Insights and Guidance

Disputes over wills and estates are rarely just legal arguments. They arise at a time of loss, involve close family members, and bring long-standing tensions to the surface. Challenges to the...

Family life looks very different today than it did even a generation ago. Second marriages, blended families, long-term cohabitation and periods of estrangement are now common. Yet many wills still...

Being asked to act as an executor is often seen as an honour. Many people accept the role without hesitation, assuming it involves little more than administration and common sense. In reality,...

Contentious probate disputes are rising at a pace that is hard to ignore. The number of caveat applications has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting deeper shifts in society, family...

The Times recently reported on the HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) investigation into over 2000 estates, resulting in the recovery of over £170 million in inheritance tax (IHT) that had been...

What is estate administration? Estate administration is the process that personal representatives go through to collect in a deceased person’s assets, discharge their liabilities and distribute...

What is a Life Interest Trust? A life interest trust is a trust that is written into your Will and is a means by which you can provide future security for particular individuals, such as your...

With continued delays in issuing of grants and proposals for increasing court fees for grant applications, we and our clients will welcome the news that the House of Commons Justice Select...

As we reported last year, there has been a surge in people making Wills since the onset of the pandemic. Unfortunately, some have been tempted by lower costs of preparing their Will online or via...

Ahead of the proposed increase in probate fees, HMCTS have announced a revamp of the Probate Service in order to improve the process of applying for probate. You can read more here. The...