This week, the cost of care has taken centre stage in UK politics. The ballooning elderly population is putting a strain on the NHS, and friends and relatives acting as carers. People may be living longer but, with dementia and Alzheimer’s now the number one cause of death in the UK, this does not necessarily imply better health but prolonged... Read More
As it approaches Christmas, the season of good will, people become more generous toward their friends, family and, in many cases, favourite charities. According to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) statistics for 2016, the UK is in fact the most charitable nation in Europe. But, although you may be more likely to pop a penny into the WWF... Read More
Rebecca Adlington says in this week’s The Lady that her greatest fear is death, which I find strange since death is not something that you can control. I prefer Russell Crowe’s advice in the film Gladiator: “death smiles on us all, all you can do is smile back.” Ms Adlington adds that her worst nightmare would be “being stranded in the... Read More
Over the last three years, the number of power of attorney revocations has risen by 153%, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
Power of attorney arrangements allow individuals, known as donors, to appoint someone they trust to make decisions on their behalf. Ordinary power of attorney arrangements are only valid for as... Read More
n unnamed Frenchman quite literally struck gold when he inherited a house in Normandy from a deceased relative. After the anonymous heir began moving around furniture in his new abode, he discovered a staggering 100 kilograms of gold, in the form of coins and ingots, concealed throughout the property.
Local auctioneer Nicolas Fierfort told the... Read More
The Housing Minister Gavin Barwell has advised grandparents to disinherit their children and leave their property to their grandchildren instead. Mr Barwell revealed that his mother has disinherited him in order to leave her estate, including her £750,000 home, to his sons. He urged other grandparents to do the same in order to... Read More
The beneficiaries of the American novelist and video game designer have found themselves in a dispute over tax payable on his estate. Clancy was best known for his espionage and military-science storylines and had 17 bestsellers. He started out as an insurance salesman, and at the time of his death there were more than 100 million copies of his... Read More
The Clinton health conspiracies have been a remarkable demonstration of the joy people take in pathologising the frailties of others. A fainting fit at a 911 memorial spawned rumours with extraordinarily speed of Clinton’s mental incapacity and even death. Among the conspiracy theories, amateur political blogs and social media trends, one... Read More
A dramatic legal battle over what has been described as “the world’s most important collection of 17th Century Chinese porcelain”, built up by former Thatcher adviser Sir Michael Butler, has come to its conclusion. On 20 June 2016 Judge Simon Barker QC ruled that two of the deceased’s children may remove their shares of the... Read More
Families who have paid inheritance tax since April 2015 have not benefited from the changes brought in because it appears that the Government has taken longer than expected to implement these new rules.
Those who have been hit or will be hit hardest are those whose relatives have died or will die between April 2015 – when the Government... Read More