http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk en-us Mon, 18 May 2026 06:44:45 +0100 Rocketspark http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/15900/will-your-beneficiaries-inherit-equally/ Is it ever OK to leave your children unequal inheritances?  On the face of it it may make perfect sense if you have one child who is financially secure, with a high-flying career and earning a six-figure salary.  However, circumstances change and this is yet another example of when people decide to predict the future when drawing up their wills and feel that they know exactly what the circumstances are going to be for everyone involved at the point when they pass away. Sometimes i... Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post15900 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/14167/looking-after-your-digital-legacy/ Whether we have a Will in place or not I think most of us understand their importance.  But what about your digital assets ...?  Closing down your online life could be one of the hardest things your family has to do once you're gone.  Where should they start? Most digital assets will pass via the main Will that covers the majority of assets, but knowledge of online accounts and how to access them is probably best dealt with via a separate document which can be stored safely a... Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post14167 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/20061/5-common-mistakes-to-avoid-when-preparing-lpas/ Nearly 30,000 Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) applications were rejected by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) in 2022-23 due to mistakes.6 in 10 rejected documents were LPAs for property and financial affairs.An LPA is a legal document where one person (the donor) gives another person the right to make decisions on their behalf on an ongoing basis.A Lasting Power of Attorney is the most common arrangement in England and Wales, and there are two types:Property and financial affairs, which ... Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post20061 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/19286/does-my-property-need-to-be-considered-when-assessing-my-financial-status-for-paying-care-fees/ One of the key concerns many clients have at the moment is losing their property to pay for care costs, especially if there are people still living in the home - whether that be spouse or children.For the purposes of this blog we will just concentrate on the property and ignore any other income or capital owned by the person. That can be a post for another day!Whether or not a person has to pay for care relates to their capital when the local authority does a financial assessment. Capital is wid... Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post19286 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/18225/what-the-royals-can-teach-us-about-death/ I don't think there will be many of us that weren't affected by the death of Queen Elizabeth II.  It is at moments like this that we all remember loved ones that we have lost.  That dash to a bedside at a hospital to say a final goodbye, or that hollow knock on the door to tell you that someone had been taken too soon.What comes after these moments can often have a profound effect on how we grieve, shaping the rest of our lives.The death of the Queen has been one of the most planned-fo... Wed, 16 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post18225 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/19219/my-wife-and-i-are-tenants-in-common--what-happens-to-the-house-when-one-of-us-dies/ When you are tenants in common (TIC) and one of you dies, the deceased owner's share passes in accordance with his or her will.  When you are joint tenants, the survivor becomes the sole owner and the whole property will eventually pass under his or her will.If you do wish the surviving spouse to own the whole property after the first death, you can apply to move the restriction or change your wills.When you are joint tenants, in the eyes of the law you are one owner.  This means that ... Wed, 02 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post19219 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/17649/trust-registration-service/ From 1 September 2022 it will become necessary for trustees to comply with their registration obligations under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017.  This requires the lead trustee of the majority of trusts, or nominated agent, to register the beneficial ownership of their trusts with HMRC. Most trusts will require registration although there are exceptions that will not ie Pension scheme and death benefit trustsLife Assurance Trusts that re... Fri, 08 Jul 2022 12:07:43 +0100 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post17649 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/15774/dont-put-off-that-awkward-chat-about-inheritance/ It can be a shock for people to discover, only on the death of their parents, that they have effectively been disinherited and it can seem like the ultimate cruel shock.  Often there is no obvious reason why the decision was taken which makes it even more difficult for potential beneficiaries to understand. The UK is different from many other countries in that you are allowed to die with millions in the bank and not give a penny to your child.  In France, by law, you have to give your ... Tue, 04 Jan 2022 15:35:21 +0000 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post15774 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/15410/delays-add-to-the-pain-of-getting-power-of-attorney/ Delays and complications mean that it is taking up to 20 weeks to set up powers of attorney. The process is lengthy and can be hard to navigate, and families often have their applications rejected. There is hope, however, that the system for granting lasting powers of attorney is about to become easier. The government says that the system needs updating, and the Ministry of Justice and Office of Public Guardian (OPG) are speaking to banks and legal firms to find ways to make the process better. ... Mon, 25 Oct 2021 10:18:24 +0100 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post15410 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/post/15383/where-theres-a-will-and-a-couple-of-marriages-things-get-complicated/ With blended families on the rise, so are inheritance rows.  Blended families are those where people have multiple marriages and children with different partners, meaning step-parents, stepchildren, divorced parents and siblings with large age gaps are all part of the family setup. These disputes are on the rise.  In 2020 there were 192 cases taken to the High Court by individuals claiming to be entitled to part of an estate.  This was up 50% from the 128 heard just 2 years previo... Thu, 21 Oct 2021 10:39:28 +0100 http://www.jancookwillsandtrusts.co.uk/blog/#post15383