An Executor of a Will has a legal duty to administer the deceased’s estate. They must make sure assets are identified and called in, debts owed by the deceased are paid, any taxes are declared and paid, and the remaining assets are distributed to the correct people according to the deceased’s Will. Executors are expected …
Co-Ownership of Property
How do you Jointly Own your Property and Why Does it Matter When you Die? When you buy a property, you may be buying it with someone else and you become co-owners as a result. There are two different ways to jointly own property, being either “Joint Tenants” or “Tenants in Common”. Despite the word “tenant” …
How does Someone Contest a Will?
Disputes regarding Wills are becoming increasingly common due to the value of the estates involved, so how do you contest a will? Well, continued increases in property prices have also contributed to this problem, in this post we give some ideas as to how someone could contest a will. There are various reasons for someone …
Should you Review your Existing Will?
TRF Wills recommends that you review your existing will & estate plan every 3-5 years. This is to make sure that your Will still matches your wishes. We also recommend reviewing your planning when you have a change in your personal circumstances or when a beneficiary has a change in their circumstances. Many a bitter …
How do I know that my Will is valid?
Questions that we receive regularly include “How do I know that my Will is valid?”; “For How long does my Will stay valid?”; and “Can I make any changes to my Will?” How do I know that my Will is valid? As soon as your Will has been signed correctly it becomes a legally valid …
Joint Tenancy v Tenancy in Common – Devon Wills
We receive queries on this subject regularly, so this post is designed to help answer those common questions or misconceptions. If you hold your property as “Joint Tenants” with another person, you may decide that you want to change the ownership, so it is held as “Tenants in Common” instead. This will then enable you …
Can an Executor of your Will also be a Beneficiary? – Devon Will Writer
It is a common myth that an Executor of a Will cannot also be a beneficiary. This is not the case, as a person CAN act as your Executor AND benefit from your Will also. This myth probably exists because it is the case that a beneficiary of your Will may NOT act as a …
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5 Common Excuses Used to Avoid Arranging a Will – Devon Will Writer
There are many reasons how people and their estate planning problems can end up within anecdotes at social gatherings or in a local interest article in a newspaper. Here are 5 common excuses used to avoid arranging a will and which people then often use to justify inaction in relation to their Will. I’ve already …
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Beware “FREE” Wills – Devon Will Writer
Beware free wills, clearly a person is at liberty to draft their own Will if they so wish, and therefore pay only for the ink and the paper required to create it, or the cost of a DIY kit from a High Street stationery shop. Any such “DIY Will” should be perfectly valid provided it meets …
A Will is NOT Simply a List
A Will is NOT simply a list of who does what, and who receives what, after we die. If that were the case, then there would be little need for solicitors and professional Will Writers because people would merely prepare such a list at their own convenience. Here are a few examples of potential issues …
Care Fees Assessment – Devon Will Writer
Legally, if a person’s need for care is primarily health related, then they qualify for free health care under the NHS, either in their own home or in a residential nursing facility. However, if the need for care is primarily convenience based (otherwise known as social needs), then a person will be assessed (means-tested) for …
Why do I need a VALID Will? Devon Will Writing Service
So why do you need a valid will? Research from Royal London suggests that 54% of the UK adult population do NOT have a valid up to date Will. A Will may be invalid for various reasons including the fact that it may not have been signed properly, you may have married since signing your …
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TRF Wills (TRF) was created by Michael Cotterill in 2005. He is a member of the Society of Will Writers and registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.