Blog

It has been announced that the IHT allowances have been frozen until 2026.  There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether the IHT threshold would be increasing, as it typically has done over the years, or decreasing, in view of the ongoing pandemic.  For now, at least, it appears that for the next few years there appears to be no imminent plans for the IHT threshold to change – though this is not absolutely guaranteed.  The Budget in March 2021 has not introduced any shocks in terms of the law relating to IHT. If you would like advice relating to your inheri...

Many people, in good faith, believe that their legal affairs are all completely up-to-date when in fact that may not be the case.  Making a will is of course seen as an obvious thing to do by many people, but this is certainly not the only thing which needs to be considered to ensure one’s legal affairs are up-to-date. Here is a checklist of just four things to consider when considering whether your legal affairs are in fact up-to-date:   Have you made a will?  This is of course very important.  Indeed, it is crucial not just to make a will, but to ensure it ...

It has been reported by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (‘STEP’) that “the number of English wills being contested through high court litigation reached a record level of 188 in 2019, as house prices continued to rise and cohabitation and second marriages became more commonplace”. If you are thinking of making a will (or if you have already made one) and are concerned about the possibility of a claim being made following your death, please feel free to contact us to discuss the matter and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.  It may not b...

Following a Supreme Court ruling in England, the law now (from 31 December 2019) allows mixed sex couples to be able to enter into a civil partnership. Previously, only same sex couples were able to enter into a civil partnership. Both same sex couples and opposite sex couples can enter into a marriage (and this has now been the law for some time). If you are in a mixed sex relationship and have made Wills, and decide to form a civil partnership now that the law has changed, any Wills made previously will be invalidated by the civil partnership, unless the Wills were made in expectation of...