Personal sector

It is vital that everybody has an up-to-date Will; and we also recommend that it is reviewed regularly. Your Will should include provision for all dependants, even your pets. The cautionary tale of Myrtle the dachshund demonstrates why. 

Making a Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney allows you to choose who would manage your property and financial affairs if you can't do it yourself.

Equity release has grown in popularity as people are living longer and some are finsing they do not have enough readily available funds to see them through their retirement.

There has been huge coverage in the press recently about the withdrawal of legal aid for almost all family law work. This will leave many struggling to afford legal representation in the event of relationship breakdown. However, help is at hand for those whose spouse is holding the purse strings, because a far less publicised change in the law is just about to happen.

Our family team was recently asked to help the scriptwriters at Coronation Street with a story involving lovable Weatherfield mechanic Tyrone Dobbs in his quest to obtain parental rights over his daughter Ruby. The law in this area is complex, and often fathers don’t realise that they do not have parental responsibility for their children until it is too late.

This article provides some practical tips on controlling the cost of divorce following the key concerns raised in the recently published Legal Ombudsman's report.

Our German Desk team are often asked about cross-border asset issues. Below is an example question on how to transfer English assets to a German beneficiary upon the death of a German national.

Robin Charrot has been recognised in the 2013 Leading Lawyers - Family & Matrimonial - Honours List compiled by Citywealth.

In this article we focus on the story of “Alice”. Whilst the characters in our story are fictional, the story was inspired by a real-life conversation. In our story, Alice, aged 72, has lived alone since she was widowed two years ago. Over Christmas she attends a party at the home of her neighbour Jan. At the party Alice talks to Jan about her plans for the future and what she has done with her savings. Alarm bells ring and Jan suggests Alice contacts us for advice.

Many people accept the role of Executor or Trustee in a person's Will without fully understanding what this means. We have produced a simple guide to these roles, which sets out the differences, obligations and formalities involved.