Spouses, civil partners and cohabitants

Explore the intricate legal landscape of rights and obligations for spouses, civil partners, and cohabitants. This topic offers expert guidance tailored to the specifics of marital, civil partnership, and cohabitation law, grounding your practice in up-to-date legislation and case law. Skillfully navigate asset division, inheritance claims, and other crucial matters to deliver comprehensive legal solutions for clients across various relationship statuses.

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Cohabitation Marital/civil partnership agreements Tax implications of marriage/civil partnership Trusts and divorce Trusts of land

Latest Private Client News

OSCR announces enhanced Record of Removed Persons search functionality for charity trustees

OSCR announces enhanced Record of Removed Persons search functionality for charity trustees
Private Client weekly highlights—24 July 2025

Private Client weekly highlights—24 July 2025

The following Private Client news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Private Client weekly highlights—24 July 2025

Question of the week: W died on 06 April 2025. She was resident in England & Wales at her death and all her assets were situate in England & Wales. In 2018 (ie within seven years of her death) W and her husband H made joint lifetime gifts totalling £600,000 to their three children. At the time of the gifts, they were arguable domiciled in Gibraltar, and the gifts were made from Gibraltar-based assets. H died in 2021 domiciled in Gibraltar. Do the lifetime gifts have to now be brought into account for IHT in W's estate in relation to both her NRB and the transferable NRB from H's estate?

Question of the week: W died on 06 April 2025. She was resident in England & Wales at her death and all her assets were situate in England & Wales. In 2018 (ie within seven years of her death) W and her husband H made joint lifetime gifts totalling £600,000 to their three children. At the time of the gifts, they were arguable domiciled in Gibraltar, and the gifts were made from Gibraltar-based assets. H died in 2021 domiciled in Gibraltar. Do the lifetime gifts have to now be brought into account for IHT in W's estate in relation to both her NRB and the transferable NRB from H's estate?

Question of the week: W died on 06 April 2025. She was resident in England & Wales at her death and all her assets were situate in England & Wales. In 2018 (ie within seven years of her death) W and her husband H made joint lifetime gifts totalling £600,000 to their three children. At the time of the gifts, they were arguable domiciled in Gibraltar, and the gifts were made from Gibraltar-based assets. H died in 2021 domiciled in Gibraltar. Do the lifetime gifts have to now be brought into account for IHT in W's estate in relation to both her NRB and the transferable NRB from H's estate?

Legislation Day: Draft Finance Bill 2026—Private Client analysis

Legislation Day: Draft Finance Bill 2026—Private Client analysis

The following Private Client news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Legislation Day: Draft Finance Bill 2026—Private Client analysis

Featured Private Client content

Nature and classification of trusts—the three certainties

Nature and classification of trusts—the three certainties

Nature and classification of trusts—the three certaintiesCertaintyIn order for a settlor to create a private express trust the three certainties must...

Protectors

Protectors

ProtectorsWhat is a protector?A protector is a person who holds powers under a trust but who is not a trustee. A protector is a person who is...

Preparing the application form PA1P/PA1A for probate or letters of administration

Preparing the application form PA1P/PA1A for probate or letters of administration

Preparing the application form PA1P/PA1A for probate or letters of administrationFORTHCOMING CHANGE: The postal application forms PA1P and PA1A for...

Administration actions—personal representatives and the deceased's liabilities

Administration actions—personal representatives and the deceased's liabilities

Administration actions—personal representatives and the deceased's liabilitiesAn individual may assume obligations, for example in respect of...

Precedents

Loan agreement—individuals

Loan agreement—individualsDATE:Parties1[[name] of [address] [and [name] of [address]] OR [name] and [name] both of [address]] (Lender[s])2[[name] of...
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2nd Jun
Practice notes

The Cy-près doctrine

The Cy-près doctrineFORTHCOMING CHANGE: The Charities Act 2022 (CA 2022) received Royal Assent on 24 February 2022 and will be implemented on a...
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30th May
Practice notes

Trustees—appointment of trustees

Trustees—appointment of trusteesOriginal trusteesTrustees will usually be appointed by the instrument that brings the trust into existence. The trust...
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2nd Jun
tag iconIn-house
Practice notes

Death in service benefits

Death in service benefitsOverview of the types of death in service benefits and their tax treatmentThere are three types of death in service...
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Produced in partnership with Eleanor Walsh, Lily Hurley and Emily Cook of Sinclair Gibson LLP
30th May
Practice notes

Assent of assets by personal representatives

Assent of assets by personal representativesPersonal representatives (PRs) can transfer assets to beneficiaries in any way that would also be...
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2nd Jun
Q&As

A trust holds the beneficial ownership of shares in a company of which one trustee is a director. Of the three beneficiaries, two are adults and there is a declaration of trust in respect of the shares held for them. The other is a minor and there is a separate declaration of trust for him. What would or should happen to the company shares on the death of a beneficiary? Neither declaration of trust deals with this issue.

A trust holds the beneficial ownership of shares in a company of which one trustee is a director. Of the three beneficiaries, two are adults and there...
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Produced in partnership with Chris Bryden of 4 King’s Bench Walk
30th May
Practice notes

Intermeddling in an estate

Intermeddling in an estateWhat is intermeddling?An individual who performs certain duties which a personal representative (PR) would perform to...
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Produced in partnership with Jenny Bird and Charlotte Kynaston of Macfarlanes
2nd Jun
Practice notes

Termination of trusts—methods of termination

Termination of trusts—methods of terminationDuration of a trustThe duration of an express trust is subject to the restrictions imposed by the rules...
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2nd Jun
Practice notes

Trusts as a vehicle for holding company shares

Trusts as a vehicle for holding company sharesIntroductionMany trusts own shares as part of a portfolio of investments. This Practice Note looks at...
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2nd Jun
Practice notes

Benevolent funds

Benevolent fundsFORTHCOMING CHANGE: The Charities Act 2022 (CA 2022) received Royal Assent on 24 February 2022 and will be implemented on a staggered...
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30th May
Practice notes

Creation of trusts—life insurance trusts

Creation of trusts—life insurance trustsDefining life insurance trustsA life insurance trust usually involves either:•an assignment of an insurance...
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30th May
Practice notes

Lifetime gifts

Lifetime giftsA lifetime gift is a gratuitous transfer of ownership of any property between living persons and not made in expectation of death. In...
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2nd Jun
Practice notes

Source of income (and private client)

Source of income (and private client)When advising an individual on cross-border or offshore tax planning, it is important to establish the 'source'...
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2nd Jun
Practice notes

Liferent trusts—Scotland

Liferent trusts—ScotlandLiferent trustsA liferent trust (or trust liferent) is a trust which, when settled, confers a use and income benefit, or both,...
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Produced in partnership with Pete Murrin of Turcan Connell
30th May
tag iconScottish Law
Q&As

When can a mistake in an executed deed be rectified by a manuscript amendment rather than by a deed of rectification?

When can a mistake in an executed deed be rectified by a manuscript amendment rather than by a deed of rectification?This Q&A explains when it is...
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Produced in partnership with Emma Holland of Stewarts Law
30th May
Practice notes

Advantages and disadvantages of an offshore trust

Advantages and disadvantages of an offshore trustAn offshore trust is a trust where the trustees are resident in a low or zero tax jurisdiction....
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Produced in partnership with Mourant Ozannes
30th May

Popular documents

What is the difference between an appeal and a review?

What is the difference between an appeal and a review?What is an appeal?An appeal in insolvency proceedings is no different to an appeal in normal litigation. An appeal will be allowed only if the appeal court is satisfied that the decision of the lower court was 'wrong' or 'unjust because of a

If a rentcharge is shown as being informally exonerated on title information, does this apply to the

If a rentcharge is shown as being informally exonerated on title information, does this apply to the current registered owner? Or does the informal exoneration only apply to the parties to the document which informally exonerated the rentcharge?This Q&A considers the situation where, at some

Can shares in a limited company that have not been paid-up at all be cancelled?

Can shares in a limited company that have not been paid-up at all be cancelled?A limited company having a share capital may not alter that share capital, except in the ways listed in section 617 of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006). Shares in a company cannot simply be cancelled without following an

Template for regulatory references given by SMCR firms and disclosure requirements

Template for regulatory references given by SMCR firms and disclosure requirements[Insert addressee details]Dear [insert name][It is our understanding that [insert name of prospective employee] [was an employee of yours between the dates of [insert dates as appropriate] OR is a current employee of