Jointly Owned Property and Wills: If you own your property as Joint Tenants with another person or people, you may decide that you want to change the ownership, so it is then held as Tenants in Common instead. This will enable you to gift your share of the property to someone other than your co-owner(s) …
Free & Cheap Wills – A Myth
Do-it-Yourself Wills 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 all the …
Guardians
Who can be a Guardian? Anyone can be appointed as a Guardian in your locally produced Will if they are over the age of 18 years. Anyone who is appointed as a Guardian will have Parental Responsibility (PR) for your children and therefore can make decisions about matters including: Appointing a Guardian in your Will …
The Relationship Between Wills and Probate
Wills and Probate: Wills are a legally binding confirmation of who does what (e.g., Executors, Guardians, Trustees, etc.) and who receives what (e.g., Beneficiaries of the assets within your estate). When created locally by a suitably qualified and insured professional Will Writer, and in accordance with your specific circumstances and requirements, Wills are also powerful …
Have you Unknowingly Invalidated your Will?
Are you aware of some of the different ways in which your Will could be affected by a change in your circumstances, or vice versa? Have you Unknowingly Invalidated your Will? A New Property Purchase If you purchase a new property with another person, this may have implications if your locally arranged Will (see previous …
Beware So-Called “DIY” and “Free” Wills
How do I Create a DIY Will? 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” Will kit from a High Street stationery shop. Any such “DIY Will” should be perfectly …
Local Devon Probate Guidance Equals a Larger Inheritance as a Result
What is Probate? Most people have heard the term “Probate”, however far fewer are aware of what it means. The following is some Probate Guidance from TRF Wills. Just because we have a Will, that does not automatically mean that after our death the people dealing with our affairs can immediately begin sharing out our …
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Local Will Writing in Devon and Wolverhampton
A Will is a legal document which confirms your requirements for how your assets should be distributed after your lifetime. It is a crucial element of your overall estate plan. Having an accurate and all-encompassing valid Will can help ensure that your assets are distributed correctly according to your wishes, avoid probate disputes, and minimise …
Wills and Vulnerable Beneficiaries
Will beneficiaries can be vulnerable for many reasons, including but not limited to learning difficulties, illness, and addiction. How do we provide for a vulnerable, possibly dependent adult Beneficiary in our Will? The beneficiary’s vulnerability is not as important as their care needs, and the solution is known as a Vulnerable Person Trust. Vulnerable Person …
What happens when a Beneficiary cannot be found?
What happens when a beneficiary cannot be found? Well, executors of a Will (its Administrators/Representatives) need to make every effort to find a missing Beneficiary or one that is difficult to locate. This may extend to measures including the Executor(s) making enquiries with the deceased’s friends and other relatives to obtain a Beneficiary’s whereabouts, taking …
TRF Wills and the Society of Will Writers
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 …
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.