The unfortunate dispute that arose recently among Aretha Franklin’s sons illustrates what can happen when a person dies without having made a properly drafted will. The legendary soul singer died in 2018. At the time, it was thought she had not made a will, so her estate was divided equally between her four sons. However,
Surveys consistently show that only four out of ten people in the UK have made a will, despite the problems and heartache that could cause for their loved ones. Even the Covid pandemic didn’t inspire people to put their affairs in order. There was barely a 1% increase in the number of wills drawn up.
No one can predict what the future has in store so planning for unforeseen circumstances is an important aspect of personal and financial management. Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) can be a major part of securing your future and creating that all important peace of mind. Here are some of the key points you may
The backlog for processing Lasting Power of Attorney (LPAs) applications is beginning to ease, according to figures provided by a government minister. There have been concerns that processing by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has been taking too long, preventing families from being able to act on behalf of a vulnerable relative. A
Two leading experts in dementia research have been appointed to spearhead the national mission to tackle dementia, which was launched in memory of the late Dame Barbara Windsor. Hilary Evans is the Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, the largest charitable funder of dementia research in Europe. Nadeem Sarwar is currently a senior leader at
Hundreds of thousands of people register Lasting Powers of Attorney each year and it isn’t hard to see why. Life expectancy has increased dramatically over the last 50 years meaning most of us can expect to live into our eighties and beyond. While that is undoubtedly good news, it does raise issues about how we
The government has launched a scheme to tackle dementia and doubled research funding in memory of the late Barbara Windsor. It comes after Dame Barbara’s husband, Scott Mitchell, met Boris Johnson at Downing Street and outlined the significant suffering caused by dementia and the slow process of finding treatments and cures. This led to the
The government is being urged to introduce reforms to provide better legal protection for cohabiting couples if their relationship breaks down. The number of cohabiting couples has more than doubled in the past generation with 1.5m in 1996, compared to 3.6m in 2021. The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee says there is a
The High Court has ruled that a man’s will that existed only in draft form on a computer, but which was signed by two reliable witnesses, should be accepted as valid. This is a highly unusual decision because generally, the original will, signed in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time, must
The heart-breaking experience of TV presenter Kate Garraway and her husband highlights the value of drawing up Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) to protect your future. Garraway’s husband Derek Draper suffered a terrible reaction to Covid and still has a long way to go in his recovery. The Good Morning Britain star said that