Usually it is not possible to give away your home to avoid inheritance tax but to continue living in it. However, there are still exceptions to that general rule, even now. Many parents like the idea of giving away their home to avoid inheritance tax in theory - but are not so keen on the... Continue Reading →

I often speak to concerned parents who worry - quite rightly - that their adult children's eventual inheritance may be vulnerable to a claim on divorce from a disgruntled spouse. There are certain ways to attempt to protect your child's inheritance from a claim by their spouse, but in the end the needs of the... Continue Reading →

Is it possible to remove the executor appointed in somebody's Will, after their death? The executors of the Will are under a duty to wind up the deceased's estate, to obtain a grant of probate or letters of administration if appropriate, and and in general to carry out their duties carefully, following the terms of... Continue Reading →

An interesting and alarming programme about Lasting Power of Attorney fraud recently aired on Radio 4's "You and Yours". It describes how criminals are using fraudulently created Lasting Powers of Attorney to sell people's houses without their knowledge. The victim of the fraud in this case is a woman who had moved out of her... Continue Reading →

Today is the second anniversary of my setting up in business as Chiltern Wills, now Chiltern Wills LLP. It's been such an exciting time starting from scratch, building up the business and seeing it begin to flourish, and I've learnt a huge amount along the way. I'd intended to have a soft start and to... Continue Reading →

Possibly one of the most generous inheritance tax exemptions available relates to making gifts out of your surplus income. There is no upper limit to the amount which can potentially be given away tax-free, within the bounds of your own income and subject to your own regular spending requirements. If gifts of this type are... Continue Reading →

We pay a lot of inheritance tax on death in this country - usually 40% on anything over the first £1m owned by a married couple - and so you'd be forgiven for thinking it might be a good idea to emigrate in order to avoid tax. The weather would probably be better, anyway. Whether... Continue Reading →

Should you appoint a professional executor in your Will? I know from my time working at several law firms before I set up my own business that many solicitors encourage their clients to appoint one of the partners of the firm, or the firm's trustee company, as a professional executor in their Will. I also... Continue Reading →

Clients sometime ask me, "Should I tell someone that they are my executor?" I think it is an excellent idea to let your executors know that they have been appointed in your will, so that they know what to expect. It gives them the opportunity to raise any objections if they would prefer not to... Continue Reading →

Do you want to know whether probate has been granted in someone's estate? Sometimes, I find that a client who has an interest in an estate is keen to know how matters are progressing, but perhaps in order to avoid ruffling feathers unnecessarily within the family, would prefer to make a few discreet enquiries about... Continue Reading →