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All Estate Planning Articles: Page 4
Every article we publish for England & Wales, newest first: articles 181 to 240 of 357. Prefer to browse by subject? Start from the topic hubs.
- What Happens to Your Pension When You Die UKPensions do not pass through your will, they are paid to beneficiaries you nominate directly via an expression of wish form.13 May 2026 · 10 min read
- What Is a Trustee? UK Duties, Powers and RisksA trustee manages assets held in a trust for beneficiaries. Learn what a trustee does, their legal duties under the Trustee Act 2000, personal liability.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- What Is a Will Trust UK? Types, Uses & When You NeedA will trust is a trust created within a will that takes effect on death.13 May 2026 · 9 min read
- What Is Estate Planning? UK Basics in Plain EnglishEstate planning means organising what happens to your assets and healthcare if you die or lose capacity.13 May 2026 · 12 min read
- Will Writing Checklist UK: Everything to Gather FirstA complete will writing checklist for England and Wales. Gather your estate details, choose executors and guardians, decide your wishes.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Writing a Will When Ill UK: Acting Quickly and SafelyHow to make a valid will when you are ill in England and Wales: the testamentary capacity test, deathbed wills, the urgency procedure, who can help.13 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Can You Write Your Own Will in the UK?Yes, you can write your own will in England and Wales without a solicitor. Will-writing is not a reserved legal activity.12 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Cohabiting Couples Rights UK 2026Common law marriage does not exist in England and Wales. Cohabiting partners inherit nothing without a will.12 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Contesting a Will UK: Grounds, Time Limits and CostsThe 5 legal grounds for contesting a will in England and Wales, lack of capacity, undue influence, improper execution, fraud, and Inheritance Act claims.12 May 2026 · 10 min read
- Executor Duties Checklist UK: Every Task in OrderThe complete executor duties checklist for England and Wales. What to do in the first 24 hours, how to apply for probate, pay debts, and distribute the estate.12 May 2026 · 10 min read
- How to Appoint a Guardian for Your Children in Your Will UKAppointing a guardian in your will is the only reliable way to choose who raises your children if you die.12 May 2026 · 7 min read
- How Much Does a Lasting Power of Attorney Cost UK?LPA costs in 2026: the OPG registration fee is now £92 per LPA (up from £82 in November 2025).12 May 2026 · 7 min read
- How to Write a Will UK: A Complete Plain-English GuideA complete step-by-step guide to writing a legally valid will in England and Wales.12 May 2026 · 9 min read
- Next of Kin UK: Who Inherits and What Rights They Have'Next of kin' has no fixed legal meaning in England. Without a will, intestacy rules decide who inherits, not assumptions about family. Plain guide. 2026.12 May 2026 · 6 min read
- Second Marriage Wills UK: Protect Children and SpouseMarriage automatically revokes your existing will. In a second marriage with stepchildren, the wrong will structure can disinherit your own children.12 May 2026 · 9 min read
- 7-Year Rule IHT UK: Taper Relief TableHow the 7-year rule works for inheritance tax in the UK, what counts as a gift, the taper relief table, annual exemptions.12 May 2026 · 9 min read
- What Happens If You Die Without a Will UKIf you die without a will in England & Wales, the intestacy rules decide who inherits, and your unmarried partner gets nothing.12 May 2026 · 8 min read
- What Is a Lasting Power of Attorney UK?A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) lets you choose who makes decisions for you if you lose capacity.12 May 2026 · 7 min read
- What Is Probate UK? A Simple ExplainerProbate is the legal right to deal with a deceased person's estate. Here is what probate means, when you need it, how long it takes.12 May 2026 · 6 min read
- What to Do When Someone Dies UKA plain-English step-by-step checklist for what to do when someone dies in the UK, registering the death, finding the will, probate.12 May 2026 · 9 min read
- What to Include in a Will UK: The Full ChecklistEverything you need to include in a will in England and Wales: executors, beneficiaries, specific gifts, residuary clause, guardians, funeral wishes.12 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Who Can Witness a Will in the UK?, Rules &Two independent adult witnesses must sign your will in your presence for it to be valid.12 May 2026 · 6 min read
- Beyond Wills Has Closed: What Customers Can Do NowLife) shut down in 2025. Customers who bought a Beyond will still hold a legally valid document. Here is what to check and where to go next.11 May 2026 · 5 min read
- Farewill Alternatives 2026: UK Options ComparedComparing Farewill against the best UK online will services in 2026, prices, formats, and honest side-by-sides for England and Wales.11 May 2026 · 11 min read
- What Happens to a Bank Account When You Die UKWhen you die, your bank accounts are frozen until probate is granted. Here is exactly what happens to sole accounts, joint accounts.11 May 2026 · 7 min read
- What Happens to a Mortgage When You Die UKWhen you die with a mortgage in the UK, what happens depends on whether you own jointly or alone, and whether you have life insurance.11 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Does Marriage Cancel a Will in the UK?Yes, marriage automatically revokes your existing will in England & Wales under s18 Wills Act 1837. Divorce does not.9 May 2026
- 5 Things the Post Office Will Kit Doesn't Tell YouA post office will kit seems simple, but there's a lot it leaves out. Here are 5 things you need to know before using one to write your will in the UK.26 April 2026 · 5 min read
- Cohabiting Couples and Inheritance UKCohabiting couples inheritance UK law is clear: living together gives you no automatic right to inherit. Here's what 3.6 million couples need to know in 2026.26 April 2026 · 6 min read
- How Long Does Probate Take in the UK? (2026 Guide)Wondering how long does probate take UK? From simple estates to complex ones, here's a realistic guide to probate timelines in England and Wales in 2026.26 April 2026 · 5 min read
- How to Register an LPA in the UK (2026)A complete guide to how to register LPA UK with the OPG in 2026. Step-by-step instructions, costs, timelines, and what to do if something goes wrong.26 April 2026 · 7 min read
- Joint Will vs Mirror Will vs Single WillConfused by mirror will vs joint will UK? This guide explains the difference between joint, mirror, and single wills.26 April 2026 · 5 min read
- Will Writing for New Parents UKExpecting a baby? A will for new parents UK means naming a guardian, setting up a trust, and protecting your child's future. Here's what you need to know.26 April 2026 · 5 min read
- Joint Tenants vs Tenants in Common UK, Key DifferencesJoint tenants vs tenants in common: two very different ways to co-own property in England & Wales with very different consequences for your will.23 April 2026 · 6 min read
- Can an Executor Be a Beneficiary UK?Yes, an executor can also be a beneficiary in England & Wales. We explain how it works, the witness rule that trips people up.22 April 2026 · 5 min read
- Do I Need a Solicitor to Write a Will UK?No, writing a will is not a reserved legal activity in England & Wales.22 April 2026 · 6 min read
- How to Store a Will Safely UK: 5 Options ComparedWhere to keep your will after signing it, at home, with a solicitor, at the Probate Registry or in a digital safe.22 April 2026 · 5 min read
- How to Update a Will UK, Codicil or New Will?Making a change to your will in England & Wales: when to add a codicil vs rewrite the whole will, how to do it correctly, and the common mistakes to avoid.22 April 2026 · 6 min read
- Mirror Wills UK: The Couples GuideMirror wills let married couples, civil partners and cohabitees leave everything to each other and then to their children.22 April 2026 · 5 min read
- Probate UK: A Step-by-Step Guide for ExecutorsEverything an executor needs to know about probate in England & Wales: when it is required, how to apply for a Grant of Probate, timescales and costs.22 April 2026 · 7 min read
- What Is a Residuary Estate UK?The residuary estate is everything left after specific gifts, debts and taxes are paid.22 April 2026 · 5 min read
- Is a DIY Will Kit Actually Legal?The most common objection to writing your own will. We explain the law, when a DIY will is perfectly valid.21 April 2026 · 7 min read
- Abatement of Legacies UK: When Gifts in a Will Are CutAbatement occurs when a deceased person's estate is insufficient to pay all legacies in full.
- Accumulation and Maintenance Trusts UKComplete guide to accumulation and maintenance trusts in England and Wales. 71D IHTA 1984, and key planning points for parents and grandparents. · 9 min read
- Ademption of a Gift in a Will UKIf you leave a specific asset in your will, a house, car, or jewellery, and then sell or give it away before you die, the gift fails by 'ademption'.
- Administration Pendente Lite UKAdministration pendente lite is a limited grant of administration made by the Probate Registry during contested probate proceedings. · 8 min read
- Agricultural Property Relief Budget 2024 UKThe October 2024 Autumn Budget announced a cap on 100% Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) from 6 April 2026. · 9 min read
- Agricultural Property Relief on a Farmhouse UKWhen does a farmhouse qualify for Agricultural Property Relief? 5 million per person), and how to evidence APR on a farmhouse. · 10 min read
- The Ambulatory Nature of a Will UKA will is ambulatory, it speaks from death, not from the date it was made. This means it captures assets acquired after the will was written.
- How to Apply for Probate in England & WalesA complete walkthrough of the probate application process in England and Wales in 2026, PA1P vs PA1A forms, HMCTS Online Probate Service, documents required.
- Appointment of New Trustees UKHow to appoint new trustees in England and Wales under sections 36 and 41 of the Trustee Act 1925, who holds the power, what triggers it.
- Appropriation of Assets UK: How Executors Use ItAn executor may appropriate estate assets in satisfaction of a legacy or share of residue under section 41 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925. · 9 min read
- Assent of Property UK: How Personal Representatives Transfer Estate AssetsAn assent is the document a personal representative uses to vest an estate asset in a beneficiary. Here is how it works under s.36 AEA 1925.
- Bankrupt Beneficiary UK: Protecting an InheritanceIf a beneficiary named in your will is bankrupt (or in an iva), their inheritance passes directly to their trustee in bankruptcy, not to them. · 9 min read
- bare trust ukbare trust uk. A plain-English guide for England & Wales.
- What Happens if a Beneficiary Dies After the Testator UK?If a beneficiary survives the testator but dies before the estate is distributed, their share forms part of their own estate.
- Benjamin Order UK: Distributing When an Heir Is MissingGuide to Benjamin orders in England and Wales. What a Benjamin order is, when probate courts grant one, how executors apply, missing beneficiary insurance. · 7 min read
- Business Property Relief on Shares UKHow Business Property Relief works on AIM shares and unquoted company shares in England and Wales, the 2-year holding rule, the April 2026 cap (£2.5 million per person combined with APR), qualifying conditions, and IHT planning for share portfolios. · 8 min read
- Charging Clause in a Will UK: Paying ProfessionalsA charging clause in a will authorises a professional executor or trustee to charge for their services. · 8 min read
- Charitable and Non-Charitable Purpose Trusts UKPurpose trusts, trusts for an abstract purpose rather than identifiable human beneficiaries, are generally void in English law. · 9 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.