Claire Clarke

When contemplating their overall Inheritance Tax position, many people believe the current Inheritance Tax threshold is now £1 million. It might therefore surprise some of you to learn that the basic Inheritance Tax nil rate band allowance is...

There has been a recent case relating to Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) that emphasises the difficulties that can be involved with the drafting of these documents. The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is a government body that monitors the activities...

1. Inheritance Tax (IHT) The Nil Rate Band and Residence Nil Rate Band, previously fixed until April 2026, will now be fixed until April 2028. This is one of a number of 'stealth' taxes extended in this Statement. The...

Consider the last time you instructed someone to prepare a will for you. If it went something like this: They asked you what you wanted to put in your will You told them what you wanted They...

To appoint a person or persons to make decisions for you if you should lose mental capacity, you need to do so using a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). There are two types of LPA, one to appoint people to make decisions about your property and affairs,...

As a Private Client solicitor with quite a few years' experience under my belt, I find that generally younger people put off making wills unless a particular event prompts them to do so. I always advise everyone to make a will since it provides...

One of the most common misunderstandings that clients have about funding residential care... “If we sign our property over to our children, after seven years it cannot be used to fund residential care”. It is possible to make an outright gift...

With the lifting of Covid restrictions this year is likely to be a bumper one for weddings. Whilst couples enjoy planning their nuptials, they often overlook one of the most important considerations when entering a marriage – what will happen to their...