Grange Legal Limited

29/09/2025

What will happen to my pet when I die? A real concern for a client I saw today- so here’s a recap!!

Pets are regarded as “part of the family”. However, the law has a slightly different approach and regards our pets as property. Pets are treated in the same way as a car or jewellery may be regarded within a Will.

Recent statistics show that around 57% of UK households own a pet. However, it is unclear if these people are aware of the consequences, should they not include a provision for their pets in their Wills?

Often, individuals will include a provision throughout the creation of their Will to protect their pet when they pass away. Whilst a pet is unable to receive an individual bequest, it is essential to ensure that your pet is provided for following your death. Your Executors should be aware of your wishes following your death and the care of your pet.

Who will look after my pet when I die?

It is important that you provide a provision within your Will to ensure your pet is looked after. In most cases, individuals will leave their pet as a gift to a family member or loved one. However, it is essential you discuss this aspect with the individual(s) first. Whilst you may think they would be content to care for your pet, such a task comes with large financial consequences. Therefore, it may be a sensible idea to select an alternative individual should the first be unable to act.

Financial assistance for your pet
As mentioned, pets are expensive and so it may be sensible to leave a sum of money directly to the individual looking after the pet. This will help ensure they are cared for to the right standard and also provides assistance to the individual who is taking care of the animal. Whilst you can express the wish that the money is used for the benefit of your pet, it is important to note that such an expression is not legally binding.

Charities and pets

In the event, you are unsure who would be able to care for your pet, there is the option of providing a provision for a charity to take care of them when you pass away. Charities such as the RSPCA and The Dogs Trust are trustworthy organisations who will be able to assist with the care of your pet should you wish.

For more information please get in touch

GRANGE LEGAL PROFESSIONAL REGULATED INSURED EXPERTS Boutique Estate Planning Specialists Grange Legal is proud to provide all clients with a fixed fee, known as the Grange Legal price promise Our Services Wills Making a Will is considered the most important document you will sign in your lifetime. H...

13/05/2025

Significant transformation is afoot for the Wills Act 1837...👀

The Law Commission are due to publish its final report of recommendations (and a draft Wills Bill 🤞🏼) on Friday, May 16th.

Change is a good thing and formalities laid down in 1837 are ready for change to reflect modern day living.

Key Areas of Expected Change 🔑

🖥 Electronic Wills: Recognising the increasing use of digital documents and signatures, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission is exploring the legalisation of electronic Wills.

💒 Revocation by Marriage / CP: Currently, a Will is automatically revoked upon marriage or civil partnership (save for a CoM clause).

🧠 Testamentary Capacity: Currently based on Banks v Goodfellow [1870], we are expecting to see this be aligned with the MCA 2005; allowing for our modern understanding of certain conditions (i.e. dementia).

👩‍⚖️ Dispensing Powers: Introducing a power for courts to allow Wills that clearly reflect the Testator's intentions.

🔞 Lower Age: Reducing the legal age to make a Will from 18 to 16.

🌐 Digital Assets: With digital assets within estates on the rise, this may be the beginning of provision when handling digital estates.

These proposed amendments to the Wills Act 1837 aim to make Will drafting more accessible, reflective of the present day society, and better equipped to protect clients true intentions and vulnerabilities.

If you need help with your estate planning do not hesitate to get in touch

GRANGE LEGALPROFESSIONAL REGULATED INSURED EXPERTS Boutique Estate Planning SpecialistsGrange Legal is proud to provide all clients with a fixed fee, known as the Grange Legal price promiseOur Services Wills Making a Will is considered the most important document you will sign in your lifetime. Have...

08/05/2025

The newspapers have reported that Liam Payne died intestate.

This means that Liam died without a valid Will and his reported £24million will pass to his son Bear. This will be held in trust by the administrators of his estate; Cheryl Tweedy and the partner of a law firm until Bear is 18 years of age.

Neither Liam’s girlfriend nor his family will inherit anything. It is arguably correct that his young son should inherit his estate but in hindsight;

- Would Liam have left some financial provision to his friends and family?!

- Would he have stipulated an older age for Bear to inherit his fortune; 18 years is young to inherit such a large amount of money. Or might he have staggered it at say 18,21 and 30 or more than likely created a trust arrangement to shelter the wealth…

I guess we will never know and this demonstrates the importance of making a Will.

04/03/2025

Set up your Apple Legacy Contact!

I have posted this before but each time I do, lots more people find it really useful, so here we go again! I am very aware of bereaved families having horrendous problems accessing emails, photos and files for a deceased family member. This could have really helped.

…

The feature makes it easier for you to leave specific people access to your data after your death.

Before this feature was released, it was very difficult for loved ones to access an Apple account of a family member or friend who died. Without the phone's passcode or iCloud information, surviving family members sometimes had to get a court order for access to a deceased loved one's digital data.

Here's how to do it:

-Open Settings on your iPhone
-Tap your name at the top of the page
-Select 'Password & Security'
-Choose 'Legacy Contact'
-Choose up to five family members or friends
-You'll receive an access code. Print it and keep it in a safe place with your other estate planning documents.

Your Legacy Contacts will need to provide that code and a death certificate to access your account.

Hope this helps!

GRANGE LEGALPROFESSIONAL REGULATED INSURED EXPERTS Boutique Estate Planning SpecialistsGrange Legal is proud to provide all clients with a fixed fee, known as the Grange Legal price promiseOur Services Wills Making a Will is considered the most important document you will sign in your lifetime. Have...

14/02/2025

PLEASE STOP AND READ

Knowledge is king, and discussing such cases with parents is not as tough as you think it might be. It will be a weight off their mind and provides everyone with peace of mind.

SAD END OF WEEK CASE STUDY

This morning I visited a lady in her late sixties who until recently reported no health issues. She exercised frequently, didn’t smoke or drink and THEN… two weeks ago she had a major stroke and sadly no prospects of a recovery in a mental capacity sense. The lady has been medically assessed as lacking mental capacity to manage her affairs which in turn prevents her from now making Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Her daughters had “assumed”their mother had lasting powers of attorney in place so they could seamlessly slip in and provide all the day to day support needed without obstacles. The daughters recalled discussing it with their mother and had all agreed it sounded like a great idea. 💡

Sadly, their mother despite “researching” the topic when she made her Will approximately 5 years back never put in place Lasting Powers of Attorney… believing as her daughters state “she would never lose her marbles”.

Stark reality for daughters now;

1. Application needed to the Court of Protection to be appointed her deputy
2. Such application will take approximately 10-12 months. The daughters have no legal authority to act during this period.
3. Court fee payable and professional fees which far exceed costs associated with preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney
3. Annual insurance bond fee payable from mothers assets
4. Annual Deputyship report required which is a time consuming process for the daughters

Please help your loved ones get everything in place “just in case”.

Please do email me on
[email protected]
If you wish to discuss Wills or Lasting Powers of Attorney

GRANGE LEGALPROFESSIONAL REGULATED INSURED EXPERTS Boutique Estate Planning SpecialistsGrange Legal is proud to provide all clients with a fixed fee, known as the Grange Legal price promiseOur Services Wills Making a Will is considered the most important document you will sign in your lifetime. Have...

29/01/2025

Who needs to hear this??

Litigation regarding Wills is on the rise… with every passing year…

Do you want family falling out following your death?

Do you want litigation to be commenced owing to differing “interpretations” as to the meaning/construction of your Will?

Do you want to pay more tax than is necessary?

Do you want to leave a DIY Will or even a “bargain” Will which cost £29 and leave a feuding family with legal costs spiralling out of control normally into the tens of thousands?

Do you want to run the risk of your Will being deemed invalid because it has been signed incorrectly, or overlooked other formalities or because there might be allegations of fraud/undue influence/testamentary capacity and more?

Don’t believe everything you hear from your mates down the pub about “not needing a Will as it will all just go to your spouse and ultimately kids anyway” The intestacy rules which apply when you don’t have a valid Will tend to differ with such “pub talk” and lead to sometimes devastating consequences.

Making a Will is likely to be the most important document you will ever sign in terms of passing on your wealth to the next generation(s). Even if you do not consider yourself wealthy (which I hear often) a professionally made Will is always advisable.

Please work with a suitably qualified practitioner who takes time to understand your wishes, and can advise you as to the most appropriate Will to leave. This may not prevent litigation but in my experience can significantly reduce the risks. Your family will thank you and the investment now in you is ultimately a gift to them…

Stop putting it off and let’s get your legal affairs up to date and obtain that peace of mind.

Get it right and avoid the fight….

18/01/2025

Two more lovely client reviews in the bank… Grange Legal’s organic growth is really pleasing to see and having the privilege to work with such grateful clients make it all worthwhile. Diary busy for the rest of January and the pipeline from professional referrers increasing as are word of mouth referrals (my personal favourite!)

www.grangelegal.co.uk

13/01/2025

Musician and artist feared for his life prior to surgery and attempted to prepare a Will in the notes section of his IPhone. The report fails to advise that such “wishes” would not constitute the making of a valid Will as it needs to be signed by the person purporting to make a Will in the presence of two independent witnesses.

Another case which identifies the importance of making a Will and getting your affairs in order and avoid putting it off….

This case would have led to particular complexities owing to the fact he was not married meaning his partner would not have received any automatic financial provision from his estate…..

Time to act? Please reach out.

[email protected]

The singer said he thought he was "going to die" before surgery to have a pacemaker fitted.

04/12/2024

Gifts and Inheritance Tax - Reminders...

Helping out loved ones and seeing them enjoy greater financial security can bring a lot of joy and satisfaction to all concerned, at any time of year. Sharing wealth and supporting relatives financially has become more of a priority as demands have mounted on the budgets of students, young families and even middle-aged adult children.

However, please understand the Inheritance Tax rules before embarking upon such a strategy.

Individuals can give away up to £3,000 per tax year - or £6,000 for couples - without inheritance tax implications. Unused allowance from the previous tax year can be carried forward, potentially allowing gifts of up to £6,000 per person or £12,000 for couples this festive season.

I am currently acting for a family where they understood the rules to be £3,000 per child (of which they have 4 every tax year) meaning the gifts per parent totalled £12,000. Only 3,000 is free of Inheritance Tax implications with the other £9,000 being a potentially exempt transfer for which each parent must survive a 7- year period from the date the gifts were made to completely fall out of their estates for Inheritance Tax purposes.

Small gifts of up to £250 can be given to any number of people tax-free, provided no individual receives more than £250 in total.

Special allowances exist for weddings and civil partnerships, with parents able to give £5,000, grandparents £2,500, and others up to £1,000.

If in doubt please reach out for guidance and advice.

30/10/2024

PENSIONS AND INHERITANCE TAX

This MAJOR change was slipped into todays budget and the revenue it will generate HMRC is astronomical!

🫤Years of being told save into your pension for later life funding, in exchange for tax breaks are no more. This could be very damaging for the country, as it is my view, people may no longer opt to save into pensions now. If this is the case - who will fund later life care etc when people have undertaken tax planning and possibly divested themselves of capital which they might have otherwise saved?

So, if you die with any pension pot left then it will be taxed to IHT. This is regardless of whether you die before or after 75 years of age.

Your pension trustees will be expected within 6 months of your death to calculate the IHT and pay it to HMRC. What’s left after that can be paid to your successors but if you were over 75 years old at death they will also be subject to income tax.

Let’s take a £2m pension pot (assume nil rate band used up already), so that’s £800k in IHT, leaving £1.2m to pay to your heirs. They will pay 45% income tax, a further liability of £540k, meaning that your heirs are left with only £660k from a £2m fund. That’s an effective rate of tax of 67%!!!

However, 25% tax free withdrawals appear to remain viable and as such expect to see many using this element as an effective estate planning strategy moving forwards in an attempt to remove it from the 40% IHT tax charge….

30/10/2024

BUDGET SUMMARY; As the dust settles on the budget and we get our head around things…. Here is a snap shot! Inheritance Tax currently impacts approximately 6% of the population. This figure is going to rise considerably over the years partly due to freezing of allowances and slashing rates of relief available….

Key notes as follows;

Inheritance Tax

The nil rate band of £325,000 is frozen for a further two years (£325,000 from 2008), until 2030. The residence nil rate band is also frozen at £175,000. This applies where an estate includes a residence passed to direct descendants.

There will be reforms to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief from April 2026. The first £1m of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to be exempt from inheritance tax, but for these assets over £1m, inheritance tax will apply at a rate of 20%.

The full inheritance tax relief on AIM shares has been halved so that only a 50% relief will be applied, setting the effective tax rate at 20%.

Inherited pension pots will also be subjected to inheritance tax from April 2027. This is going to be HUGE!

Capital Gains Tax

Capital Gains Tax increases from 10% to 18% at the lower rate and from 20% to 24% at the higher rate.

The rates on residential property will remain at 18% and 24% respectively.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

The higher rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax that applies to the purchase of additional residential properties will increase from 3% to 5% from tomorrow, 31 October 2024. This applies where, at the end of the day of the transaction, individual purchasers own two or more residential properties and are not replacing their main residence. This has the serious risk of stagnating the property market and will impact housing stock. I dread to think what percentage of renters live
in private rented properties…. Private landlords will increase rents to cover additional SDLT charges to acquire properties?

As ever, estate planning and building a sucession plan is essential. Please do reach out if you need help with your estate planning

29/10/2024

Should you give your house to your children now?

We often get asked this as we talk about your Will and leaving your property. Many people think this is an easy way to avoid care home fees or Inheritance Tax in the future. But we generally ALWAYS advise against this.

Why?

RISK ...
❗️ If your adult child divorces, their share of your home is part of any settlement.
❗️ If your adult child becomes bankrupt, your home may have to be sold to pay their debts.
❗️ If you fall out with your child, you could be forced from your home.
❗️ If you do need care and your local authority thinks you only did this to avoid paying, they DO challenge it.

TAX - This will be a second home for your children - meaning
❗️ They could pay capital gains on any future sale.
❗️ They pay Stamp Duty at a higher rate if they purchase an alternative home for you.

OH and …
❗️ If you continue to live in it, is STILL in your estate for IHT purposes when you die.