Wills

18 September 2025

EWHC allow an adult's claim of mother's estate under dependant's legislation
A case in which the EWHC has used the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 to grant a 74-year-old a share in his mother’s estate

16 September 2025

Probate rules - an amendment
The non-contentious probate rules in England and Wales. The Government has tabled amendments which aim to modernise the non-contentious probate rules and probate delivery

23 July 2025

IHT rate reduction through charitable legacies
The rules for securing a 10% reduction in the IHT rate, from 40% to 36%, provided a charitable legacy of at least 10% of the estate is made on death

21 July 2025

New HMRC bereavement helpline
A new, dedicated bereavement service helpline - in addition to the existing helpline for formal estates - which can be used when dealing with a deceased estate

14 July 2025

EWHC rule that disputed will is not genuine
A recent case in which the England and Wales High Court (EWHC) ruled that a will, which essentially disinherited a man’s only child, is not genuine, after suspicion around the drafting and storing circumstances

09 July 2025

Another case where accompanying the deceased to Dignitas did not, in effect, amount to assisting suicide
A recent case in which the England and Wales High Court have ruled that the beneficiaries of a will can make a valid agreement for the assets to be distributed according to the deceased’s wishes without regard to the forfeiture rule

03 July 2025

What is Intestacy?
What is Intestacy, why would we need to know about it and why it matters whether or not your clients have a will

16 June 2025

Daughter who cared for elderly mother wins claim for reimbursement from estate
A case in which a woman who cared for her elderly mother over the last two and a half years of her life has successfully claimed against the estate for the value of the care she provided

19 May 2025

New reforms to the law of wills
The Law Commission’s recommendations to reform the law of wills in its Report: Modernising Wills Law

09 May 2025

Trusts set up by a deed of variation. A quick read
The tax and Trust Registration Service (TRS) implications where a trust is set up by a deed of variation