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.
The following Private Client news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Private Client weekly highlights—5 February 2026
Question of the week: Can executors pay inheritance to a beneficiary who is subject to a debt relief order? Are there are any additional precautions the executors should take?
The following Tax news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on FTT finds HMRC validly assessed taxpayer to CGT and penalties as a UK resident (Kearney v HMRC)
The following Tax news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on FTT decides joint and several liability notice is a criminal charge and it has jurisdiction to consider public law arguments (Hall v HMRC)
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...
Revocation of WillsA Will is revocable at any time during the testator's lifetime. A Will may only be revoked by automatic operation of law (involuntary revocation) or by a deliberate act of the testator (voluntary revocation). Apart from these methods, and where there has been an obliteration under
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—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
Conditional and dependent relative revocation of WillsIf a testator revokes the Will and that revocation is shown to be subject to a condition, the revocation is ineffective if the condition is not satisfied. Revocation will not be held to be conditional unless there is clear evidence what the
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