Thomas Hazlewood

09/02/2026

Have you been putting off the responsibility of your will? I know I definitely put off things like this... (Lucy - Tom's wife) ... thankfully Tom is much better at keeping up with things like that.

It's really easy to put it as a last priority... but without threatening and making you cry with awful stories... it is really important, especially if you have kids.

So this is your little reminder. Share it with your partner and save this as a reminder to yourself to get it done!

26/01/2026

Anyone else find social media all a bit much? Too much noise... no idea where to focus? Would you rather go back to the good 'old days of pen and paper, ads in the yellow pages and recommendations by word of mouth?

Well then you'd probably get on with Tom. He's a great lawyer (he does wills and probate).... and a great husband. But he doesn't love shouting about what he does... or being on social media.

So I'm taking over... Lucy (loving wife). I am going to bring together the world of social media with the world of Tom. So he is less scared of it and you know how great he is.

Let's show him how great social media can be! Tag someone who is just like Tom.

19/01/2026

What do you do when someone dies?

There are plenty of reminders about making sure you put your Will in place and over the past few weeks and months, I have been recommending just that. And it is an important thing to do. It does make things easier.

When a loved one dies though, what you should do and the legal requirements for dealing with their estate don’t feel particularly easy. Truth be told, it isn’t always particularly straight forward, let alone trying to follow them when trying to cope following a death of someone you love.

If you or someone you know find yourself in this situation, not sure of what to do, I have put together a guide which can be found using the following the link below.

Bereavement – A guide on the first steps to take following a bereavement: Bereavement- what to do firstDownload

14/01/2026

Yes, that is correct, a Will may not cover all of your assets! Comment below with anything you think may not be covered by your Will.

I will be diving deeper into this issue later this week.

Until then, if you are considering your Will, make sure you know what it doesn't cover, as well as what it does cover.

If you have any questions about how your estate may pass, please let me know.

12/01/2026

In my poll yesterday, I asked what you thought a “common-law spouse” was.

At the time of writing, 50% selected a common-law spouse was: “A partner you have lived with for at least seven years”. The other 50% selected that a “common-law spouse” is not a legally recognised status. So who was right?

The concept of a “common-law spouse” is a commonly held belief, however in England & Wales there is no such status. Well done if you were one of the 50% who selected this correct option! Therefore, if you are not married or in a civil partnership, you will not have the same rights as if you are.

Why does this matter? If you are co-habiting with someone and circumstances change, you may not have the rights you expect. Your first thought is likely if you separate, however that is not the only situation.

In my area of expertise, when looking at death, the same is also true. If one partner dies, the surviving partner will have no automatic right to anything. At best, they may have to begin an expensive and time-draining claim against their partner’s estate. No-one wants that, even if everyone involved has a good relationship.

What is the solution? Discussing with you partner and planning. In the case of death, Wills are always important but if you are co-habiting, Wills are especially important. In other areas too, planning will help. There is usually a way to achieve your aims, you just have to plan for it.

If this is useful for a friend, please do share it. If it is useful for you, please do get in contact.

09/01/2026

07/01/2026

I personally found the idea of contemplating guardians for my children really tricky. It is an extremely emotive decision with so many factors to consider. My latest article outlines the key considerations that are easy to overlook:

As a parent myself, the idea of even thinking about dying before my children are even adults moves me to tears every time – without fail. It is a truly deeply unpleasant thought (said with a great …

06/01/2026

As a parent, the idea of appointing a guardian is tough to consider. It is important though which is why I will be looking into further guardians and Wills throughout the rest of this week.