STEP Membership: Done
Our solicitor Helena Grady has renewed her STEP membership for another 12 months. đź‘Ť As specialists in inheritance and succession planning, STEP members draft wills and trusts, administer estates, act as trustees and advise families on how best to structure their finances to ensure compliance and preserve their assets for future generations. For advice get […]
Fogwill & Jones Ranks in UK’s Top 6%
Hugely proud that Fogwill & Jones Legal Services is ranking in the top 6% for Wills, Trusts & Probate out of 3,497 firms in the UK by ReviewSolicitors!🏆 Our ranking is based on our 85+ client reviews and perfect 5.0/5 average star rating! Our clients say they receive exceptional advice and efficient, concise, and understandable […]
Top tips on starting difficult conversations about Lasting Powers of Attorney from the Office of the Public Guardian
Starting a conversation about lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) with family and friends can feel uncomfortable. You may think family members can make decisions about your finances or health and welfare if you are no longer able to. This might include tasks like paying bills on your behalf. However, this is not the case—they would […]
Continuing Probate Delays
Probate application delays reveal a continued increase from the start of the year despite a slight decrease from the previous month – decreasing from 15.4 weeks to 15.2, new data from HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has revealed. For the 27,664 grants of probate issued in October, the average timeline from submission to grant […]
Cohabitation law: Government rejects calls for reform
Extracted from an article on Todayswillsandprobate.co.uk 4 November 2022 The government has rejected almost all proposals for cohabitation law reform put forward in the Women and Equalities Committee’s recent report. The report highlighted the lack of legal protection afforded to cohabiting couples, with Resolution describing their position as one of “legal limbo”. Key recommendations included an […]
Ombudsman offers guidance on capital deprivation disputes in England
https://www.step.org/industry-news The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has issued guidance to English councils on making decisions on whether someone has deliberately deprived themselves of assets to avoid paying residential care home fees.  Disputes regularly arise when a person who goes into long-term care has previously given away or otherwise disposed of assets, thereby […]
Estate Planning for Digital Assets
Extracted from an article on Fraserandfraser.co.uk 7 July 2022 What are digital assets? Digital assets are intangible records or files that are stored online. Usually we can only access these files through a device such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop etc. A digital asset can include: Email accounts Social media accounts Online banking accounts Online […]
Lasting Powers of Attorney registration time in England and Wales now twice the official target of 40 days
Extracted for Step.org industry news Thursday, 23 June 2022 The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is currently taking an average of 82 days to register lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) in England and Wales, more than twice the OPG’s official target time, according to a written parliamentary answer from Parliamentary Under Secretary of State […]
Gifting and Inheritance tax
June 17, 2022 Extracted from an article by Parisa Jones on Solicitors for the Elderly sfe.legal Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a tax paid on your estate after you’ve died. It’s a concern for many people who want to ensure their loved ones receive maximum benefit from any inheritance. IHT rules are complicated but with […]
Sufferers of dementia dismiss their symptoms as “old age”
May 20, 2022 Extracted from an article on todayswillsandprobate.co.uk New research has shown that four in 10 dementia patients said it took them a long time to be diagnosed with the condition as they had believed their symptoms were caused by old age. The research, conducted by the Alzheimer’s Society, suggests many are missing out […]
