IWC Probate Services – Wills for cohabiting couples
Many cohabiting couples assume that they are protected by ‘common law marriage’ if one of them dies. However, what most people fail to realise is that common law marriage is a myth.
The impact of not having a Will
Over half of adults in the UK don’t have a will, meaning that each year, thousands of people leave it to the law to decide what should happen to their estate when they die. Perhaps you haven’t had the chance to think about how you want your estate to be divided, or how your family should be cared for. You might not have thought about how to make a will at all.
Care home fees and how to protect your estate
With the rising cost of care home fees, you would be right to be concerned about how to protect your estate. After all, you want to minimise the impact any care home fees will have on the inheritance you wish to pass to your children.
Probate and house clearance
Clearing a loved one’s house after probate can be a daunting task to undertake during a time of loss and grieving. It often seems overwhelming, and it can be hard to know where to start. Fortunately, by understanding the process and enlisting the help of specialist probate professionals, the process can be relatively simple and…
Assets abroad and including them in your will
In an increasingly globalised world, more and more of us have ties to other places than just the UK. It’s so much easier to own property abroad, for example. We have friends, spouses, and partners who may be from other countries, or we move overseas and build a new life somewhere else. How does that…
Understanding Court Judgements of Deceased Estates
Understanding Court Judgements of Deceased Estates When a person dies, there may be companies which will seek a court judgement to recover a debt from the estate of the deceased. An individual needs to be tasked with dealing with the estate. If the deceased left a valid will, that individual will be the ‘executor’ appointed…
What is a grant de bonis non and why executors must have a will
When it comes to dealing with wills and inheritance it can all appear very confusing. It’s not something many of us have to think about until the time comes, and the industry is filled with legal terms that most of us have never heard of. It doesn’t have to be that confusing though. This month,…
What are chattels and how do you evaluate them?
We have talked a lot about the importance of making a will, the need to choose your executor(s) wisely, and how changes to your personal circumstances may trigger the need to update your will. Most of the time, when people sit down to prepare a will, they will focus on the large-ticket items – things…
The London Probate Office, the principal probate registry
Applying for probate in London need not be a complex process. There are certain rules that must be followed, so it is helpful to know what those are and in what order they apply. This set approach also helps make the process smoother for you at what is a difficult time.
Wills and powers of attorney – can they work together?
You have no doubt heard of a power of attorney document and if you are a regular reader you will already know a lot about wills – what they are, how to set them up, and how to find the right executors to carry out your wishes. What you may not know is how a…
