Trust, Wills and Probate

Probate fees, which rose sharply only three years ago, are about to rise again. Under the present scheme an application for probate by an individual costs £215 and by...

A surprising Court of Appeal decision that a daughter was a ‘dependant’ of her estranged mother and thus entitled to benefit from her estate has now been overturned by the...

When an elderly man died owning both a house and a half share in an attached property with his sister, whose financial affairs were already being administered by a cousin...

Trusts are relatively common and the death of a trustee is by no means rare. A trust deed normally contains a clause stipulating how new trustees are to be appointed...

Arguments over the division of estates are unfortunately common where the value of the assets they contain is substantial, especially if family relationships are fractious. In such circumstances, the distribution...

There is an established legal principle that where people have wills benefiting each other (as is normal with the wills of a husband and wife) and the order in which...

In order to make a valid will, you need to know your own mind – and it helps to have a solicitor on hand to advise you. That was certainly...

Claims by disappointed children seeking a share, or a larger share, of a parental estate are on the rise, with the latest figures published showing a year-on-year increase of more...

When a couple break up, a financial settlement is normally agreed between them as part of the proceedings and that, usually, is that. However, in a recent case involving...

There are a number of criteria which must apply in order for a will to be valid and one of the most important is that the person making the will...