INHERITANCE – THE KNIVES ARE OUT
TODAY’S BLOG
INHERITANCE – DISPUTES AT ALL TIME HIGH
Perhaps you have heard the saying “Where there’s a Will there’s a crowd” the idea being that when money is on the table, people gather. Of course, there may be very good legitimate reasons for doing so – perhaps during lockdown you have watched “Knives Out” a comedic story about family dysfunction and the quest to understand what happened.
Whilst I am not suggesting murder is on the cards for most families, though I imagine that lockdown has provided more moments of stress, clearly one of the current terms of the hour is “entitled”. To my mind such a word is particularly relevant here. The Ministry of Justice published figures showing a record 188 cases went to the High Court in 2019, by individuals claiming to be entitled to a share or larger share of a deceased’s estate.
EVERYONE HAS A STORY
There are a variety of reasons for this of course, behind each is at least one story (much like the film). Family structures are certainly more complex, with multiple marriages, children from different relationships and so on. Whilst this is obviously more commonplace since divorce law evolved from 1857, 1937, 1969 (Divorce Reform Act) and 1973 (Matrimonial Causes Act), the context is nothing new as many of Shakespeare’s play will attest.
“BETTER THREE HOURS TOO SOON THAN A MINUTE TOO LATE”
The motivation may be more encouraged by the sums involved which has made the prospect of costly legal representation more appealing. Having your Will properly written is also important. Those making “last minute” homemade Wills are more obviously subject to challenge, being invariably poorly prepared and badly thought through. I don’t think anyone likes preparing their Will, it’s a fairly morbid task, but there is a huge sense of peace of mind once you have done so properly. It is part of what our Ten Minute Challenge has been leading towards – getting the difficult, uncomfortable and perhaps “boring” stuff done. There may be many gifts you wish to leave your loved ones upon your demise, but I can assure you that clarity is one of the best.
So – if your Will has not been reviewed since 2015 when the rules about property changed, now is the time to do so. We can put you in touch with a specialist. Please attempt our 10 Minute Challenge, it could be the most helpful set of final documents you provide.
As for the film, staring Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette and Christopher Plummer (a cast to die for!) well, its available on all the usual platforms, here is the trailer.
Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA
You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk
GET IN TOUCH
Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE
Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk
Call – 020 8542 8084
GET IN TOUCH
Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE
Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk Call – 020 8542 8084
