Wills and Succession Planning
Whether your needs are simple, such as creating a Will to leave your entire estate to your spouse or civil partner, or more complex – involving trusts for minor children, for example – our team can advise you on a range of potential solutions.
We can help when it comes to reducing the size of your estate for inheritance tax purposes, either by making gifts during your lifetime or by taking advantage of all available reliefs and providing tax planning opportunities under your Will.
We advise individuals and families/their trustees owning land and estates on passing down assets through the generations, making use of exemptions and reliefs from capital taxes.
We also have extensive experience of assisting executors and trustees with Probate and Trust Administration with the skills to advise on Inheritance, Trust & Probate Dispute Resolution should a dispute arise which involves an inheritance, a Will or a trust.
News
WEDLAKE BELL LAWYER QUOTED IN ‘FINANCIAL TIMES’: Can I leave my estate directly to my grandchild?
‘I plan to update my will and would like to leave a share of my estate directly to my only grandchild, who is under 18, with the remaining bulk divided… Read more →
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Wills and Probate Monthly Update – May 2023
A round-up of legal updates for the Wills and probate industry over the past month is as follows. Contentious estates – a promise made by deed can override testamentary freedom… Read more →
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Wills and Probate Monthly Update – April 2023
A round-up of legal updates for the Wills and probate industry over the past month is as follows. Tax policy – new tax year The new tax rates and allowances… Read more →
Uncategorized
Wills and Probate Monthly Update – March 2023
A round-up of legal updates for the Wills and probate industry over the past month is as follows. Estate administration – change to the legal definition of “treasure” The government… Read more →
News
Today’s Wills and Probate: The importance of leaving clear instructions in Wills
Senior Associate Nick Mendoza has written on the importance of leaving clear instructions in wills in “Today’s Wills and Probate”. To read the full article please click here.
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Case comment: Bo Bruce inheritance dispute
Thomas Klemme’s article on the recent news that the Voice singer, Bo Bruce, has won her £2 million inheritance dispute, published in Today’s Wills & Probate. To read the article… Read more →
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WHY PLANNING FOR SUCCESSION IS PLANNING FOR SUCCESS
Antoaneta Proctor, partner, written a piece discussing the importance of succession planning, published in today’s CampdenFB. To read the original article, please click here.
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Edward Fennell’s Legal Diary
Daniel Craig has recently said during an interview that he would not let his two daughters inherit the estimated £116 million that Craig has earned from playing James Bond. Partner… Read more →
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The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on charitable giving in Wills
Many clients wish to include charities in their Wills, either to receive legacies or as main beneficiaries. Senior Associate Kate Johnson has written about the upward trend for charitable giving… Read more →
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Charitable giving
There is no question that the Covid-19 crisis has hit the charity sector hard and as the country emerges from “lockdown” restrictions, it will be interesting to see how the… Read more →
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What do the proposed changes to CGT mean for IHT planning? eprivateclient
The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has recently recommended removing capital gains tax (CGT) uplift on death and instead focus on beneficiaries acquiring the assets at the historic base cost… Read more →
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Remote witnessing of Wills – what could possibly go wrong?
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted issues with some of the more archaic parts of the law surrounding the creation of Wills. Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 requires a… Read more →
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Tatler Experts’ Corner: I’m about to inherit a stake in the family business, what should I be thinking about?
As part of the Tatler SOS Experts’ Corner, we delve into the tricky waters of trust and inheritance. Here Camilla Wallace from Wedlake Bell LLP weighs in on what to do ahead… Read more →
Legal Podcast
Episode 17: The Importance of Making a Will
In this podcast, Caroline Miller discusses the importance of making a will and keeping it up to date.
News
Remote witnessing: no longer a remote possibility for Wills- Today’s Wills and Probate
Head of the Private Client Disputes Team, Caroline Miller, and solicitor Katie Turney comment and discuss the Government’s recent landmark announcement that it will be introducing temporary legislation to allow Wills… Read more →
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Video witnessing of Wills to be made legal
After months of speculation as to whether the rules regarding the witnessing of Wills would be relaxed during the pandemic, the government has announced that it is introducing legislation in… Read more →
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Relaxing Requirements for Executing a Will during Covid-19
The archaic nature of England’s law on the execution of Wills has been called into question in recent years, but never more so than in the last couple of months… Read more →
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Making a will during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to a rise in the number of people making or updating their Wills. Although lockdown measures are starting to loosen, concerns about the risk of… Read more →
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Brexit and Spanish Inheritance Tax
Now that Britain has left the European Union, UK nationals with relatives in Spain might welcome a Spanish Supreme Court ruling, confirming that non-EU residents will not have to suffer… Read more →
Bulletins
Why make a will?
A Will is a legal document in which a person declares their intention as to what should happen to their assets after their death. You are not legally obliged to… Read more →
Bulletins
Making a Will
Consultation Response: Wedlake Bell LLP On 13 July 2017, the Law Commission launched a major consultation project on the law of Wills. The law in this area has not been… Read more →