Wills

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.

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Codicils Contents of Wills Digital assets and cryptoassets—Wills Failure of gifts Revocation, republication and revival Validity of Wills Will drafting

Latest Private Client News

FTT determines discovery assessment invalid in relation to R&D relief claim (Realbuzz Group Ltd v HMRC)

FTT determines discovery assessment invalid in relation to R&D relief claim (Realbuzz Group Ltd v HMRC)

The following Tax news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on FTT determines discovery assessment invalid in relation to R&D relief claim (Realbuzz Group Ltd v HMRC)

Taxpayer wins UK Privy Council CARICOM Tax Treaty case (Methanex Trinidad v Board of Inland Revenue)

Taxpayer wins UK Privy Council CARICOM Tax Treaty case (Methanex Trinidad v Board of Inland Revenue)

The following Private Client news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Taxpayer wins UK Privy Council CARICOM Tax Treaty case (Methanex Trinidad v Board of Inland Revenue)

OSCR updates charity trustee disqualification guidance ahead of 2025 legal changes

OSCR updates charity trustee disqualification guidance ahead of 2025 legal changes
Private Client weekly highlights—8 May 2025

Private Client weekly highlights—8 May 2025

The following Private Client news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Private Client weekly highlights—8 May 2025

Featured Private Client content

Can a power of attorney lapse or expire or does it last indefinitely? Does it need to be updated or 'refreshed'?

Can a power of attorney lapse or expire or does it last indefinitely? Does it need to be updated or 'refreshed'?

Can a power of attorney lapse or expire or does it last indefinitely? Does it need to be updated or 'refreshed'?Lasting powers of attorneyIn contrast...

Death in service benefits

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...

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...

Lifetime gifts

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...

Practice notes

Exemptions and reliefs from income tax

Exemptions and reliefs from income taxFor income tax rates and allowances applicable in the current tax year, see Practice Note: Key UK tax rates,...
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1st Mar
Practice notes

Payment of legacies

Payment of legaciesIdentification of beneficial interestsThe personal representatives (PRs) of an estate must identify:•the beneficiary or...
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2nd Mar
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
28th Mar
tag iconScottish Law
Practice notes

Notaries and notarisation—notarisation

Notaries and notarisation—notarisationThe principles of the notarial act are that it is:•an act of the notary and not of the parties named in the...
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2nd Mar
Practice notes

Trustees—self-dealing, unauthorised profits and conflicts of interest

Trustees—self-dealing, unauthorised profits and conflicts of interestThe self-dealing ruleThe self-dealing rule is connected to, but distinct from,...
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1st Mar
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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1st Mar
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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2nd Mar
Practice notes

CGT—PPR relief for UK residents with overseas dwellings and non-UK residents with UK dwellings

CGT—PPR relief for UK residents with overseas dwellings and non-UK residents with UK dwellingsPrincipal private residence relief (PPR relief) exempts...
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Produced in partnership with Alison Cartin of Taylor Wessing LLP
28th Mar
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
28th Mar
Practice notes

Calculating the IHT charge on death

Calculating the IHT charge on deathThis Practice Note outlines how to calculate the amount of inheritance tax (IHT) that arises on an individual’s...
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2nd Mar
Practice notes

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...
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Produced in partnership with Alison Cartin of Taylor Wessing LLP
28th Mar
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
28th Mar
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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2nd Mar
Practice notes

Perpetuities and accumulations

Perpetuities and accumulationsThe rules relating to perpetuities and accumulations stem from the common law and the provisions in the Perpetuities and...
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1st Mar
News

Changes to the excepted estate rules for IHT and procedure from January 2022

Private Client analysis: The new process for reporting the gross and net value of an estate, for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes, is effective for...
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2nd Mar
Q&As

A grant of probate has been issued with powers reserved to an appointed executor under a Will. How can the executor obtain full powers?

A grant of probate has been issued with powers reserved to an appointed executor under a Will. How can the executor obtain full powers?Reservation of...
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Produced in partnership with Lynne Counsell of 9 Stone Buildings
28th Mar

Popular documents

Does section 33 of the Wills Act apply where a clause in a Will gives residue to 'such of my children who

Does section 33 of the Wills Act apply where a clause in a Will gives residue to 'such of my children who are alive at the date of my death'. There is no substitution and two of the six children pre-deceased the testator?Section 33(1) of the Wills Act 1837 (WA 1837) provides that:•where a Will

Personal representatives and trustees—power of appropriation

Personal representatives and trustees—power of appropriationAppropriation is a process by which a personal representative (PR) or a trustee uses a specific asset in the estate or trust fund to meet, in full or in part, a beneficiary’s entitlement or interest.Personal representatives' common law and

Contents of Wills—rules of apportionment

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

The meaning of ‘children’ in Private Client

The meaning of ‘children’ in Private ClientThe meaning of words commonly found in Private Client drafting and legislation which are intended to refer to children can differ depending on the context. This Practice Note sets outs the meaning of commonly encountered references to children in Private