Probate
Do I need Probate if I have Power of Attorney?
When the person dies, the Power of Attorney ends. Example With the help of his solicitor, Joe has written a Will and Powers of Attorney. Will Power of Attorney What do we call Joe? Testator Donor What do we call the people chosen by Joe? Executors Attorneys When can Joe’s…
Read MoreShortlist: Best Small Business Award
Undue Influence: The Case of the Isolated Mother
In 2021, Mrs Daphne Jones signed a Will in which she named her daughter – Ceri Jones – sole Executor and Beneficiary. But when Mrs Jones died, the Court refused Probate to Ceri because they discovered that she “increasingly isolated her mother from other members of the family”. That isolation was “substantially complete” by the…
Read MoreInheriting an ISA
Did you know..? When a person passes away, their surviving spouse/civil partner’s ISA allowance may increase? For that particular tax year only, the amount that the survivor can pay into their own Individual Savings Account gets “bumped up” (depending on how much the deceased had in their ISA). This is known as the Additional Permitted…
Read MoreDormant Assets
Think about all of the assets you’ve owned throughout your life. Perhaps your home, bank and building society accounts, personal items, a car, Premium Bonds, shares, investments and pensions. When you die, it will be your Executors’ legal duty to find out what you owned so that they can make truthful tax declarations and properly…
Read MoreThe Tale of the Executor who Buried his Head in the Sand
In September this year, the England and Wales High Court ordered the imprisonment of Mark Totton for three months because he deliberately ignored a Court Order requiring him to fulfil his duties as the late Hazel Totton’s Executor. Mr Totton sold the deceased’s house for £425,000 in April 2020 but had not given the Beneficiaries…
Read MoreBrothers, sisters and Inheritance Tax
Generally when one spouse dies and the other inherits, there is no Inheritance Tax to pay on that transfer. This is called the “Spouse Exemption”. Parliament is debating whether something similar should apply to transfers between siblings, in certain circumstances. You can track the process of the proposed legislation here.
Read MoreBest Will & Probate Solicitor UK 2022
We’re very proud to announce that Deo Law has won the Business Excellence Award for “Best Will & Probate Solicitor UK 2022”. A link to the page and details of the other winners, can be found here: https://www.acquisition-international.com/winners/deo-law-ltd/ To be named the best Will Solicitor in Lincoln would be one thing but to win a…
Read MoreThank you, NHS
We’re really proud to be offering discounts and special rates to staff of the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for Wills, Probate, Trusts and Lasting Powers of Attorney. The staff can access the deals on their internal Staff Benefits site. Thank you, NHS!
Read MorePaying for your Funeral Costs
When you pass away, your bank accounts usually become frozen. That is to say, no money can be paid in or out. However, one important exception is Funeral costs. In most cases, if you send the Funeral invoice to your bank or building society, they should settle it directly, on behalf of your Estate. That…
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