Trusts can cause a great deal of confusion. It is therefore vital to have proper legal and financial advice before setting up or exercising one. Trusts can “stand alone” or be included in a Will. Many people fall into the trap of purchasing stand alone trusts costing thousands of pounds when a simple trust in a Will or a pilot trust can do the same job for a fraction of the price. For more information on Trusts click here

The Probate Bureau is offering free seminars to business and institutions who have the capacity for 15 or more interested persons and can provide facilities to conduct a seminar. Over 65% of the population does not have a Will Furthermore, most of the Wills already written are poorly drafted and do not comply with current legislation, which can cost a family dearly.

If you feel you would like to offer this service to staff members or local community then give us a call on 0800 028 2837.

Your Will becomes a legally valid document as soon as it has been signed correctly.

Your signature must be witnessed by two people who must be present with you as you sign.

Witnesses MUST NOT BE BENEFICIARIES. Witnesses must NOT be the SPOUSE of a beneficiary. Nobody who may benefit from your Will should be allowed to act as a witness. If this happens any legacy or benefit they may have received will be LOST and become part ot the residuary estate.

The witnesses are only confirming that it is your signature – they do not need to read the WIll and all other clauses can be covered up if required.

Witnesses should also be sure that you know what you are doing – they should be confident that you have READ your Will and that you are SOBER and of SOUND MIND.

Witnesses should also be aware that you have not been subject to any outside influence persuading you to sign.

Your wintesses should be aged 18 years or over and be UK citizens.

Signing with a Testator who is BLIND or INFIRM requires special arrangements.

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) enables those you trust to make important decisions on your behalf should you become physically or mentally incapable of doing so for yourself. They replace Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) although if you have an EPA it remains valid.

A LPA usually associated with the affairs of the elderly in conjunction with preparing a Will. There are two types of LPA; one to deal with Property and Affairs, another to deal with Health and Welfare.

A LPA does not take away your right to make decisions; it is there to support you until the time comes when the appointed Attorney is needed to take over when you are unable to cope.  You may ask your Attorney to step in and take responsibility of your affairs at any time.

For more details click here

We often find when we deal with probate cases that a living relative or Executor has great difficulty locating the Deceased’s Will.  Ideally copies of the original Will should be taken with a certificate to indicate the original’s location. In reality some Wills are lost making handling probate very difficult.

The Probate Bureau offers a full Will storage service for an annual charge of £25.00 payable by Standing Order.  It is an effective way to securely store probably the most important document you will ever write along with any other important information and documentation. For less than 50p week it makes good sense and offers peace of mind.  If you are interested in finding out more about The Probate Bureau Will Storage contact AndyHall@probatebureau.com