If someone has assets in England or Wales and they die, a Foreign Grant of Probate is usually required to deal with these assets. This includes bank accounts, savings, shares and property. If the deceased was not a permanent UK citizen, a Grant of Probate might...
The traditional funeral with black veils and sad songs is not as popular as it once was, with many people choosing to have a celebration of life with bright colours, happy memories and uplifting themes. Whatever the wishes of the deceased, one thing is for sure –...
There are many reasons why you might want to remove an executor from your family’s Will proceedings. In a previous post we discussed the lengths you could take in applying to the court for removal. But there were other methods too – such as asking them to renounce...
When dealing with assets in Australia on behalf of a deceased individual's estate, the executor or administrator must obtain the English Grant of Probate resealed by the Australian Courts before dealing with those assets. The 1982 Colonial Probates Act allows for the...
Spain, along with France, is a popular choice for British citizens looking to relocate overseas. In fact, there are currently roughly 360,000 British permanent residents in Spain. Naturally, now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union, the regulations for...
With so few people allowed to attend funerals and social distancing, funerals have become even more of a nightmare to organise than ever before. But there are some things creative things that you can do in order to include as many people as possible and all without...
According to recent estimates, almost 60% of the people who pass away in the UK do not have a Will. While there are laws in place to handle instances where no Will exists, problems almost always arise in those cases. There are more reasons than we could possibly list...
With inheritance tax under consideration for reforms, we’ve taken a look at what has happened in the 40 years since Australia abolished inheritance tax and the effect that it has had. Why did Australia scrap the tax? Just like Britain now, the tax-free threshold in...
Let’s face it, most of us do not like to think or talk about death. While most investors would pay a big amount in exchange for some certainty about the future, when we face something as certain as death we do not take the recommended steps. Making a will is a clever...
This 1st of March, the Spanish government approved a new decree-law to regulate the renting of housing. Its name: Real Decreto-ley 7/2019, de 1 de marzo, de medidas urgentes en materia de vivienda y alquiler. Let’s take a quick look at it. The Background – Spanish...
Recognition of UK probate grants With regard to probates, the UK only has three jurisdictions: England and Wales Northern Ireland Scotland Hence, for a deceased person who was domiciled in any of these jurisdictions but had assets in another, one grant is required....
Let us take a typical case of an individual domiciled in Australia and passes away leaving his registered home and bank accounts in London. The UK land registry can not recognise the Australian letters of executorship nor will the financial institution recognise it....
When someone has passed, and they have assets in other countries, it can feel like an absolute hassle to deal with. If someone does have assets in Australia, then they'll need to be freed up so they can be either sold or given over to the beneficiary. This is a...
The Medallion Guarantee has a number of different names, including the Medallion Stamp, the Medallion Signature, and the Gold Medallion – however, whatever you choose to call it, it is important to know what it is all about, and what it means for you. The Medallion...
Given recent media stories such as the "Paradise Papers" investigation, you may have heard about offshore accounts and tax avoidance. Even if you haven't, you've perhaps wondered if it's possible to get a better rate of return on investments or savings you may have....