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All Estate Planning Articles: Page 5
Every article we publish for England & Wales, newest first: articles 241 to 300 of 404. Prefer to browse by subject? Start from the topic hubs.
- Second Marriage Wills UK: Protect Children and SpouseMarriage automatically revokes your existing will under s18 Wills Act 1837. In a blended family, the wrong 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: gifts fall out of your estate after 7 years, with taper relief cutting the rate from 40% between years 3 and 7.12 May 2026 · 9 min read
- What Happens If You Die Without a Will UKIf you die without a will in England and Wales, the intestacy rules decide who inherits and your unmarried partner gets nothing; what happens and how to fix it.12 May 2026 · 8 min read
- What Is Probate UK? A Simple ExplainerProbate is the legal authority to deal with a deceased person's estate. What it means, when you need it, how long it takes and what it costs explained.12 May 2026 · 6 min read
- What to Do When Someone Dies UKStep by step: register the death within 5 days, locate the will, apply for probate, pay debts and distribute the estate. Plain-English executor guide.12 May 2026 · 9 min read
- What to Include in a Will UK: The Full ChecklistThe complete checklist of what a will needs: executors, beneficiaries, specific gifts, the residuary clause, guardians, digital assets and funeral wishes.12 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Who Can Witness a Will in the UK? Rules & Who Can'tTwo independent adult witnesses must sign your will in your presence for it to be valid. Who can and cannot witness, and why beneficiaries must never do it.12 May 2026 · 6 min read
- Beyond Wills Has Closed: What Customers Can Do NowBeyond, the online will service, shut down in 2025. A Beyond will you already made stays legally valid if correctly executed. The three checks to do now.11 May 2026 · 5 min read
- Farewill Alternatives 2026: UK Options ComparedFarewill still offers online wills in 2026. Compare the best UK will-writing alternatives for England and Wales on price, format, and who each service suits.11 May 2026 · 11 min read
- What Happens to a Bank Account When You Die UKSole bank accounts are frozen on death until probate is granted; joint accounts pass to the survivor. The full process, small estate exceptions and the will.11 May 2026 · 7 min read
- What Happens to a Mortgage When You Die UKMortgage debt does not die with you: it stays attached to the property and is repaid from your estate. Sole versus joint, and what your will must say.11 May 2026 · 8 min read
- 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)How to register a Lasting Power of Attorney with the OPG in England and Wales: step-by-step instructions, the fee, timelines, and what to do if rejected.26 April 2026 · 7 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 and Wales, with very different consequences for your will and estate.23 April 2026 · 6 min read
- Can an Executor Be a Beneficiary UK?Yes, an executor can also be a beneficiary in England and Wales, and most people do; but if they witness your will they forfeit the gift under section 15.22 April 2026 · 5 min read
- How to Store a Will Safely UK: 5 Options ComparedWhere to keep your signed will so your executor can find the original: at home, with a solicitor, at the Probate Registry or in a digital store, compared.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. Why the residue matters and how to leave it clearly in your will.22 April 2026 · 5 min read
- Is a DIY Will Kit Actually Legal?Is a DIY will kit legal? For most people a home-made will is valid under the Wills Act 1837; will-writing is not reserved, so no solicitor is required by law.21 April 2026 · 7 min read
- Abatement of Legacies UK: When Gifts in a Will Are CutAbatement is what happens when an estate cannot pay all the legacies in full. Learn the statutory order in which gifts are reduced and how to avoid it.
- Accumulation and Maintenance Trusts UKHow accumulation and maintenance (A&M) trusts held assets for children and grandchildren until a set age, and the pre-2006 s.71 IHTA 1984 exemption they had. · 9 min read
- Ademption of a Gift in a Will UKIf you leave a specific asset in your will, then sell or give it away before you die, the gift fails by ademption; the beneficiary gets nothing in its place.
- Administer Estate Without Probate UKFind out when a grant is not needed in England and Wales, how the small estate and jointly held asset rules work, plus the real risks of skipping probate. · 9 min read
- Administration of Estate Creditors UKUnderstand the strict order for paying estate debts before beneficiaries, what happens when an estate is insolvent, and how PRs limit their liability. · 9 min read
- Administration Pendente Lite UKAdministration pendente lite is a limited grant of administration made by the Probate Registry or High Court while contested probate proceedings are pending. · 8 min read
- Agricultural Property Relief Budget 2024 UKThe October 2024 Autumn Budget capped 100% Agricultural and Business Property Relief; the Finance Act 2026 set the cap at £2.5 million from 6 April 2026. · 9 min read
- Agricultural Property Relief on a Farmhouse UKHow a farmhouse qualifies for APR: the character appropriate test, HMRC's working farmer approach, the key cases and the April 2026 cap. Full guide for 2026. · 10 min read
- The Ambulatory Nature of a Will UKA will is ambulatory: under section 24 of the Wills Act 1837 it speaks from death, not the date made, so it captures assets acquired after it was written.
- Annuity and Inheritance Tax UKFind out whether an annuity is subject to inheritance tax on death, how capital-protected and joint life annuities differ, and when no IHT arises at all. · 8 min read
- 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 and the deed that records the change.
- Appropriation of Assets UK: How Executors Use ItHow executors appropriate estate assets to satisfy a legacy or share of residue under section 41 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925, and consent rules. · 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 in your will is bankrupt, their inheritance vests in their trustee in bankruptcy under section 307 of the Insolvency Act 1986, not in 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 distribution, their gift has vested and forms part of their own estate, passing under their own will.
- 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 applies to AIM and unquoted shares in England and Wales: the 2-year rule, the April 2026 £2.5m allowance and IHT planning. · 8 min read
- Charging Clause in a Will UK: Paying ProfessionalsA charging clause lets a professional executor or trustee be paid for their work. Without one they can only claim expenses. How to include it in a will. · 8 min read
- Charitable and Non-Charitable Purpose Trusts UKNon-charitable purpose trusts, set up for an abstract purpose not identifiable human beneficiaries, are generally void; the Re Denley exception explained. · 9 min read
- Class Gifts in a Will UK: Sharing Between a GroupA class gift leaves property to a group such as your children or grandchildren; who shares, and how the class closes at death under the Wills Act 1837 s.24.
- Is a Codicil Valid UK? When to Use One vs Making a New WillWhen a codicil is legally valid in England and Wales: Wills Act 1837 formalities, the risks of amending rather than rewriting, and how to do it correctly. · 6 min read
- Cohabiting Couples Property Rights UKProperty rights for cohabiting couples in England and Wales: how constructive and resulting trusts work, TOLATA 1996 claims and how to protect your position. · 8 min read
- Cohabitation Agreement UK: Protect an Unmarried PartnerA cohabitation agreement is an enforceable contract setting out unmarried partners' financial rights: what it covers, its legal effect and why you need a will.
- Commorientes Rule UKLearn how the commorientes rule decides who inherits when two people die together, what section 184 LPA 1925 says, and how survivorship clauses protect you. · 8 min read
- Constructive Trusts and Wills UK: When They AriseWhen a partner dies without a will leaving no share of the family home, a common intention constructive trust may be the only remedy; Stack v Dowden explained. · 8 min read
- Contentious Probate Costs UK: Who Pays for a DisputeWho pays the costs when a will is contested in England and Wales. How costs are decided in contentious probate, and why they can run into six figures. · 9 min read
- Contesting a Will for Undue Influence UK: What to ProveThe legal grounds for contesting a will in England and Wales: lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence, want of knowledge and approval, and fraud. 2026.
- Contingent Gift in a Will UK: Age Conditions ExplainedA contingent gift takes effect only if a condition precedent is met, such as reaching an age or surviving to a set date; vested vs contingent gifts explained. · 8 min read
- death in service and will ukDeath in service benefits are paid outside your estate and ignore your will. Learn how nominations work and why they may bypass the people you intended.
- Declaration of Trust Property UKA declaration of trust records the beneficial shares in a co-owned property, setting out exactly what each owner holds. Why unmarried co-owners need one. · 9 min read
- Deed of Appointment UK: Changing Trust BeneficiariesA deed of appointment is the document trustees use to direct trust assets to beneficiaries: when one is needed, general vs special powers and the tax points. · 8 min read
- Deeds of Variation UK: The 2-Year IHT WindowA deed of variation lets beneficiaries redirect an inheritance within two years of death, read back for IHT and CGT under IHTA 1984 s.142 and TCGA 1992 s.62(6).
- Disclaiming an Inheritance in the UKDisclaiming an inheritance in England and Wales: when you can disclaim, why acceptance ends the right, where the gift then goes, and the effect on IHT and CGT.
- Discretionary Trust Periodic Charge UKHow to calculate the 10-year anniversary (periodic) charge on a discretionary trust in England and Wales, the relevant property regime, effective rate. · 10 min read
- Disinheriting Someone in a UK WillEngland and Wales allows freedom of testation, so you can leave someone out of your will. How to do it, and the 1975 Act claims that can challenge it.
- Distribution of an Estate UK: Order and TimelinesHow personal representatives distribute an estate to beneficiaries: the order of payments, the role of an assent, and avoiding personal liability for mistakes. · 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.