Friday, 14 December 2018
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to HM Revenue and Customs has revealed that people living in the prosperous commuter town of Guildford in Surrey pay Inheritance Tax (IHT) more than anywhere else in the UK. The FOI, requested by the insurer Direct Line, discloses that as many as 658 families in Guildford were subject to IHT in 2015/16 and they paid the taxman on average £231,000 each. While Guildford had the highest number of... read more
Thursday, 1 November 2018
The Scottish Government has just published a paper setting out a welcome (albeit limited) programme of reform for succession law. Most of the current Scots law of succession arises from the Succession (Scotland) Act 1964. Given the vast changes to society and families since then there have, quite rightly, been calls to reform our succession laws to better reflect the expectations of modern day Scots and their families. The major change... read more
Monday, 15 October 2018
Stevenson & Marshall are pleased to be supporting Will Aid again this year. We are already busy taking bookings in preparation for Will Aid 2018 which runs throughout November. Under Will Aid, solicitors waive their fees for will writing services, inviting clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid instead. The suggested voluntary donation for a basic Will Aid will is £95 for a single will and £150 for a pair of “mirror”... read more
Saturday, 25 August 2018
It has been reported that legendary singer Aretha Franklin died without making a Will, despite her estimated $80 million fortune. Court documents have disclosed that she died intestate which means she had no Will at the time of her death. Under Michigan law, where an unmarried person dies without leaving a Will then their estate is divided equally among any children. The fact that Aretha Franklin died without leaving a Will is particularly... read more
Sunday, 12 August 2018
A recent judgement by the UK Supreme Court regarding end of life decisions has been widely reported. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that legal permission will no longer be needed to withdraw treatment from patients in a permanent vegetative state. It will now be easier to withdraw food and liquid to allow such patients to die across the UK. When families and doctors are in agreement, medical staff will be able to remove feeding tubes... read more
Monday, 6 August 2018
It has recently been reported that the Government received a record amount in Inheritance Tax receipts over the last tax year with the sum collected breaking the £5billion mark for the first time. This figure is expected to continue to rise, despite the introduction of the new residence nil rate band last year, with one in ten families forecast to pay Inheritance Tax in the future compared to about one in twenty now. Treasury figures disclosed... read more
Monday, 16 July 2018
The rules for the simple procedure came into force in November 2016, replacing small claims and summary cause procedure for certain cases up to the value of £5,000. Their purpose was to provide a speedy, inexpensive and informal way to resolve disputes. It is a new procedure designed to encourage disputing parties to settle the matter without any evidence requiring to be led in Court. Parties are ordered to have case management... read more
Monday, 9 July 2018
The summer holiday season is now upon us but it’s not all ice cream and picnics for everyone. Many parents who are no longer together are able to reach an amicable agreement about how their children will spend their holidays. For others, discussions about when, where and how summer holiday contact should take place – or indeed Easter, October or Christmas holidays – can become fraught. Sometimes discussions break down completely. If... read more
Monday, 25 June 2018
A Will is one of the most important documents you will ever sign. A properly drawn up Will ensures that your assets and personal possessions are shared in accordance with your wishes after your death. It can also set out how you would wish your children to be cared for and can establish a trust for them until they reach an appropriate age to inherit. While it is possible to write your own Will, or complete a Will online or use Will-writing... read more
Thursday, 14 June 2018
If you are the parent or a carer of a young person with learning difficulties, autism or other developmental delay, you may have been advised by the child’s Head Teacher or Paediatrician to obtain a Guardianship Order when your child reaches the age of 16 years. The reason for this is that when a child reaches their 16th birthday all parental rights and responsibilities are extinguished, and “in the eyes of the law”, that child is an... read more
