Ward Williams urges UK business owners to prioritise creating Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) and Wills to protect their enterprises. The article emphasises the importance of separate business and personal LPAs, highlights key actions for business owners, and announces a free Business Breakfast event in Uxbridge on 12th September, 2024, focused on securing business legacies through LPAs and Wills. Ward Williams offers specialised services to help business owners navigate these complex legal and financial matters, ensuring business continuity and peace of mind.

If you are a beneficiary of the deceased’s estate or family, it is possible to find out if a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration have been granted, but that’s all you can do. You need to be the person(s) that applied for Probate to be able to track the progress of a Probate application. After you've applied for Probate, your application will be reviewed by the Probat ...

Once a Grant of Probate has been issued, you may expect to receive your money quickly if you have been in line to inherit. However, this can vary greatly due to the complexity of the estate, and the possibility of the Will being contested, as well as more personal delays such as the Executors fitting this process around their lives. For an estate which has not got any property ...

Probate and estate administration is the financial and legal process which takes place after someone has died. The purpose is to make sure all relevant taxes are collected, money owing to creditors is paid, debts owed to the deceased are collected and the remaining assets from the estate are distributed to the relevant beneficiaries. To find a Probate record online you can vis ...

Before Probate is granted

In general, a Will is a private document until a Grant of Probate is issued. While the testator is still alive, nobody other than the testator is entitled to receive a copy of the Will.

Following the testator’s death, unless and until Probate is granted, the Will remains a private document although the Executors named in the Will are entitled to see it. 

How to find someone's assets after death? When someone dies, it is up to their family to locate all the assets that they left behind. Although this task usually falls to the person who will ultimately be the executor of the Will, having a few family members tackle this project together can make it mentally and emotionally easier. Assets include things like bank accounts, savi ...

Financial gifts can make a huge difference for children and grandchildren but care needs to be taken to ensure they are carried out tax efficiently.

Lifetime gifting could include making cash gifts from surplus income, charitable giving and taking advantage of annual exemptions and the small gifts exemption.

Our Budget Summary provides an overview of the key announcements arising from the Chancellor’s speech. Download Autumn Budget Report PDF Additionally, throughout the Summary you will find informative comments to help you assess the effect that the proposed changes may have on you personally. Don’t forget, we can help to ensure that your accounts are accurate and fully compli ...

The Government has reversed its decision to change probate fees, which would have seen some bereaved families pay almost £6,000 in additional costs.  At the end of 2018, the Government announced plans to alter the charging structure for probate fees in England and Wales, which are paid when administering someone's estate after they die. It said it would replace the current fla ...

As a member of the Society of Will Writers (SWW), you must abide by their three compulsory requirements of Membership. These include ongoing training and development, code of practice compliance, and a comprehensive insurance policy to cover estate planning activities. Choosing a qualified and knowledgeable Will Writer based on their track record, their expertise and how they w ...