Shivani Pabari 
Funeral wishes in a Will are not legally binding. This is because often the funeral takes place before the Will is read. Whilst we recommend including your funeral wishes in your Will (i.e. cremation or burial), our
A Deed of Variation is a legal document that allows the beneficiaries of an estate to alter the deceased’s Will or intestacy rules. The purpose of this is to redistribute some or all of the deceased person’s
A Will is a document that allows you to decide what happens to your estate when you die. It usually appoints someone you trust to be able to manage your estate and affairs on your death. It
When a loved one dies, it is often difficult to find information relating to their estate, any assets they may have held, and whether they prepared a Will during their lifetime. Our expert solicitors at Johnson Astills
From 17th November 2025, the fees for obtaining copies of Grants of Representation which are; a Grant of Probate, Grant of Letters of Administration with Will Annexed or Letters of Administration has increased from £1.50 per copy
When people make a Will, they do this to ensure that their estate passes to their chosen beneficiaries. Something that is often not considered is what would happen to a person’s estate if all of their nominated
When a property is owned by two or more people, it can be owned in two different ways – joint tenants or tenants in common. The way in which you own your property can determine how it
Under current legislation in England and Wales, divorce does not revoke your Will. Once the divorce or civil partnership dissolution is finalised, your Will remains valid, but your ex-spouse is treated as having died during your lifetime.
Under current legislation, if you have prepared a Will and then subsequently get married, or enter a civil partnership then this automatically revokes (cancels) your existing Will. There is an exception if the Will is drafted in
What is Agricultural Property Relief (APR)? APR is a type of IHT relief which reduces the amount of tax that farmers and landowners must pay when farmland is passed down to their next generation. What is Business
When someone dies, their estate must be distributed to the relevant beneficiaries. This will either be the beneficiaries named in a valid Will, or, if not, on the application of the Rules of Intestacy. The Personal Representatives (PRs)
How long are the Probate Registry taking to issue a Grant of Representation? HMCTS have recently confirmed that Probate Registry wait times, for straight forward applications, for a Grant of Representation have more than halved. The average
Why do I need to update my Will? It is important to make sure that your Will reflects what you would want to happen to your estate if you were to die now. This way, it gives
There are various points to consider before gifting your property to someone else, including but not limited to: deliberate deprivation, gift with a reservation of benefit and potentially exempt transfers. What is Deliberate Deprivation of Assets? This
What is an Executor? An Executor is someone who is legally responsible for carrying out the instructions in your Will and handling your estate. Your estate is everything you own upon your death – this includes money,
When writing a Will, the term ‘my child’ or ‘my children’ does not automatically include step-children, it only includes biological children and formally adopted children of the person making the Will. If you wish to include step-children,
What is a Business Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)? A Business LPA is a legal document that allows you to authorise a chosen individual (an Attorney) to make decisions concerning your business interests if you are unavailable
Mental Capacity is the ability to make and communicate a particular decision. You must understand the decision you need to make, why you need to make it and the likely outcome of the decision. At any time
What is a Certificate Provider? A Certificate Provider is a person the Donor chooses to complete the Certificate in a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) form. You can read more about the different types of Lasting Power
A Legacy Contact is a person you can choose to access your accounts (e.g. Apple, Instagram or Facebook) after your death. This gives the nominated person access to certain elements of your account and allows them to
When someone dies, in order to access assets held with financial institutions, sell assets, and even pay any debts that the deceased held on their death, a legal document known as a Grant of Representation is required.
What is a Guardian appointed by my Will? If you die leaving children under the age of 18, you can make provision in your Will for who you would like to look after your children if there
What is Intestacy? Intestacy is where someone dies without a Will, or without a valid Will. The Rules of Intestacy means that a deceased person’s estate will be distributed in accordance with these rules, and this may
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney? There are two different types of Lasting Power of Attorneys (LPAs): Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare. Each of these documents allow you to appoint Attorneys to deal
People often want to leave money or gifts in their Will to children or grandchildren. There are different ways in which you can do this, and it is important to consider how you want to leave your
Cryptocurrency is becoming more and more common in the investment market with at least 4.2 million people in the UK currently owning it in some form or another. You may choose to leave your digital assets to
