The amount families will have to pay in inheritance tax is set to increase by £3billion to £21billion over the next five years. The rise is due to the revival of the housing market, which is increasing the value of properties. Meanwhile, Chancellor George Osborne has announced he’ll be introducing new measures making it more
An elderly woman’s will which left half her estate to her neighbour to the detriment of her family has been rejected by the High Court. The judge held that it was unlikely that the woman fully understood what she was doing at the time when she made such an important decision. She had first made
The Government has launched a new interactive online map to enable people to see the quality of care provided for dementia sufferers in their area. There are 670,000 people in England who suffer with dementia, and the number is likely to double over the next 30 years. A further 21 million people have a close
People who feel they have not been properly provided for in a relative’s will can ask the courts to step in and grant them a larger share of the deceased person’s estate. However, unless there are exceptional circumstances, they usually have to begin proceedings within a six-month time limit. Failure to so do could mean
A man has successfully challenged his father’s will, which he suspected had been drawn up in suspicious circumstances. The issue arose because when the father died, it emerged that he had made two wills in the two years before his death. The first will was made in 2007 and divided his estate equally between his
Discretionary trusts are a great way to reduce the burden of inheritance tax but they must be drawn up properly to be effective. A recent case before the High Court shows how problems can arise if the trust is not prepared correctly. The case involved a man who made a will in which he
The government is seeking international collaboration to tackle the growing challenge of dementia as people lead increasingly longer lives. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says there are currently 670,000 people suffering from various forms of dementia in theUKand this figure is set to double over the next 30 years. Mr Hunt said: “Dementia is far from
Helping Machins’ clients in contentious probate issues it is often the case that a dispute arose as a result of a will which favoured one sibling over another or completely cut one family member out. This is a somewhat delicate and emotional issue and with English law following the basic principle that the Testator has
A woman has won the right to remain in her deceased partner’s home despite a legal challenge from his son. The case involved a couple who were not married but had lived together for 12 years. The man had made a will leaving all his estate to his son. The will didn’t leave anything to
Two brothers have won a legal battle to receive their full inheritance from their mother’s will. The case involved a family dispute between the brothers and their sister. Their mother had made a will leaving substantial sums to all her three children. However, before she died she transferred a large amount of her money to