Crafting wills is a fundamental aspect of private client practice. This topic offers expert guidance on drafting, executing, and contesting wills, ensuring your clients' wishes are clearly articulated and legally sound, while addressing potential challenges and disputes.
This week’s edition of Private Client highlights includes: (1) the Office of the Public Guardian publishes a LPA communications toolkit for partner...
The CIOT has published comments on several items of draft Finance Bill 2026-27 legislation and on HMRC’s consultation on simplifying treaty relief...
Private Client analysis: The English High Court has found that monies in London bank accounts held in the names of a company related to the award...
The Charity Commission has published its casework and registrations data for April–June 2026. At the end of June 2026, 171,539 charities were on the...
Nature and classification of trusts—the three certaintiesCertaintyIn order for a settlor to create a private express trust the three certainties must...
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 administrationFORTHCOMING CHANGE: The postal application forms PA1P and PA1A for...
Administration actions—personal representatives and the deceased's liabilitiesAn individual may assume obligations, for example in respect of...
Where a beneficiary is present when a Will is signed and witnessed, but is not an attesting witness to the Will, are there any grounds to challenge that beneficiary's entitlement under the Will?See Practice Note: Requirements for a valid Will which sets out the formalities for the proper execution
Contents of Wills-secret and half-secret trustsA secret or half-secret trust may be useful where a testator wishes to keep the identity of a beneficiary of a testamentary gift outside the text of their Will.Types of secret trustsThere are two kinds of secret trusts:•secret or fully secret
Revival of revoked WillsModes of revivalA testator who has revoked their Will either with or without making a new one may wish to revive the revoked Will. The testator may write out the revoked Will again and execute it in accordance with section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 (WA 1837) or take advantage
Contents of Wills—rules of apportionmentThe rules of apportionment should be considered at the moment of drafting the Will. Whenever a Will creates a trust, some rules of apportionment may be applied or excluded unless they have been dealt with expressly in the wording of the Will.Essentially, the
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