Trust, Wills and Probate

A recent decision shows that the courts place a heavy burden of proof on those who claim that a will should be invalidated because the person making it lacks testamentary...

When a family business is handed down and ownership is split between two or more members of the next generation, the result can all too often be discord. Normally, this...

When an estate is being administered, the administrator must meet any specific bequests in the will before distributing the remainder (the ‘residue’ in legal parlance) of the estate. However,...

If you are concerned about the future mental capacity of a relative or any other person with whom you have a joint bank account, it makes sense to consider setting...

When an elderly couple fell out, the circumstances surrounding their land transfers meant that a court hearing was necessary to unscramble the position. The two had formed a partnership...

The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 allows those who have been financially dependent on a person who dies to seek financial provision to be made for them...

The wisdom of having professional oversight of attorney arrangements has yet again been made clear following the conviction of a Teesside couple for defrauding the estate of an elderly woman...

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has rectified the will of a man who signed his wife’s will by mistake. Alfred and Maureen Rawlings made mirror wills in...

It is common for couples to make what are called ‘mirror wills’ – in which both wills contain essentially the same clauses. These wills are often in the form of...

When a beneficiary initiated ‘considerable efforts’ to check up on the activities of the executor of a deceased woman’s estate, the decision to investigate the conduct of the executor (who...