If you die without making a will, your estate will pass and be administered according to the intestacy rules, which decide who gets what rather than you. These rules are set out in the Administration of Estates Act 1925, which was amended by the Inheritance and...
When a person dies somebody has to deal with their estate (the money, property and possessions left) by collecting in all the money, paying any debts and distributing the estate to those people entitled to it. The term ‘probate’ means the issuing of a...
Lasting Powers of Attorney were created by the Mental Health Act 2005 and came into effect from October 2007. A Lasting Power Of Attorney unlike a general power remains effective even if the donor loses his or her mental capacity. There are two types and separate...
To pass on your estate when you die you must make a Will which must be properly executed. It has to be written, dated and signed in the presence of witnesses. The Law is quite clear in that. Sometimes however a person facing imminent death may not have made a Will or...
What is a joint Will A joint Will is a single Will made by two people which deals with the estates of both of them. Usually it will leave everything to the other on the first death and then to agreed beneficiaries on the death of the survivor. Mutual or...
Most people when making their will include a statement of their wishes as to what they would like to be done with their ‘mortal remains’. They might say that they wish to be buried, cremated, or even sometimes buried at sea or to have their ashes scattered...