Blog

I have written before about the importance of writing a Will, and about the dangers of writing a DIY Will.  In this article, I am going to mention just 10 things that can go wrong if you write your own Will.  Taking professional advice is important when writing such an important document.  Please note: this list is not exhaustive!   The Will may not cover funeral wishes.  Funeral wishes are not an absolutely essential clause and not having funeral wishes will not invalidate a Will per se but it is a sensible idea to include funeral wishes in a Will so as to mak...

Did you set up a Lasting Power of Attorney between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017?  If so, you may be entitled to a partial refund of the application fee paid to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).   For more information please see the following pages:  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/power-of-attorney-fee-refund-scheme-launched   and  https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund   According to the OPG there are different ways of claiming the refund but you can only make a claim if you are a donor or attorney and the refund can only be paid to th...

It seems that the media is increasingly talking about cryptocurrencies (which, in short, are online-based units of currency using cryptography for security).  One of the most well-known forms of cryptocurrency is Bitcoin.  This article is not going to explore the pros and cons of cryptocurrencies or offer any kind of financial advice in any way but rather will point out the importance of recording the whereabouts of online assets and some of the implications of inheriting online assets.   A few years ago, I wrote the article “Inheriting Assets in the Digital Age &ndas...

Today – Monday 8th January 2018 – has seen #divorceday trending on social media.  According to this article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42598969 the first working Monday of the year is a time when many couples feel disillusioned about their relationship and enquiries rise for solicitors specialising in Family Law.   If you are in a relationship that you are considering ending, or if you have recently separated from your husband or wife, partner, or civil partner and feel you need to obtain legal advice, consider making an appointment with a member of the Fami...