Vardags can prepare Lifetime trusts as part of your succession planning or Will trusts to protect your assets for young, disabled or vulnerable loved ones. We can also deal with the alteration of existing trusts and offer bespoke advice on the implications of any such alterations, including all applicable tax and general advice, factoring in all the relevant circumstances.
Should any disputes arise either with the tax authorities or between beneficiaries in relation to the payment of tax, legal advice should be taken at the earliest possible opportunity in such matters, as delays in making tax payments can result in penalties being imposed on an estate.
If you are a beneficiary, you may encounter difficulties related to: obtaining information from trustees, requesting distributions from trustees, speeding up the administration of trusts. and actions for fraud or breach of fiduciary duties. Vardags can offer extensive guidance for beneficiaries in respect to the above issues and more.
You do not need to be a relative of the deceased to contest a will. If you were dependent of the deceased then you may also have a claim under the Inheritance Act if you believe they did not make reasonable provision for you.
Of course, each case is unique, with different facts and circumstances to consider, but Vardags will guide you through the best strategy to make a claim against the deceased’s estate. If you do wish to contest a will you need to act quickly, and it is important to note that you do not need to wait for the grant of probate to start a claim. As such, the time limit for contesting a will is six months after the grant of probate or Letters of Administration.
If you are a trustee, it is not uncommon for issues to arise concerning a connected trust. A trustee may be faced with issues such as: a breach of trust claim, dealing with unforeseen tax liabilities, and handling difficult beneficiaries, to name but a few.
All estates must go through the process of probate, which is overseen by the Probate Court. It is this court which ultimately decides if the deceased’s will should be given legal effect. Unfortunately, disputes can arise when dealing with the deceased’s personal possessions.
Vardags can prepare Lifetime trusts as part of your succession planning or Will trusts to protect your assets for young, disabled or vulnerable loved ones. We can also deal with the alteration of existing trusts and offer bespoke advice on the implications of any such alterations, including all applicable tax and general advice, factoring in all the relevant circumstances.
Under English law a will must be in writing and signed by the person creating the will in front of two witnesses, all present at the same time. There must be no doubt as to what your intentions are, so the will must be very carefully drafted to ensure that it will be valid and stand up to any claims.
Vardags Limited is a limited company trading as Vardags, Company No 7199468, registered in England and Wales, having its registered office at 10 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7NG. Vardags is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA Number 535955). Its VAT number is 99 001 7230.
Vardags uses the term ‘Partner’ as a professional title only, to describe a Senior Solicitor, Employee or Consultant with relevant experience, expertise and qualifications (whether legally qualified or otherwise) to merit the title. Our Partners are not partners in the legal sense. They are not liable for the debts, liabilities or obligations of Vardags Limited. Similarly, the term ’Director’ is a professional title only, to describe a non-legally qualified employee or consultant of Vardags with relevant experience, expertise and qualifications to merit the title. It does not necessarily imply that the relevant individual is a director of Vardags Limited.
A list of the directors of Vardags Limited and a list of the names of those using the title of ’Director’ and ’Partner’ together with their official status is available for inspection at Vardags’ registered office.