During the current pandemic, sadly we have received a lot of calls from people whose minds have been focused on getting their affairs in order and enquiring about making a will. This is not a bad thing and a lot of clients have taken the opportunity to leave a gift in their will to charities…
George Michael ‘s ex-boyfriend Kenny Goss has reportedly commenced a legal claim pursuant to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 for a monthly allowance of £15,000 from the late star’s estate, as he wasn’t left anything in George Michael’s will. The Act enables certain categories of people to apply to the Court and make a claim…
There is concern that the number of Wills drafted as a result of panic have potentially not been witnessed properly or executed validly due to Covid-19 restrictions in place. The legal requirements for the execution of a valid Will are set out in Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. It requires wills to be…
Making a will has been something more and more people have wanted to do as the worries of COVID19 have pressed heavily on their minds. Making a will is something many of us plan to do but put off for a variety of reasons and it is only at times like we find ourselves in…
Venetia Murray has been awarded £2m following an inheritance dispute. Venetia’ brother Dean Brunt died in 2007 and was thought not to have made a will. His share of a £6m farm he, his brother, Dale, and Venetia owned went to his mother, who then gave it to Dale. However, Venetia discovered the existence of…
When someone passes away, banks and building societies will typically freeze their accounts and if the balance in the account is significant, they will require an official document known as a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration before most of the money can be released. This process can take months. However, some of Britain’s…
Many people will have been isolating over recent months and some will be continuing to do so. It is at times like these that we realise how much we depend on others to help us out and that it’s essential to have a good network of people we can rely on. However, those we rely…
11th to 17th May 2020 is “Dying Matters” Awareness Week. The aim of this organisation is to encourage people to talk more openly about death, dying and bereavement. This is often a difficult subject to broach, but it is a natural process that we will all experience. The theme this year is “Dying to…
The Government is currently considering whether the rules on how wills should be signed can be relaxed, particularly in light of the COVID-19 situation. Currently a will is only valid if it is signed in the presence of two independent witnesses who then also sign the will in the presence of the testator. These…
HM Courts and Tribunal Services (HMCTS) has announced that in light of COVID-19 restrictions, some of their rules have been relaxed in relation to Probate applications. The changes are temporary but are designed to ensure that applications for Probate can continue and can be processed as swiftly as possible even though many of their staff…