Posts tagged “Executors”

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Probate delays still continue

Posted on 25th April 2024

The probate process takes a long time after you've laid flowers on a loved one's gravestone.

Concerns continue about probate application delays. The government says it has put measures in place to speed up the probate process.

Despite the government’s target to complete probate applications within 16 weeks, delays mean it can still take up to a year.

Four reasons why families argue about Wills

Posted on 11th March 2024

It’s increasingly common for families to argue about Wills. Relatives, partners, and professional caregivers are having ore disagreements about bequests.

The values of people’s estates are increasing and rates of dementia rising. Both of these things mean more disputes about inheritance when someone dies.

Dealing with bereavement

Posted on 27th October 2023

When you lose a close friend or family member you must deal with your grief and many practical issues too.

If you’re an executor for your loved one’s estate this is a very challenging time. Although it’s a necessary administrative process it’s sometimes confusing and stressful.

As this couple standing in a graveyard know bereavement is difficult.

Delays in probate are still continuing

Posted on 22nd December 2022

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has admitted that probate delays continue to increase for digital and paper applications, even where there aren’t any reasons for them to be stopped.

Allow for dealys when applying for grant of probate

Make sure your assets aren’t lost when you die

Posted on 12th October 2022

Using a smartphone and digital account is common but leaves little evidence of your assets when you die

Moving to online banking and turning off paper statements is convenient and popular. However, it’s easy to forget that this means there’s very little to tell your loved ones where your assets are when you die.

If they don’t have access to your digital devices and account details they might never find what you have left behind.

Probate delays continue

Posted on 11th February 2022

Letter tiles spelling 'allow for delay' sum up the current position with probate applications

Despite reassurances last year, probate delays are continuing in 2022. The promised improvements are failing to speed up the service for bereaved families.

Have you included your digital assets in your Will?

Posted on 24th November 2021

It’s a new question for our technological age – what happens to your digital assets when you die?

People often underestimate what’s in their estate when they start to think about their Will. It’s easy to forget about things that are stored in the cloud or on a laptop or smartphone, social media accounts, online bank accounts and cryptocurrencies.

Coding for a website is a digital asset that you could include in your Will.

Are online Wills worth the paper they aren’t written on?

Posted on 22nd October 2021

While most people in the UK believe their affairs are simple, their requirements are often quite complicated when it comes to their Will.

According to recently published research online Will writing services often fail to consider things that can significantly affect the details of your Will such as marital status, children, assets, business and property ownership, overseas property investments and disinheritance.

creating your Will on your laptop is easy but it might not be valid.

How many of your assets are digital?

Posted on 8th October 2021

Even photo stored on your phone or in the cloud are digital assets

Social media and email accounts, cryptocurrencies, and photographs stored in the cloud are all digital assets.

Although they are an important part of our lives, we probably haven’t given much thought to what will happen to them if we die or are unable to make decisions about them.

Joint research by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the Microsoft-funded Cloud Legal Project at Queen Mary University of London has looked at the practical issues surrounding digital assets for estate planning.

Changes to the online probate service

Posted on 23rd August 2021

Changes to the online probate service, MyHMCTS, for solicitors and other legal professionals came into effect on 19 August 2021. These changes could simplify and streamline the probate process for executors and administrators.

A black gavel use in HM Court and Tribunal service hearings