letter tiles spelling 'allow for delay' sum up the current position with probate applications

Despite reassurances last year, probate delays are continuing in 2022. The promised improvements are failing to speed up the service for bereaved families.

What will the Health and Social Care Bill mean for older people?

Posted on 7th December 2021

Living costs aren't included in the government's cap on how much people will need to pay on their care costs

The Health and Care Bill was passed in the House of Commons on 22 November. It was then reviewed in detail by the House of Lords but several stages must still be completed before it receives Royal Assent, which is expected to be in April 2022.

Have you included your digital assets in your Will?

Posted on 24th November 2021

It’s a new question for our technological age – what happens to your digital assets when you die?

People often underestimate what’s in their estate when they start to think about their Will. It’s easy to forget about things that are stored in the cloud or on a laptop or smartphone, social media accounts, online bank accounts and cryptocurrencies.

Coding for a website is a digital asset that you could include in your Will.

Why property ownership matters for your Will

Posted on 12th November 2021

The ownership of your home can affect who can inherit it when you die.

In a recent High Court case a widow was awarded £80,000 from her brother-in-law’s inheritance following a dispute over property ownership. Here’s what happened.

Her husband has made a Will leaving his estate in full to her. However, after his death, there was a dispute concerning the family home that she had shared with him. The property was registered to her husband and his brother. It had been owned by their mother until she died in 2009, but it wasn’t clear whether the brothers held the property as joint tenants or as tenants-in-common.