If you are an executor of an estate, you may need to deal with debts that have been left behind. Any estate may have debts to be considered, even if the deceased was wealthy. “Personal debts do not expire on death, they are carried over into the estate,” says Jack Haskew, of KWW’s Private Client
If your partner, a parent, or another close relative is losing their ability to manage their own affairs, you may be concerned about how much you can help, particularly where financial matters are concerned. If the person you care for has not made their own plans, such as by making a Lasting Power of Attorney
With continuing advances in modern medicine, we are living longer and longer. And while we are able to keep our bodies healthy and fit into older age, often our minds cannot keep pace. A lasting power of attorney (LPA) provides an additional means of support among those you trust if you are no longer able
‘Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow just as well,’ said Mark Twain in 1881 when, on average, men died at 50 and women reached 56. Nowadays, average life expectancy for men in the UK is 79 and for women it is 83, and one in every 14 people over
Coming to terms with the death of your spouse or partner will take time, but at some point you will need to think about financial and legal issues. Once probate has been obtained and their estate has been settled, you may need to think about whether you should make a Will – or amend any
With debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer’s on the increase, the question of whether or not a person has mental capacity to make a Will frequently arises. Jack Haskew, Wills and Probate specialist at KWW Solicitors, explains the rules. Assessing mental capacity Mental capacity, in the context of making a Will, broadly relates to whether a
An increasing number of executors choose to deal with an estate themselves when a close relative dies. But is this really a wise move? The reality is that probate is usually a complex process, even where the estate appears to be small and straightforward. If you take into account the feelings of grief and the need
Having a Will is important for every adult but is even more so as you enter retirement and start to put your affairs in order. With time on your hands, it is a good opportunity to make an appointment with your solicitor to make or update your Will and plan for your old age while
It can be flattering to be asked by a relative or close friend to be a trustee of their estate, but this is a role with important legal obligations and disputes can arise when beneficiaries do not agree with the actions of trustees. One such area of potential disagreement is the amount of information that
This quick-reference table explains the role of your solicitor at each of the various stages of obtaining probate. We hope this helps you to understand the process and how our expert lawyers can support you at every step of the way. You need to… Your solicitor will… Register the death with the localregister office. Obtain