Power of Attorney Benefits

February 23, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The protection of your interests during your life time

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a written document in which you grant one or more persons the authority to make legally binding decisions on your welfare should you be no longer capable of making them yourself due to mental incapacity.

There are many reasons why people should write a Lasting Power of Attorney but we have selected just one: ‘dementia’ to encourage you to think carefully about protecting yourself and loved ones.

Facts regarding dementia in the UK, and yes, it can happen to any one of us

• There are currently 750,000 people with dementia in the UK.
• There are over 16,000 younger people with dementia in the UK.
• There will be over a million people with dementia by 2025.
• Two thirds of people with dementia are women.
• 64% of people living in care homes have a form of dementia.

Facts on alzheimers from http://www.alzheimers.org.uk

Keep Control

A Lasting Power of Attorney document is needed regardless if you are married or single. And, it is the most suitable way to protect your interests by officially enabling friends or family to make decisions if you are no longer able to do so. Decisions that you may take for granted such as: accessing your bank to pay bills; talking to mortgage or utility providers; maintaining investments; writing personal or business cheques; to name but a few. As you are probably aware institutions are unlikely to converse with anyone who is not an official account holder, even if you are married, so everyday life can become difficult very quickly.

As well as appointed someone to make decisions on your behalf you can state clear directions on what level of control they have. For instance, you may want them to only have access to a particular account, arrange a remortgage or refinance debt at the end of a promotional period, provide permission to discuss benefits with the council or grant authority to deal with doctors or care home staff. The list could be short or endless but the process would have a legal framework to ensure your wishes are adhered to.

Good News

The reassuring thing is once a Lasting Power of Attorney is in place it can last a lifetime so you are much better off writing one now at today’s prices.

The Office of Public Guardian currently charges a registration fee of £120 for each Lasting Power of Attorney document. This is separate from our charges.

The Niche Wills Lasting Power of Attorney Validation Service involves vetting all concerned, offering advice, drafting the appropriate clauses, completion of the paperwork and overseeing the application and registration process.

Richard Stokes
Niche Will writing London I Tel: 020 7993 2044 I www.nichewills.co.uk

Filed Under: Estate Planning, Lasting Power of Attorney, Power of Attorney Tagged With: Estate Planning, Lasting Power of Attorney, LPA services, Making a LPA, Power of Attorney

Write a Will – New Year’s Resolution

January 10, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Make a Will before another year slips by

Niche Professional Will writing Services extends to all areas of central London Including KT1 and the Kingston area which is one of London’s more prestigious postcodes.

New Year’s resolutions are apparently made to be broken but writing your Will shouldn’t be one of them. Once your Will is written it could last a live time which is more than can be said of the other New Year’s resolutions which can easily fritter out such as attending the gym.

By why write a Will in the first place? Well you probably recently demonstrated how much you care about your loved ones by venturing out in the relentless cold and queuing for presents. A Will shares similar caring traits. It is about putting your affairs in order so that your loved ones are looked after and not over burdened by the practicalities associated with death. And, unlike a present this appreciation of your loved ones will NOT be forgotten.

But I don’t own a lot and I’ll probably write a Will later in life when it warrants it! This is a popular and fraught misconception. Almost everyone would benefit from Writing a Will to protect themselves and their loved ones irrespective of their life stage. For instance, life insurance provides protection, and if you have been sensible you will have taken out a policy to cover your first mortgage. The house or flat you have purchased is unlikely to be your last and inevitably you will require a larger sum assured at the point of purchasing your new property. Same principle applies for Wills – the key is to be protected at all times to reflect your current position. Furthermore updating a Will is very affordable and regrettably no one can predict when you might die.

But it will be so much hassle! Our Legal Consultants will eradicate all the paperwork issues, answer any questions that you have, and explain all the terminology. Furthermore our Legal Consultants provide this Will service in the Kingston-Upon-Thames area and throughout Central London, in fact the Will service is available anywhere inside the M25.

Took book a visit please call T: 020 7993 2044 or simply complete our free quote form.

Filed Under: Estate Planning, Internet Wills, London Will Writer, Making a Will, Surrey Wills, Writing a will Tagged With: draft a Will, drafting a will, London Will Writer, making a will, Professional Will Writing services, Surrey Wills, Trusts and Wills, writing a simple will, Writing a will, Writing a will in Kingston

Writing A Trust

February 25, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Writing A Trust – What Are The Roles Of The People Involved

There are three very distinct personnel involved when you write a trust and it is the job of our London based Will Writers to explain each of them, and this can be done in the comfort of your London home.

The Settlor

If you write a trust you are known as the settlor. The role of the settler is to appoint trustees to administer the trust and decide who the beneficiaries will be. They will of course, be the person who decides what assets or property go into the trust. So who can be a trustee, well someone aged 18 or over, who is of sound mind.

The Trustees

The Trustees are the persons you choose to administer the trust fund for the sole benefit of the beneficiaries

Our London based Will Writers are trained to assist you in the selection of your trustees. Our Will Writers will emphasis the important of choosing someone who is financially astute as it is the role of the trustees to make sure the money is invested wisely.

When creating a trust our Will Writers are trained to challenge potential conflicts of interest. They also ensure that when we write a trust at Niche Advice we give strict instructions that a minimum of two trustees are appointed. We have borrowed this best practice from Scottish legislation and applied here in London.

Finally, one or more of the trustees could be a trust Corporation to help give a professional judgement.

The Beneficiaries

These are the recipients of the benefits you are giving away. How and when they receive the assets can be specified.

Hopefully this has given a clear picture of who is involved in the trust writing process and our Will Writers are on hand if you decide to make a trust.

Richard Stokes

Niche Wills in London | Will Writers in London

Members of The Society of Will Writers

www.nichewills.co.uk

Filed Under: Estate Planning, Trusts wills, Writing a will Tagged With: Estate Planning, Trusts and Wills

Free Legal Consultation

February 15, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Why would you attempt to write a Will on your own? When you consider booking a holiday or taking out a mortgage most people will use an agent or broker for advice.

And, unlike two weeks away or a two year fixed rate where doing it yourself might prove to be a short term disappointment, drafting a Will is your final say for eternity.

At Niche Wills in London we passionately drive home the importance of taking advice when writing a Will. We do not view legal consultation as merely a prudent step but also a means to identify areas that would benefit you and your estate, such as Inheritance Tax planning and holding of assets within a trust.

The legal consultation also can be a forum to ask questions and to gauge the reactions of your partner to ensure that all sides are happy with what is recorded. We find at Niche Wills that this is a consultation is often the source of much debate, which is healthy, and we strive to help the couples confront difficult subjects such as: ‘who are the preferred guardians for their children’, and assist them in drawing a collective conclusion.

Writing a Will is a serious matter and should be done in a relaxed environment outside of daily routine. Our Legal Consultants recognise this and will happily visit at a time that is convenient such as the evenings, weekends or in your work lunch break. What’s more Niche Wills offer a free legal consultation if you live or work in the London area.

Niche Wills in London | Will Writers In London
Members of The Society of Will Writers
www.nichewills.co.uk

Filed Under: Estate Planning, Making a Will, Uncategorized, Writing a will Tagged With: drafting a will, Legal Consultation, London Will Writer, making a will, Professional Will Writing services, writing a simple will, Writing a will

Coming of age for Gay Wills

January 28, 2010 By admin 4 Comments

writeawill Coming of age for Gay Wills

Labour will be remembered for the introduction of the Civil Rights Act 2004 which saw equality granted to all including Gay couples.

Gay couples have always made Wills for asset disbursements to the ones they love. However, what the Civil Rights Act did was to put Gay couples on an equal footing so when the recent Inheritance Tax law was introduced there was a financial reason to celebrate Gay marriage apart from the emotional one. So what changed? Well the IHT tax exempt level now transfers to the Gay spouse on death. Effectively doubling the benefit and keeping those valuable pink pounds away from the taxman.

Making a Will can also be the mechanism for recognising a previous life-style, perhaps an ex-wife, who you never fell out with but was not longer right for you. Wills are confidential documents and absolute discretion will be observed. This means that your new partner does not have to be informed any arrangements of your ex if that is what you want.

The Gay appreciation of art and style is often revered above that of heterosexuals. A Will allows for artefacts to be passed to a particular recipient unlike the crude laws of intestacy which do not recognise individuals beyond a set pattern.

Writing a Will should not be attempted without professional legal help from a Will Writer as a poorly written Will may be challenged in Court or indeed fail altogether. To ensure creditability check your firm is a Member of The Society of Will Writers.

Filed Under: Civil Partnership Wills, Estate Planning, Financial Planning, Gay wILLS, Inheritance Tax, London Will Writer, Making a Will, Uncategorized, Writing a will Tagged With: Civil Partnership Wills, Inheritance Tax, London Will Writer, Tax planning, Wills for Gays, Wills in London

Divorced? Then Make A Will!

December 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

As London Will Writers we get a clear insight into the unpredictability of people’s feelings towards one and other. For instance, we often sense a greater bond within Will makers that are Divorced than those in current relationships. Sure there are those that truly despise their ex’s and what never consider them when writing a Will, however on the flip side there are those who have seemingly become best of friends. We also witness the unbalanced marital- split where one party appears to have moved on to a much greater extent than the other.

Making a Will is empowering and adaptable to legislate for all of these scenarios. If you read on you will formulate your own views on how a writing a Will can reflect your own wishes.

Well why is a Will necessary? Many people draft a Will to avoid family squabbles and second guessing in the event of their death. For the families of divorcees this is more likely as there will often be greater magnitude of grey areas which could ultimately culminate into distasteful court proceedings and legal challenges.

Why can it be so messy? Well divorcees are statistically more likely to divorce again. This could mean they have nurtured their own and indeed other siblings along the path of life. How can someone else determine the emotional and material importance you place on each and everyone of them? Logic might suggest that the true-bloodline is favoured but do you discount the other children you have helped raise? And, if so to what extent? The truth is only you can decide the answer to this question and the only place for legal reference is within a Will. A Will is clever for it can specify specific items like a piano to go to the most musical child, it also can divide monetary value by amount or percentage. A skilled Will Writer would be able to took through these and variety of other options to meet your needs when you write a Will.

A Will also is the most appropriate medium to specify your dying wishes, which may be to invite or exclude your ex-partner from the funeral. Suffice to say the request must be practical and contain a means of the Executors to contact them. Importantly for the Executors they can justify to sceptical relatives, and indeed the ex-partner, this is what you wanted.

You see Making a Will is not only a voice from beyond this world is also shouts what you always wanted to say but were either: too afraid; concerned what others might think; or simply never had the appropriate opportunity to say. If you are Divorced don’t think twice write a Will today as it not only benefits you but the loved ones’ you leave behind.

What is the next step, well Professional Will Writers specialise in making Wills and offer the most favourable terms when compared with traditional solicitors.

For more informtaion on our Will writing services please contact Niche Wills on 020 7993 2077.

Filed Under: Divorced?, Estate Planning, London Will Writer, Making a Will, Marriage, Writing a will Tagged With: Divorced Wills, draft a Will, Executors, London Will Writer, making a will, Will Writing, Will Writing services

Long term care update

December 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Long term care in this country is means tested and the government has literally drained equity out of the family home to pay for the nursing care accommodation. Really a savage end to what has in many people’s lives been their life ambition to own their own home, and pass it onto their children.

There were of course elaborate methods using Trusts and Will direction to take the family home out of their estate and away from the clasps of the State, but this was little known to those who had not acquired the services of skilled will writers.

Thankfully her Majesty’s speech in November significant progress appears to have been made albeit the full details are yet to be confirmed but the early indications are good with the Government boasting that 400,000 people will benefit.

The emphasis of the Queen’s speech was on allowing people to retain their dignity, confidence and independence for longer.

For starters it appears that for the very first time that free personal care will be given in their own homes for those with the highest needs. This will hopefully help many stay out of nursing home facilities that soak up personal wealth.

Home adaptations and use of technology has been recognised as paramount to the scheme.

One of the details to emerge thus far is the guarantee free personal care for the 280,000 people – including those with serious dementia or Parkinson’s disease – with the highest needs. We at Niche Wills will continue to track the facts from our London base so that you can make rationale decisions about your estate planning.

Filed Under: Care homes and Costs, Estate Planning, Inheritance Tax Tagged With: Care homes and Costs, drafting a will, Estate Planning, Inheritance Tax, Professional Will Writing services, will writing service, writing a simple will