Wills & Probate

The BBC has launched a major new project entitled the ‘Cost of Care’ which aims to shine a light on exactly what costs our elderly population are facing when it comes to providing for their care. Worryingly, the BBC’s analysis has shown that spending on care for people aged over 65 has fallen by a […]

Where a solicitor fails to act on a client’s instructions to draft a Will which results in a potential beneficiary being denied their inheritance, there is no claim for breach of contract as there is no contract in place between the solicitor and the potential beneficiary. However, an action in professional negligence may be possible […]

At long last there are some changes in the area of law relating to Wills. From the 1 October 2014 the definition of personal belongings or personal chattels last laid down in 1925 has been altered. No more will it mean stable furniture, horses, plate, linen, glass, liquors and consumable stores. The new definition of […]

Death and mental incapacity are two subjects that everyone would probably rather not think about. However, addressing these subjects early on and including them as part of succession planning for a park business will save significant time, money and stress in the long run. In this blog I cover the very important issue of estate […]

From 2016 a care cost limit is being introduced. If £72,000 is spent on care then after that the Local Authority will meet a person`s care. This sounds promising but the Institute of Actuaries have found that very few people (8% of men and 15% of women aged 85) will reach this. When looking at […]

Another set of shocking statistics have been published this week by the Dying Matters Coalition which will no doubt make eye-watering reading for Wills and Probate Solicitors up and down the country. The results reveal that only a third of those asked had made a Will, which makes disappointing reading when you consider that having a […]

The Law Society has recently urged people to prepare a digital legacy with their will as part of their estate planning. A digital legacy covers all of those intangible and invisible assets which we own and could not live without. The Law Society is conscious that digital assets are just as significant in terms of […]

The recent much publicised case of Marley v Rawlings & Another  has once again highlighted the need for specialist advice to be taken when making a Will. The case concerned the estate of the late Mr Rawlings. Mr & Mrs Rawlings made wills in 1999 leaving their estates to Mr Marley who was not a […]

The Law Society has issued formal guidance on making a “Sharia compliant” Will. This initiative by the Law Society has come under attack by campaigners for secularism, who accuse the Law Society of assisting discriminatory practices which deny women an equal share and excludes “illegitimate” children or unbelievers. The guidance was published earlier this month […]

The sensitive and controversial topic of assisted suicide has frequently appeared in the media ever since Tony Nicklinson launched a legal battle in 2010 challenging legislation that made ‘mercy killings’ unlawful. Under the 1961 Suicide Act it is a criminal offence to help somebody to take their own life and carries a sentence of up […]

Various staff members here at Blacks Solicitors LLP are privileged to have taken part in the Dementia Friends Scheme and have now become Dementia Friends ourselves. The scheme is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative which is funded by the Cabinet Office and Department of Health.  The aim of the scheme is to educate people about dementia […]

If you promise to do only one thing for yourself this year, why not plan for your future by making a Will and Lasting Power of Attorney. Wills Writing a Will is one of the most important arrangements a person can make during their lifetime. By writing a Will, you ensure that upon death your […]