Personal News

Most people know what a Will does, but very few people appreciate that there are many different types of Will and it is essential to find the right one to adequately protect your family’s wealth.

Books, CDs and photo albums are now giving way to the cyber era. The internet has penetrated almost every level of human activity. You may have an email account, shop online, store your photographs on Flickr, Snapfish and similar sites, have credits with iTunes but have you thought about what happens to these accounts when you die?

Privately owned companies can put protective measures in place before one of its shareholders gets divorced. Business owners regularly protect themselves from commercial risk but often overlook the problems which may arise following a claim by an ex-spouse.

Keeping personal life and work life separate can be difficult, but if a divorcing couple who manage a company together let their divorce spill over into their roles in the company, the results can be disastrous, and we have seen companies fail, solely for this reason. Before the economic downturn, a solution in many cases was to sell the company. However, this is very rarely an option now. So what are the alternatives?

As Spring is traditional for weddings, so January has earned a reputation for the time to kick off a divorce. And this year has been no exception, if celebrity announcements are anything to go by. Hard on the heels of Katy Perry and Russell Brand, super-couple Seal and Heidi Klum have said they will be going their separate ways, as will reality star Kim Kardashian.

Government plans to raise the proposed lifetime cap on care fee contributions by the elderly to £60,000 have been met with a storm of protest, but those who wish to provide for care in retirement are being encouraged to take steps to protect their assets now.

The housing market is sluggish, prices static, and more people are staying put and renovating or extending. But homeowners wanting to protect their property value should also invest time in checking out their boundaries and making sure they don’t have squatters.

The GD Private Client team has released a new Diamond Client focus and Personal and Family Focus which are now available to download.

Giselle Williams, a solicitor in our Dispute Resolution team, acts as her mother’s attorney. Below she provides a moving account of some of the issues she has faced and offers some helpful advice for readers who may find themselves in a similar position.