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Martin Tolhurst unplugged - the pandemic, law firms, Dr. Who and Bob Dylan....

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It was all going along nicely………… I recall the exact moment it happened, I was reading the paper. It was mid-February 2020, about 1:20 pm, I was escaping the office in a café being comforted by a latte and cheese panini,...

Getting the language clear in will drafting

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Three children have won a share of their father’s £700,000 estate after a hard-fought case that reached the High Court in London. The siblings took action when their father Kenneth Grizzle died and they found they were excluded from his...

Could you be at risk from an unregulated will writer?

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An article in the Law Society Gazette a few weeks ago revealed that a couple were stung with an £89 annual storage fee for their wills, having already paid £4,500 for their wills and been told the storage fee would be £49. Meanwhile, the...

LPA surge: challenges in registration

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In 2022, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) registered over 770,000 Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), and this was an increase of nearly 10% over the number of registrations from 2021. However, the waiting times between making an application for...

How has Covid-19 affected inheritance tax?

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There is still much uncertainty about the true impact of coronavirus on all aspects of our lives. Inheritance tax is no different, with the fallout of the pandemic affecting the value of estates, inheritance tax planning, and the valuation of business...

Why cohabiting couples must consider estate planning

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Millions of couples across the UK are choosing to forego marriage and live as cohabitees. However, without proper estate planning, they could be putting their finances at risk. Unlike their married counterparts, unmarried couples have no automatic right to...

A fifth of parents give early inheritance to avoid tax

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Recent research has revealed that one fifth of parents have transferred assets to their children to lessen the amount of inheritance tax payable on their estates. Direct Line’s research revealed this amounted to more than 6.9 million parents and the...

Changing a will after someone has died: it is possible and it could save you money

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Sometimes the generosity of a friend or relative leaving you a gift in their will can backfire if it turns out your estate will need to pay tax on it or if there is a chance that it could be swallowed up in future care costs or in...

Gas Safety and Evictions - latest updates

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Landlords are breathing a sigh of relief over the news that a court has allowed an eviction notice despite a copy of the gas safety certificate not being provided before the tenancy started. But experts are warning that attention to the small print is...

Heir Hunters - Don't let the state get your estate!

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Every year, thousands of people die intestate or without a will. That means they haven’t left any clear guidelines as to how they want their estate divided up among their beneficiaries. The numbers are incredible too, with around 70% of the UK...

Get off my land!

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Who has the right to roam on your property? If you’ve discovered that your property is subject to an easement, you may be wondering who has access and who can pass over your land. The first thing not to do is panic, but instead to establish...

New Law Commission looks to update will writing and consider mental capacity

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Simon Franklin, of the Wills, Trust and Probate department at Martin Tolhurst Solicitors has welcomed the announcement that there is to be a Law Commission to look at updating Will writing laws. Simon said, “Making arrangements for when we pass away...