DIY wills have been around for a long time; whether you consider the kits available to buy from WHSmith and Amazon, or the many online guides now available, it’s understandable that many people consider these when planning their future needs.

With the internet to guide us, we’re willing to tackle almost any task ourselves – from flower arranging to basic plumbing, playing the guitar to trading on the stock market. While this do-it-yourself approach works well for many projects, writing your own will often creates more problems than it solves.

If you have an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) tucked away in your files, you’re one of many who arranged your protection before October 2007. While it’s always good to have planned ahead, things have changed since your document was written, and it’s important to understand that your EPA may no longer provide the protection you and your family were looking for.

If your will was prepared before 2007, it may contain something called a Nil Rate Band Discretionary Trust. Many people I talk to don’t realise these provisions exist in their wills, or that the tax landscape has changed significantly since they were implemented, making them potentially unnecessary.

An LPA is an important document which protects you – and those around you - if you lose capacity or, for any reason, you’re unable to act. This can happen to anyone at any time, so don’t leave it too late.

I often talk to people who think that a Lasting Power of Attorney is only relevant for elderly relatives or end-of-life planning. This common misconception leaves many individuals and families vulnerable when they least expect it. The truth is, LPAs provide security for adults of all ages; they’re something to consider whether you’re 25, 45, or 65.

I talk to many homeowners who consider gifting their property during their lifetime. It can feel like a way to protect your family and their inheritance.

It might be you’re considering such a gift, perhaps to reduce inheritance tax liability for family and loved ones, or maybe to keep the property shielded from any care home fee assessments. You might also be considering such a gift to help younger members of the family get onto the property ladder. These are strong motivations and can seem to promise some huge benefits.

I work with families to help them protect what matters most, and I have seen what can happen when such property gifts are made. While these benefits are compelling, there are real risks involved in passing on your property ownership. In this post, I’ll look at the things you need to consider before you gift your home.

For nearly 200 years, the Wills Act 1837 has dictated how wills are created in England and Wales. It’s easy to see, however, that these regulations have become increasingly outdated, often creating hurdles for families who are looking to protect their loved ones and family possessions.

On Friday, 16th May 2025, the Law Commission published its report titled “Modernising Wills Law,” introducing the Wills Bill 2025. This new legislation aims to bring will-making up to date, making it easier for you to protect what matters most. So, let’s explore what these changes could mean for you and your family.

Every year, April 6^th marks the start of a new tax year, and this year, it brings some key changes to inheritance tax. In this post, I want to help you understand the implications of these for you and your family.

While I talk a lot about the importance of making a will, there are many reasons why people put it off. In my article: Five Reasons for Not Writing a Will, I explored some of them, including many people’s concern that the whole process is daunting. To remove some of these worries, I wrote this piece, which breaks down the process of making your will, so you know what to expect. In this article, I will explain some of the terminology of wills to help.

When people think about making a will, their priorities tend to be the provisions needed for their children and the distribution of financial assets. Despite pets being a much-loved part of the family, people don’t always consider how to look after their pets when they are gone. Did you know it is possible to make provision for your pets in your will?

Typically, a pet is considered a personal possession - unlike working animals such as sheep, dogs, cows, or anything bred professionally. As possessions, it is therefore possible to make provision within the will for your pets.

A Lasting Power of Attorney, or LPA, is an incredibly important document. It provides you with the security of a nominated decision maker if you cannot make your own decisions due to accident, illness, or incapacity. Two different LPAs are available: one for financial decision-making and one for health and welfare questions. This blog explains more fully what an LPA is and why you might need one.

Now we’re all settled into 2025; I wanted to take a quick look back at what felt like a very busy year in 2024.

Let’s start with the most important bit – how I’ve helped people.

I often speak to people who have put off writing their wills, concerned it will be difficult or depressing. What finally brings someone to get in touch is often a story like this one.

Meet Sarah; she had put off making her will. At 45, she felt too young to think about such matters. She’d considered it when she married and again when her children were born. Her sister talked about getting her own will done, and Sarah took the name of the person who’d helped, but she couldn’t bring herself to make that call. Then, unfortunately, Sarah’s friend passed away suddenly without a will, leaving behind a complicated legal mess for the family. It was then Sarah realised the importance of making these plans for the future.

One of the reasons people put off writing their will is not knowing what to expect. Let’s look at the will writing process so you know what to expect when you come to make your own will.

Did you know that the law in relation to wills is different in every country?

In England, we have freedom of testamentary expression, which means we can leave our assets to anyone we wish. This is surprisingly uncommon. Most other countries have forced heirship rules in place, meaning an individual isn’t free to decide what happens to their estate. For example, in Scotland, you cannot cut your children or spouse out of your will; and, making it more complicated, in Spain, the rules vary from region to region.

The forfeiture rule is a principle in English law that prevents anyone from inheriting or otherwise benefiting from the estate of someone they unlawfully killed. The rule operates on the principle that people shouldn’t be allowed to profit from their wrongdoing.

This ruling has been involved in some interesting cases over the years and has recently been questioned in cases of assisted dying. In this blog, I’m going to look at the forfeiture rule and one of these cases.

We all know wills are important, but if your beneficiaries are vulnerable then it becomes even more important and even more complex.

In this blog I’m going to explain why this can be problematic and what you can do about it. I’m going to clarify who we’re talking about when we talk about vulnerable beneficiaries and look at why it is so important to make special provision within your will. We’ll also look at the different types of trusts which might be available to help you look after your family.

I am often asked, ‘How often do I need to review my will?’

The answer is usually once every three years, or on a life changing event. Such an event might be the birth of a child or grandchild, or a significant change in assets. While some life changing events have their own impact on a will but don’t necessitate a change, it is more likely that these events will prompt you to review your will. This blog looks at these life changing events and their impact.

When it comes to making a will, there are many things to consider. Your will is one of the most important documents you will ever create and, while you will never get to see it used, it will have a huge impact on those you love.

By its very nature, your will only comes into play once you are no longer here. With it’s purpose being to ensure your wishes are followed after your death, it’s essential your will is accurate and clear. How you choose a will writer, therefore becomes a question about how you choose who should help you with this task.

This blog lists seven things to think about when considering possible will writers, key factors which I believe will help you make this decision.

What do you know about Lasting Power of Attorneys (or LPAs)?

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is an official document that allows you to protect yourself by appointing people to help you. There are two types of LPA, one that deals with property and finance and one that deals with health and welfare. I’ve talked about financial LPAs before, including this article Why Would I Need a Lasting Power of Attorney, today I’m going to focus on the health and welfare LPA.

The government is consulting on changes to storing wills after people have died, is this the start of bigger changes? 

I recently received a badge celebrating two years supporting Ecologi, the climate solution platform. You may already know about my commitment to supporting sustainable initiatives, in fact I wrote this post last year to tell you why I chose Ecologi - Supporting Climate and Communities.

Hopefully, you’re already clear on the importance of having a will; I find the following events often inspire people to write their wills - getting married, buying a first house, and having children. 

It is also important, however, to keep your will under review.

Before creating a will or a Lasting Power of Attorney, determining your mental capacity to make these decisions for yourself is key.

I recently met a woman with dementia and wanted to share what happened for her and her family.

Many of us, having been born in one place, then move somewhere else to study and work, sometimes settling in a completely different country. It’s also increasingly common to retire to a new country.

Is this you? How does this affect your will and future planning?

Here is my beginners’ guide to the domicile rules.

Have you considered what happens to your online presence and assets when you pass away?

Guide to the current inheritance tax rules and the allowances that are available to you

This month, I had a wonderful email from the people at Ecologi celebrating my first anniversary supporting them. You might remember the organisation from my previous post The Climate Crisis Matters to All of Us.

I thought this milestone was a good opportunity to share why we chose to fund Ecologi and what that funding has achieved.

Many people worry about making a will. While thinking about passing away is never a nice thing to do, some people are concerned because they don't know what's involved. I have written this blog, then, to explain how the process works and hopefully reassure you it won’t to be as difficult as you think.

I don't think anyone would deny that writing a will is a good idea. We often find that when wills are mentioned, those around will nod in agreement making a mental note to get it sorted. For lots of us, it's on our To-Do List, just never quite making it to the top.

The biggest problem with wills, however, is that – when left too long – it becomes too late and without a will you're leaving a mess behind for your loved ones, making a difficult time even worse.

When a person dies without a will, the assets in the estate are shared in accordance with the intestacy rules. These are rules set by the state which create a hierarchy of potential beneficiaries; these rules only recognise relationships of blood legal adoption and marriage or civil partnership. This blog outlines these briefly 

It’s not unusual, after the death of someone close to us, to feel a little overwhelmed with the administration required. This blog helps to explain some of the jobs that need to be done

The easiest way to answer this question is to explain what can happen if you don’t have a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place and you lose capacity (become unable to manage your own affairs). I’m going to tell you a story about Sarah. 

Most of my articles are around the subject of wills, trusts or powers of attorney, but today I want to share something a little different touching on a subject which means a lot to me – a subject which is very important to all of us.

If you are one of the many people who have purchased some form of cryptocurrency, you need to give special thought to what happens to it when you pass away. A simple gift is not sufficient, you will also need to ensure your beneficiaries know how to access it.

What is inheritance tax, when is it payable and how can you reduce any potential liability. 

Research shared by Canada Life in September 2020 showed 59% of adults in the UK have not written a will, this equates to around 31million people. I was shocked by this statistic so asked a number of people who don’t have wills why not; I explore some of the more common reasons below.

There are a plethora of advisers who can help you write your will, indeed you can pick up a pack from WH Smith and write your own, so this blog looks at why should you get professional advice and in particular why you should ask me to help you.

It’s perhaps not likely we’ll be looking to Marilyn Monroe or George Michael for life lessons, but there are some things we can learn from these high-profile deaths.