Millions of people have found themselves out of work due to the Covid19 pandemic and thousands of businesses have had to close their doors due to the various lockdowns. The spike in financial uncertainty has caused many grandparents to want to provide...
Seeking professional advice from a reputable law firm when preparing your Will or Trust documents is so important. People leave things to loved ones in their Will to recognise the significant place they had in their lives or in gratitude for what...
There is no replacement for professional advice when it comes to drafting a Will. However, in the context of a bitter inheritance dispute, a High Court ruling demonstrated that getting the right advice can prove itself to be more valuable than ever,...
A brand new scheme has been unveiled this autumn at Maggie’s Cancer Care and visitors to the Oldham centre will now be able to get an hour of free advice on future planning. The aim is to give assurance and help on all aspects of planning a...
As tempting as it may be to draft your own Will, in an attempt to save yourself a few pounds, failing to seek professional legal advice could cost you dearly in the long run. Importance of Will Solicitors “Difficult conversations and family...
It may be some time before the lasting effects of coronavirus can be examined, but already it would seem there are long term effects on the capacity and cognitive effects of patients after long term hospital stays or lengthy home recovery periods. Court of...
If you are making a Will it can now be witnessed via video link which should help to speed up the system and provide reassurance in these uncertain times. The recent change to the existing 183 year old law has been brought in this September to reflect the...
Why it’s important business owners get organised before a potential second wave. No matter what your interest in a business – owner, director, partner or sole trader – it makes sense to protect the future of that business. Having an up to...
The duties of attorneys acting under a lasting power of attorney (LPA) have been given a boost with a new online system designed to speed up the management of affairs. A ‘donor’ appoints an ‘attorney’ when they make a lasting...
A Trust when set up to benefit a vulnerable loved one should be ‘watertight’ and clients quite rightly do not expect unseen consequences, however it is always advisable to consult a professional whose advice is up to date and relevant, as one...
Making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is something all ages need to consider, if you’re looking after aged parents, running a business, have an illness of your own, care for children or simply want to plan ahead for the benefit of your family, and...
Few clients wish to see their home sold to pay for nursing fees, leaving their loved ones with a much reduced inheritance. However, when you consider that figures suggest HMRC win nearly 90% of the cases brought against it by taxpayers it is worth...
This weekend the BBC reported that, based on statistics released by the National Care Forum, more than 4,000 elderly and disabled people in residential care are likely to have died from Covid-19. In order to protect residents as much as possible, care...
A wave of new tech has swept through the UK legal system as audio and video technology has become the new ‘norm’ during the coronavirus outbreak and our legal advisers who have been helping clients draw up Wills have embraced the change. ...
Traditionally Wills are signed in a solicitor’s office in the presence of a lawyer but during the coronavirus lock down we are hearing of Wills being signed in all kinds of strange places. During lockdown these witnessing rules are being tested to the...
A Will ensures your wishes regarding how your money, property and other prized possessions are passed on after your death. Without a Will you cannot guarantee that the right people will benefit. How well you protect your family and close friends depends on...
The unease sweeping across the country and the unknown in what lies ahead has led to lots of calls to our solicitors as people seek to focus on their loved ones. The Law Society has reported a huge 30% national surge in requests for legal advice from...
Do you know where your Will is? Even more importantly, do the people who will act as your executors, in the event of your death, know where your Will is stored? The recent discovery at Lloyds Banking Group that 9,000 Wills had been left in...
If you’re looking to start 2020 with your finances in order it is important to consider making Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) – legal documents which allow you to nominate people you trust to make decisions for you, should you ever become...
Plans for the government to increase probate fees have been reversed and welcomed by our solicitors. Probate - the legal authority to take control of someone's finances when they die - used to take up to 10 days to be granted by the court. If the...
Sadly we sometimes come across cases where elderly people have no option but to spend their life savings on care homes fees, but often some professional advice could limit or even prevent this. A case which hit the news recently highlights what can go...
As the nights draw in and we begin to think forward to Christmas there might still be some things that need ticking off your 2019 to do list and making a Will could be one of them. Almost 75% of people do not have an up to date Will, or have even started to...
Making tax simple is part of a proposed review of Inheritance Tax – something which affects many of our clients. Sarah Finnigan unpicks the issues: Inheritance Tax is one of the most unpopular taxes of all time and something which affects many of...
In January this year the Government introduced a new IT based online system for granting Probate, but this has now stalled and some clients have been waiting up to 3 months for the application to go through. Probate — the legal authority to take...
Lawyers are fighting for changes to the law to safeguard dementia sufferers against financial disadvantage. Those suffering with dementia seem to be a target for crooks who befriend them, coerce them into getting married purely to inherit their money. ...
Do you have an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) which was set up some time ago? Well the time may have come to relook at that legal document, particularly as EPAs were replaced with the property and financial affairs Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in...
Comedian and funny man Ken Dodd had the last laugh last year when he married his long term partner on his deathbed, thus avoiding Inheritance Tax and with probate on his estate just granted his Will and £27.5m fortune is now public. Whilst...
A new system alerting charities to when they have been left money in wills is to be established by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) following a decision to end its current arrangement. This has been welcomed by many in the charity sector who are...
If you’re looking at getting your finances in order this New Year it is important to consider making Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) – these are legal documents that allow you to nominate people you trust to make decisions for you, should you...
Oldham Law firm Pearson Solicitors is urging local families to consider making their New Year Resolution for 2019 to get a Will and plan their financial futures. January is a particularly popular time to make a Will or make changes to an existing Will....
Not making a Will can have an effect on all the family – as shown this weekend when it was revealed that Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, died intestate. Aretha Franklin, who died last month at the age of 76, did not leave a will. Her four sons and...
The law says that anybody can make a Will once they reach the age of 18 – this is because it is important for all adults (no matter their age) to make provisions for the future. Many younger adults avoid making a Will because they don’t...
Following the vote to leave, many are left wondering whether the UK’s exit from the EU could have a knock on effect on estates and the succession plans of those with assets abroad. Currently, EU based estates being left to EU citizens are subject to...
As Government uncertainty prevails and we now look to Theresa May to settle the ship, the old adage there is nothing as sure as ‘death and taxes’ prevails and with that in mind during this period of insecurity inheritance issues and estate...
A court in Minnesota has declared that the musician Prince had no known will and has moved to appoint an executor for the 57-year-olds estate. The singer's estate which includes his $10 million Paisley Park estate is thought to be worth close to $300m....
Divorce lawyers have this week defended themselves against an off-side strike by former footballer Gary Lineker who is calling for a “mathematical equation” to help couples divorce quickly. Head of family law, Daniel Prince, said twice-divorced...
A big shake up of what happens if you die without a Will comes into force on October 1 st . If you die without a will ‘common law’ partners may be shocked to realise they still have no rights to inherit and the children of married couples...
People in Oldham will have the opportunity to make or update their will for free next month as part of The Christie’s Make a Will Week, in return for a donation to the charity. The Christie, the North West’s specialist cancer centre is...
Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers are waiving their fees to raise money for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice during Make A Will Week, May 19-23. Instead of paying a solicitors fees for a Will the Queen Street firm are instead asking clients to instead...