I wonder how many of my LinkedIn readers are well prepared?! Burial or cremation? You may have a clear preference, but have you made it clear which, together with any particular details (for example, the form it should take, where and who should be involved)? In my...

None of us of course knows when this will happen. There is a, perhaps surprising, statistic that approximately 25% of all deaths in England and Wales (at least, within the UK) are unexpected or sudden, whether caused by accident, violent assault and so on. That said,...

The vital things are clarity and certainty. The Will should be witnessed by two (disinterested) individuals both present with you, so they sign after you sign. Last week’s Post No. 7 discussed the all-important appointment of Executors. Stating your full name and...

I don’t know how often it happens that someone is surprised following a friend’s death to discover that he/she has been named as one or more Executors of a Will? It goes without saying that that should never occur. One should always ask the chosen Executors whether...

OK, some do. But it seems that around three out of five adults in the UK (59% or so) don’t have aWill. Failure to make any preparations for the aftermath of the one thing that’s certain in life (even taxes can be mitigated, if not avoided altogether) does seem a bit...

Mental incapacity, specifically dementia, is a sad fact of life for many people. Wherever you find yourself on the spectrum of life, I strongly recommend making a ‘Lasting Power of Attorney’ (LPA), which comes in two parts: • Property and Financial Affairs; and •...

For me this is definitely the No. 1 Priority in terms of Getting your Affairs in Order. Once that is done, it seems to me that, given the will (with a lower case ‘w’) and a fair wind, everything else can follow. Too often I come across cases, especially although not...

Building on (and embracing) what I have written above, have a go at the following quiz. If you can answer Yes to all or at least a clear majority of these questions, insofar as they apply to you, you are doing pretty well. But, in any case, reading my book Your Last...

We are all going to die – that much is certain. What we don’t know is when and in what circumstances. To that extent, we are power-less. But in a deeper and more meaningful way, we can be power-full, in the ability to shape what we will leave behind us when the dread...

Over 2023/24, as updated in 2025/26, I posted on LinkedIn 20 brief articles on the Background to/Content from my Book Your Last Gift – Getting Your Affairs in Order. With the 3 rd Edition of my Book in prospect, I have revised the List to make it 25 Top Tips, as set...

The greater the extent to which you can leave this earth ‘tidily’, by which I mean having taken steps to sort out what you own and to get rid of anything that is effectively useless or past its sell-by date (and which is not likely to wanted by anyone after you’ve...

This is a very brief guide to a very complex subject.  Those professional advisers ‘in the know’ won’t need it, though one or two might have some observations to make.  Others may find it helpful as an introduction which they can take further with their own advisers....

Finance Act 2012 introduced a significant rule reducing from 40% to 36% the rate of Inheritance Tax (IHT) where at least 10% of the estate is left to UK registered charities. What is easily forgotten is that this is the ‘net estate’, that is after deducting the...

You may own or you may rent your home – and, indeed, any other residences, whether in the UK or abroad. The ownership or lease may be in your sole name or held jointly with someone else, for example your spouse or partner. Under English law, there are two types of...

The first thing to say is that this is very much a specialist subject, so do get proper professional advice before you do anything. Second, I always used to say to clients (and now remind my wife and myself) that you should not give away too much to your children (or...

You may have retired or been an employee during your working life rather than a business owner. However, if you own a business or a share in one, there are important things you need to consider carefully. This brief treatment hardly does the subject justice and so...

The Death Certificate is confirmation of registration of a death in the UK. A significant change to the process of obtaining it was introduced on 9 September 2024. Now, a Medical Examiner is needed to certify every death except those which come before a coroner. The...

It can take up to 12 months to obtain a Grant of Probate. This is both confirmation of the validity of the Will and the authority of the Court to the Executors to deal with all your property once you have gone, including bank/building society accounts. In a...

These can present quite a challenge on death, as including:  Computer;  tablet/iPad;  mobile telephone;  social media; and  Dropbox and other facilities. The key thing of course is what happens with what is likely to be a variety of passwords. These would give...