A controversial probate fee rise which would see bereaved families shelling out as much as £20,000 before they could inherit has been halted ahead of the general election in June.
The proposed changes would raise the administrative fees, which have to be paid before the estate of a deceased person can be administered, from a fixed cost of £155... Read More
A new report published by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments has suggested that a new Government plan to raise £300m by hiking up probate fees is beyond the authority of the Ministry of Justice.
The reforms of the current regime of fixed fees for non-contentious probate applications due to come in next month, will see the see the... Read More
This morning the Supreme Court handed down the hotly anticipated judgment in the case of Ilott v The Blue Cross and others, which unanimously found in favour of three animal charities in a long-running will dispute.
Background to the case
The case concerned the estate of Mrs Jackson, a woman who passed away in 2004, the majority of which was left... Read More
Planned shake-ups to death duties have been subject to criticism in the media this week.
On the 24th of February, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) confirmed its reforms of the current regime of fixed fees for non-contentious probate applications.
The change coming in in May will see the largest estates hit by the maximum fee of £20,000.
However the... Read More
"Whole families have inherited legendary hatreds with the suit," Dickens famously wrote of Bleak House's Jarndyce v Jarndyce. The lamentable failure to instruct a good family lawyer has made for many a memorable plotline, but what lessons can be learned from the disputes which have become the stuff of legend? Do not impersonate... Read More
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