News Category: Inheritance tax and succession planning

13 May 2021

This week has marked ‘Dying Matters Awareness Week’.  The campaign encourages organisations, individuals, and partners to open the conversation around dying, death and bereavement.  The Covid pandemic prompted many families to discuss their later life plans, to ensure that loved ones would be looked after when they die, however, research from the Law Society found that just 29% of those surveyed had an up-to-date Will. Read more

12 March 2021

Larry King’s Widow, Shawn Southwick King, set to contest handwritten will leaving his estate to his children. Read more

10 August 2020

A Deed of Variation is a document that changes the distribution of a deceased person’s estate. It allows a beneficiary to alter what they are entitled to receive under the terms of the deceased’s Will or under the intestacy provisions. A Deed of Variation allows the beneficiary to choose who they would like to redirect the estate to. The recipient does not need to be named in the Will or entitled to benefit from the estate under the intestacy provisions. Read more

8 June 2020

In the first of our series of Lawyer lockdown diaries, Amy Taylor principal Solicitor from our Private Client team reviews what the 12 weeks of working in lockdown has meant to her and her clients. Read more

16 April 2019

Many small business owners will be surprised to learn that technically, on the death of a sole trader, the business dies too; any assets that are owned by the sole trader are part of the estate of the deceased for which probate must be obtained. Read more

11 December 2018

Karen Bacon explains just a few of the tricky issues that probate presents that can mean It’s far from a DIY matter. Read more

25 July 2018

A: Even if your business is unlikely to continue in the event of your death, because it relies on your personal skills and expertise, chances are that you will still need Business Executors if you are still trading when you die. Read more

18 October 2017

Death duty has been payable, in one form or another, for over 300 years but until comparatively recently, it was only of concern to the wealthiest in society. For example, following the introduction of estate duty in 1894 (the forerunner of the current inheritance tax), many landed estates were broken up, as landowners could not afford to pay the tax. Read more

15 March 2017

The death of a loved one is a difficult time. As well as dealing with grief and emotions, there can be a great deal to organise by way of funeral arrangements, registering the death and dealing with the deceased's finances. Read more

17 May 2016

Nobody likes to think about life coming to an end. But organising your affairs can only be of benefit to you and your family. Karen Bacon outlines what to consider. Read more