All articles
All Estate Planning Articles
Every article we publish for England & Wales, newest first: articles 1 to 60 of 357. Prefer to browse by subject? Start from the topic hubs.
- Cohabitation Rights Bill in the LordsThe Cohabitation Rights Bill had its Lords second reading in July 2026.28 August 2026 · 5 min read
- The Government Just Said It in Plain EnglishThe government's own Easy Read guide on cohabitation states it plainly: if you're not married and your partner dies without a will, you could get nothing.28 August 2026 · 5 min read
- New HMRC Trust Registration Rules from 30 June 2026New HMRC rules from 30 June 2026 give executors 2 years to register trusts created by a will.30 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Best Online Will Writing Service UK 2026, Compared & Ranked99. Beyond has exited the UK will market in 2026; Farewill, WillSafe UK and others remain. Compared on price, scope, and legal validity.19 June 2026
- Agricultural Property Relief Reform 2026 UK5 million per person from April 2026. Above that threshold, the rate falls to 50%.10 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Business Property Relief on Commercial Property UK105(1)(d)). 105(3)) catches most commercial letting portfolios, buy-to-let, and many holiday lets. 5m per person.10 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Administration of Estates Act 1925 UKThe Administration of Estates Act 1925 (AEA 1925) is the principal statute governing the administration of deceased persons' estates in England and Wales.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Bare Trust for Children UK: A Simple Way to Gift EarlyA bare trust is the simplest trust structure, the beneficiary (the child) is absolutely entitled from the outset; trustees hold only the legal title. 629.9 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Business Asset Disposal Relief UKBusiness Asset Disposal Relief (badr, formerly Entrepreneurs' Relief) taxes qualifying business gains at 10% CGT instead of 24%.9 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Charitable Legacy in a Will UK24A. This guide explains the types of charitable legacy, the 10% rule, and how to draft the gift correctly.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Conditional Bequest UK: Gifts With Strings AttachedA testator can attach conditions to a gift in their will, requiring the beneficiary to do something (condition precedent) or restricting what the beneficiary.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Removing an Executor UK: Grounds and Court ProcessAn executor can be removed or replaced in several ways, depending on whether probate has been granted. Before grant: renunciation or citation.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Funeral Costs and the Estate UKFuneral expenses are a priority debt of the estate, paid before unsecured creditors and deductible from the estate for IHT purposes.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Applying for a Grant of Probate Online UKSince November 2019, personal applicants and solicitors can apply for a grant of probate (or letters of administration) online through the HMCTS MyHMCTS.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Inherited ISA Allowance UK: Keep the Tax-Free StatusWhen a spouse or civil partner dies, the survivor inherits their deceased partner's ISA allowance as an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS).9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Inherited Money and Divorce UKWhen a marriage breaks down, people often ask whether their inheritance is protected from their spouse's claims.9 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Life Insurance Trusts UK: Keep Payouts Out of IHTPlacing a life insurance policy in trust means the death benefit is paid directly to the trust beneficiaries.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Life Interest Trusts UK: Income for Life ExplainedA life interest trust (interest in possession trust) gives the life tenant the right to all income from the trust fund for their lifetime.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Mutual Wills UK: Binding Agreements Between CouplesMutual wills are wills made under an agreement that neither party will revoke them after the first death.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Power Reserved Executor UK: Standing Back From ProbateWhen multiple executors are named in a will and one does not wish to act immediately but does not want to renounce permanently, they can 'take power reserved'.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Property Trust Wills UK: How the Half-Share Trust WorksA property trust in a will can protect a share of the family home for your children while giving your surviving spouse or partner the right to live there for.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- RNRB Downsizing Addition UK: Sell Before DeathSelling or moving out of your home before death does not mean losing the residence nil-rate band entirely.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Secret Trusts UK: Hidden Gifts in a Will ExplainedA secret trust allows a testator to make a gift in a will on terms that are communicated privately and never appear in the will itself.9 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Section 144 IHT UK: The 2-Year Discretionary WindowIHTA 1984 s.144 provides that an appointment of assets out of a discretionary will trust within two years of death is read back into the will as if made by.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Standing Search at Probate Registry UKA standing search at the Probate Registry automatically notifies you if a grant of probate or letters of administration is issued for a named deceased person.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Substitute Executors UK: Your Probate Back-Up PlanWhen an executor cannot act, because they have died, renounced, or lost capacity, the estate needs an alternative route to administration. 50.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Where to Store a Will UK: Safe Options That Cost LittleA will is only useful if it can be found after you die. Executors need the original signed will to apply for probate.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Wills Act 1837 UK: The Rules That Make Wills ValidThe Wills Act 1837 sets out the formal requirements for a valid will in England and Wales.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- Wills Act 1963 UK: Foreign Wills Recognised HereThe Wills Act 1963 determines whether a foreign will is formally valid in England and Wales.9 June 2026 · 4 min read
- What Happens to an Annuity When You Die UKA single life annuity ends when the annuitant dies, no value passes to the estate.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Bank Account Frozen After Death UKWhy banks freeze accounts when someone dies, how long they stay frozen, how to release funds with or without probate, paying for the funeral before probate.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Beneficiary of a Will UK: Your Rights ExplainedA beneficiary is a person or organisation named in a will to receive a gift from the deceased's estate.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Beneficiary Rights in an Estate UKBeneficiaries of an estate in England and Wales have the right to receive their inheritance.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Bereavement Support Payment UKBereavement Support Payment (bsp) is a DWP benefit for surviving spouses and civil partners when their partner dies.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Capital Gains Tax on a Second Home UKWhen you sell a second home or holiday property in England that was never your main residence, capital gains tax applies on any gain over the base cost.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Care Home Fees After Death UK: Who Pays WhatOutstanding care home fees at the date of death are an estate liability, paid from the estate before beneficiaries receive their share.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Child Trust Fund on Death UK: What Happens to ItIf a Child Trust Fund (CTF) holder dies before age 18, the fund passes to their estate.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Clearing a House After Death UK: Executor's GuideAn executor should not clear a deceased person's house until probate is obtained, as all personal belongings are estate assets that must be accounted for.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Death Certificate UK: How to Get Copies QuicklyA certified death certificate costs £11 per copy from the register office or GRO in England and Wales.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Death Notification Service UK: Tell All Banks OnceThe Death Notification Service (dns) is a free UK Finance banking industry tool that notifies multiple banks and financial institutions of a death in one step.8 June 2026 · 6 min read
- Divorce and LPA UK: Does Your LPA Survive?How divorce affects a Lasting Power of Attorney in England and Wales: automatic termination of a former spouse's attorney appointment.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Do You Need Probate UK? When a Grant of Probate IsNot every estate in England and Wales requires a Grant of Probate. Small estates, jointly held assets, and nominated pension benefits can all pass without it.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Do You Pay Tax on an Inheritance UK? Income Tax, CGTBeneficiaries in England and Wales do not pay income tax or CGT on the inheritance they receive, IHT is paid by the estate before distribution.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Equity Release and Care Home Fees UKEquity release can fund care home costs, but the interaction with means testing, the LPA requirement, the interest roll-up.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Executor Expenses UK: What You Can Claim BackAn executor in England and Wales is entitled to be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred while administering the estate.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Gifting Money to Children UK: The £6,000 Annual RuleEach person has a £3,000 annual IHT exemption, so a couple can give £6,000 per year tax-free. Seven-year rule, wedding gifts and what HMRC expects explained.8 June 2026 · 8 min read
- Gifting Money to Grandchildren UKHow grandparents can gift money to grandchildren in England and Wales, the £2,500 wedding gift exemption, annual gifting allowance, regular gifts from income.8 June 2026 · 8 min read
- Heir Hunters UK: Fees, Tactics and Your RightsWhen someone dies intestate without known relatives, heir hunting firms trace distant heirs and charge a percentage fee.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- How to Get an IHT Reference Number from HMRCApply online for an inheritance tax reference number using form IHT422: how long it takes, when you need one, and the IHT payment deadline.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- How to Avoid Care Home Fees UKMany strategies advertised as 'care home fee avoidance' are either myths or legally risky.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- IHT205 Form UK: When to Use It and How to Complete ItIHT205 covers excepted estates below the IHT threshold. Most now file online. When the paper form still applies, what to include and how to file it. 2026.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Write a Will for Free UK: 5 Genuine OptionsYou don't need a solicitor or any fee to write a valid will in England and Wales. Five free and low-cost routes compared, with who qualifies for each.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- How to Value a House for Probate UKFor probate, a property must be valued at market value at the date of death. A RICS Red Book valuation or a written estate agent's opinion is acceptable.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- How to Value Shares for Probate UKUK shares must be valued at the date of death for IHT and probate purposes.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Inheritance Tax on Savings UK: ISA and BondsAll savings and investments in your sole name are included in your estate for inheritance tax, cash, ISAs, Premium Bonds, NS&I, and investment accounts.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Inheriting Money While on Benefits UKInheritance while on Universal Credit or other means-tested benefits: what you must report, the £6,000 and £16,000 capital limits, and trust options.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Lasting Power of Attorney Costs UKA Lasting Power of Attorney costs £82 per LPA in OPG registration fees, £164 for both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- Leasehold Property on Death UK: What Happens NextA leasehold flat or house forms part of the estate and passes under the will or intestacy, subject to probate.8 June 2026 · 7 min read
- Letter of Wishes UK: Guide Your Executors and TrusteesA letter of wishes is a private document that guides your executors and trustees on how to carry out your will.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
- LPA vs Deputyship UK: Costs and Control ComparedA Lasting Power of Attorney is registered before someone loses mental capacity. A Court of Protection deputyship is applied for after.8 June 2026 · 5 min read
Self-help information only. Articles on this blog are for general informational purposes and do not constitute legal advice. WillSafe UK is not a firm of solicitors. For complex estates, blended families, business assets or foreign property, please speak to a qualified solicitor.