Many of us face difficult and complex decisions when it comes to caring for our ageing parents.

Labout has scrapped the care cap of £86,000 but has not introduced any alternative arrangements. You may wonder what this means for your family.

If your relationship with your spouse or civil partner breaks down, you, your home, your assets and your family circumstances are all affected. The wishes you set out in an existing Will may no longer be appropriate, and you will likely want to reconsider your estate plans.

In this easy-to-read article, learn more about how the law looks at Wills when couples divorce. You’ll also find links to other resources and sources of support.

Every estate planner must be cautious when assessing the mental capacity of a person creating or amending their Will, especially if that person is elderly or in ill health.

Learn more about the test for capacity to make a Will and the golden rule in this article.

A letter of wishes sits alongside your Will. It can be a farewell letter to your family and friends and guide your executors about how you’d like them to deal with your wealth and assets if they have the discretion to do so.

Download my FREE template letter of wishes when you sign up for a monthly newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

Are you considering gifting your house to your children while you're still living in it?

You can give your house away to your children and continue living in it. BUT… and its a very big BUT… have you considered all the disadvantages?

Learn more in this blog article.

Have you fallen out with someone in your family?

Does it worry you that someone who’s no longer in your life might inherit from you? If so, it’s time to make your Will. Find out why impartial estate planning guidance is so crucial in this article.

The simple answer to the question, “Can my children inherit if they live overseas?” is yes, but there could be a few hurdles.

If your child is also an executor of your Will, there will be an added layer of complexity. Find out more in this blog.

All wills and documents submitted for probate are kept in their original paper form forever, as they have been since 1858. However, in December 2023, the government suggested a change: older wills could be scanned into digital form, and the paper versions destroyed after 10 to 12 years.

Find out the results of the review, and what will happen to your paper Will after you’ve gone in this blog.

It’s a sensible move to put your LPAs in place when you have the mental capacity to do so, but your choice of attorneys is crucial.

Appointing just one attorney is rarely advisable. Doing so can lead to an extra step in the house buying and selling process if your partner loses capacity, so it is worth considering other options. Learn more about Lasting Powers of Attorney and jointly owned property in this helpful article.

Understanding your legal documents is essential. Modern legal advisers use plain English and create sections to make your Will easy to read and understand. Legal words and phrases are inevitable in a well-drafted, accurate Will because they avoid ambiguity.

To help you, I’ve explained the most common legal terms used in estate planning in this article.

Your executors will need to be able to find your personal and financial information when the time comes.

A simple way to do this is to prepare and maintain a record for your executors. It doesn’t have to be long and complicated. It should simply show them what you own and where you have kept vital information.

Download my FREE template and find out more in this article.

Estate planning can help protect your wealth for the next generation. Trusts are not only for the super-wealthy.

Standard mirror Wills do not include asset protection trusts. If safeguarding your wealth is important to you, read on, and to learn how a simple Will trust can benefit your family.

It might not sound as glamorous as hitting the gym or booking a dream vacation, but estate planning is a decisive step toward securing your future. Act now to protect the people you love. If you've been putting it off, you're not alone. Discover why 2025 should be the year you make your Will.

Perhaps you haven’t made a Will to avoid thinking about the awful possibility of not being there for your children.

Find out more about how to tackle a difficult decision in this article.

Every family is unique. Rachael and David put off making a Will for over a decade because they thought it would be too stressful and expensive. They’re not married to each other, they have children together and from previous relationships. Here’s their story….

Your signed Will is the only one that counts. Copies won't work.

When dealing with the local probate registry, they need the original Will with your wet ink signature. Proving a copy is a headache. If something happens to your Will, all the careful planning you did could be wasted. Keep the original safe, and you're good to go!

You have FIVE choices for storing your original signed Will:

A letter of wishes sits alongside your Will. It can be a farewell letter to your family and friends and guide your executors about how you’d like them to deal with your wealth and assets if they have the discretion to do so.

Download my FREE template letter of wishes when you sign up for a monthly newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.