All consultants representing TRF Wills are members of the Society of Will Writers (SWW). The Society of Will Writers was founded in 1994 and has been protecting and serving the interests of the public for over 28 years. With close to 1,800 members, the Society of Will Writers and its members continually strive to promote …
Reasonable Provision for Estranged Family Members
When a disgruntled family member (the applicant) attempts to contest a lack of, or insufficient, provision for them from a deceased person’s estate, then the courts apply a two-stage test, so what is reasonable provision for estranged family members. Firstly, the court considers whether the Will or Intestacy (if there is no Will) of the …
Disabled Persons Trust
The term “Disabled Persons Trust” is one that was created within the legal system. It is a term in no way endorsed by TRF Wills and we refer to it reservedly and solely because it is currently widely used and recognized within the Wills and Trusts industry. When someone wishes to provide in their Will …
What is Inheritance Tax?
What is Inheritance tax (IHT). In simple terms, Inheritance Tax is payable upon death or at certain stages during a lifetime. For the purposes of this post, we will look at the IHT charge payable upon death which relates to the deceased’s estate. Upon death, the Executors calculate the value of the estate, which includes …
What is a Trustee?
A Trustee is someone formally appointed to manage assets of a Trust for the benefit of others (usually Beneficiaries), and to administer the Trust in accordance with its terms. There is an ongoing obligation for Trustees to act in accordance with the terms of the trust and in the best interests of its Beneficiaries. Trustees …
What Happens if a Will cannot be found after a Death?
Upon occasion, people die and although their surviving family members are certain that there is an existing Will somewhere, they simply cannot find it, so what happens if a will cannot be found after a death? This could be because the official document is being held by the legal firm which created it, so it …
What Happens if a Will cannot be found after a Death?Read More
Excluding an Estranged Family Member from Inheriting
Whilst it is unfortunate, sometimes there are family members (estranged spouses, children, stepchildren, etc.) that have behaved in such a way as to motivate someone (a Testator) to arrange or change their Will so as NOT to provide for such a person or people and excluding an Estranged Family Member. Although in many European countries, …
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Register your Trust with HMRC BEFORE 1st September 2022
If you are in any way connected to an existing Trust or Trusts, whether that be as a Trustee, a Beneficiary or the person who created the Trust, then it is highly likely that you are required to register that Trust or Trusts ON or BEFORE 1st September 2022. If the Trustee(s) fails/fail to register …
Register your Trust with HMRC BEFORE 1st September 2022Read More
Do-it-Yourself (DIY) Wills
You could choose to create your own Do-it-Yourself (DIY) Will rather than consult a specialist. This would almost certainly be a “cheap” course of action. Likewise, you could undertake your own dentistry, defend yourself in court against a wrongful accusation of a serious crime or unilaterally educate your children up to degree level. These would …
The Importance of Secure Will Document Storage
Wills are unique documents because you can really only have one legally valid version at any one time, other than additional foreign Wills, and so it is vital we have secure will document storage. We can have legally valid certified copies of many types of documents which can be provided as evidence of a document’s …
Who can Witness a Will?
So who can witness a will? well to be legally valid, a Will must comply with all the requirements set out below: The Will Must be in Writing and Signed by the Testator The Will must be in writing whether this is handwritten or generated using modern word-processing technology. There is no requirement for the …
Can an Executor of a Will be Removed?
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 …
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.