There seems to be an awareness day or week for everything these days, and perhaps ‘Dying Matters Awareness Week’ does sound a little strange, but it nevertheless bears an important message as Solicitor Alice Vage discusses.

Tackling a tricky subject to bring peace of mind

Many of us are understandably squeamish about discussing matters around death and dying.  However, not discussing your wishes and making practical arrangements for your death, can often result in those you love the most suffering far more than necessary. Or, at the least, having to cope with administrative and financial chaos on top of their grief. Facing up to your mortality and discussing it with your loved ones is one of the most considerate and responsible things you can do for them. Making a Will and ensuring it is kept updated along with setting up Lasting Power of Attorney will give you peace of mind and ensure that should anything happen, everything will be taken care of as you would wish, in as calm and orderly a manner as possible.

What happens if I die without a Will?

When someone dies without leaving a valid Will, their Estate must be dealt with according to the Rules of Intestacy, which are set out in law. The fundamental issue with relying on the current Rules of Intestacy to ensure that your Estate is distributed to your nearest and dearest, is that they simply don’t allow for or recognise modern family relationships. For example, they make no provision for cohabiting, unmarried and unregistered partners or stepchildren, which nowadays are commonplace.  Find out more

Wills for Blended Families

An estimated 1 in 3 families in the UK now fall into the category of being described as a blended family (or stepfamily, i.e. one in which a couple lives together with children from their previous relationships). Whilst often having many positive benefits, such families are increasingly involved in bitter inheritance disputes that could have been avoided with some careful Estate Planning.  Find out more 

Don’t make your beneficiaries pay more IHT than necessary

A Will is an opportunity to consider any Inheritance Tax implications that may burden your Estate. People often don’t realise that in making a Will, your solicitor will be able to offer advice around Inheritance Tax and Estate planning to ensure as much of your Estate goes to your chosen beneficiaries. 

Does your Will need updating?

If you have made a Will some time ago, it may be time to revisit as it could have become out of date.  For example, if you have more grandchildren, if you have separated or divorced, if any of your Executors have passed away, or if you have received an inheritance yourself since your Will was drawn up, it will need to be updated.  This blog explores this subject in more detail. 

Lasting Power of Attorney

Dying without a Will can cause all sorts of unintended consequences but suddenly becoming incapacitated, can cause all sorts of problems too, which is why setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney is an important aspect of getting your affairs in order.  In fact, money saving guru Martin Lewis recently went so far as to say that he thought an LPA was even more important than having a Will. If you own a business or a farm, an LPA is even more crucial to ensure business continuity and a separate business LPA should be in place with attorneys capable of stepping into your shoes.  Read more 

Get in touch

If you would like to discuss anything covered in this article, our friendly and experienced team would be pleased to hear from you.  You can contact us by calling us on 017872 241408 or by emailing info@penderlaw.co.uk