Ashton Grace

01/02/2026

Many bereaved women can face a shock to their system when they have to take control of their finances following the death of a husband or partner.

Such women can suddenly face sensitive matters that involve:

- their children and stepchildren
- their grandchildren and stepchildren
- their assets in the UK and abroad
- the possibility of their in-laws making unfounded claims against their estate.

One such woman was a client of mine. She was retired, a (step)mother and (step)grandmother, owned property and other assets, yet ...

She had never made a .

This is not uncommon ...

She had buried her head in the sand following the death of her husband -

When her husband was alive, she hadn't had to concern herself much with the family finances - her husband had overseen most of their financial affairs.

So in addition to grappling with her husband's death, my client also had to adjust to being completely responsible for her finances for the first time ... in decades ... while she was in her late sixties.

It wasn't an easy shift.

Understandably, she was apprehensive about receiving Wills and advice, despite being aware of its importance.

However, she was grateful that she did take the step to get her affairs in order. It was just what was needed:

- legal advice provided in clear terms and plain English
- explained
- non judgmental listening, and more.

After making a valid Will and , my client commented that the experience was nothing like she had expected, it was so much easier than she thought it would be.

Speaking to a professional, who is patient, understanding and kind, can make all the difference when it come to getting your affairs in order.

Send me a DM if you would like to make your Will.

Rachel

23/01/2026

Happy Belated New Year! 🍾 ✨️

Here's to a wonderful 2026 for you! ❤️

May it be filled with good health, peace, safety, rest, love, wealth, joy and many other good things! 🤗

AND if you're wanting to start the new year responsibly by getting your affairs in order, send me a DM if you want to make your or receive advice.

You'll be:

✅️ Choosing who would have responsibility for your minor children

✅️ Determining who would inherit your hard earned wealth like your property, investments, savings and personal possessions

✅️ Selecting a sensible person(s) to wind up your estate

✅️ Ensuring you don't pay more in than you need to ...

And so much more, simply by making a Will.

🤔 Or you could leave everything to 'chance'

🕑 Or put off making your Will until 'tomorrow' which may quickly turn into 'next year', again ...

But, if you're serious about doing things differently and / or better in this year 2026, a good place to start is ensuring the people you care about the most would be looked after and financially taken care of, if the worst were to happen to you. ❤️


I've seen A LOT in my 15+ years of experience and when it matters, making a Will trumps not having a Will, every single time.

Here's a wonderful 2026 filled with good decisions! ✨️🙌🏿

Rachel

03/07/2025

Executors are rarely at the forefront of an individual's mind when they start thinking about creating a Will. But perhaps they should be!

Executors carry out the instructions in a persons Will and settle their estate. This means they will have legal, financial, tax and administrative responsibilities. If an executor gets things wrong, they can be held personally liable for their mistakes!

Your choice of executor can determine how quickly and smoothly (or not) your family/friends will inherit your assets. This is of course, outside of the time it takes organisations (e.g. financial institutions, HMRC, Probate registry, parties involved in selling a property etc.) to deal with their part in the estate administration process.

When choosing who to appoint as your executor, as a starting point, ensure they are:

- over 18

- not bankrupt (financially or morally!)

- trustworthy

- good with administration

- good at communicating as they'll be in contact with various organisations and the beneficiaries, for example.

Up to four executors can be included on a Grant of Probate.

You should think about speaking to a potential Executor first, to ensure they would be happy to take on the role.

If you have more than one executor, make sure they get on well with each other to avoid conflict which inevitably delays things and can harm relationships in the long term.

A beneficiary, such as your spouse/partner or adult child(ren), can be your executors too, provided they are a good fit (see above). In fact, they are often incentivised to act promptly and properly as they will directly benefit from your estate being settled.

Professional executors are always an option and should be comsidered if your estste:

- is likely to pay inheritance tax

- has a mixture of capital assets; home, property portfolio, business interests, stocks/shares etc.

- includes a business

- includes foreign property

- will include gifts you have made during your lifetime as a part of tax planning.

This list is not definitive but should illustrate just some of the reasons it is important to give due consideration to whom you appoint as your executor(s) when making your Will.

28/06/2025

"My wife was worried, in case something happens"

Many times, a wife or partner can be the driving force behind a couples decision to make their Wills.

The wife, who is often a mother, is worried on behalf of her family:

- They have children: what would happen if they passed away? Who would raise their children?

- They own a home/have assets: how would they ensure their children inherited the assets? What would be the "right' age for them to inherit?

These concerns and more, sit behind the decision of a (commonly) wife to ensure there are Wills in place.

When you add to the mix the fact that the couple will have known people who had died unexpectedly and the worry, stress and pain that unexpected death had caused to their loved ones when there was no Will to be found, it's no wonder when the issue of the family getting their affairs in order is raised, there's often no pushback.

Making a Will brings peace of mind to parents because they know that should the worst happen, they have:

- considered and chosen the people that would care for and have legal responsibility for their children

- made financial provision for their loved ones to avoid them suffering unnecessary and avoidable financial hardship

- chosen the family and friends they wish to inherit their estate

- received tax advice so that their estate does not bear more inheritance tax than necessary.

And so much more.

Are you worried that you don't have adequate legal protection in place to protect your children and loved ones if the worst happened to you?

Send me a DM if you would like to make your Will and get your affairs in order.

Rachel

27/06/2025

I was desperately trying to stay focused on work rather than think of all the fun things my family and I could do for this *second* hot weekend in a row. 😎

I chose to 'semi - work' amd focus on some 'wins' this week instead. 😀🤷🏿‍♀️

♻️ I was able to refer clients to other professionals whose services they needed:

- A family lawyer was required on behalf of a client's family member who wants to get a divorce

- A financial advisor was required for a client whose company has come into a lot of private equity which, as a shareholder, they benefit from

- A property solicitor was required for a client who wanted to transfer unregistered land to a family member

🤓 I advised clients whose circumstances had changed and Wills needed to be reviewed:

- One had gotten married (marriage revokes an existing Will unless it has been written in contenplation of marriage)

- One had experienced the bereavement of a close family member who was also named as an executor and trustee in their Will

- One was considering the benefits of including a Trust in their Will.

I'm grateful to be able to provide legal advice on Wills and Estate Planning and also to be able to connect them to other professionals who can help them.

Thinking about my 'wins" on a Friday afternoon was a good call! It's reminded me that interpersonal relationships matter.

If you are interested in making your Will or getting your affairs in order, please send me a message.

Rachel

26/06/2025

Peace of mind. Relief. "A weight lifted off my shoulders."

These are the feelings and effects often cited by clients when they have finally made their Wills. 🙌🏿

Interestingly, they also experience these feelings of peace at the "instruction" or client meeting stage too. That's when clients give instructions on how they wish their estate to be divided, or who they wish to have legal responsibility for their young children if the worst happens, or who they wish should be responsible for administering their estate etc. After the meeting, those wishes/instructions are formalised into a legal document, the 'Will'.

I've been told that at the end of these meetings, clients feel an immense sense of peace and satisfaction because:

✅️ they know the wheels are in motion for their Wills to finally be drawn up (💃🏿 yeh!)

✅️ they have clarity concerning the law and how it applies to them and their estate

✅️ myths have been debunked (e.g. 'common law spouse' is not legally recognised within Wills and probate).

All that makes for a great sense of relief and satisfaction. Apparently, there's nothing like getting your affairs in order, especially when you are a parent and/or have assets.

What's stopping you from making your Will?

25/06/2025

One of the most straightforward reasons I was given for making a Will was:

"Because I'm 60 and I have a daughter."

That was it!

My client had confronted her mortality, and realising she was "getting on", as she put it, wanted to make sure her only child - her daughter - would inherit her estate as simply and problem free as possible.

She wasn't concerned about inheritance tax, she wasn't really interested in naming other beneficiaries, apart from future grandchildren, and she wasn't that interested in listening to my advice (😂) .. although she dutifully sat through all the necessary legal and inheritance tax advice that was given. She knew what she wanted and wanted to get it done!

It was a reminder that making a Will doesn't have to be hard. Once you decide to do it, then just do it ... with an experienced, qualified and insured legal adviser.

You'll have a Will in place in no time plus the peace of mind that your loved ones will inherit your estate as simply as possible. It means you'll get to focus on living and enjoying your life with your loved ones knowing they'll be taken care of when you are no longer around.

Are you ready to make your Will and get your affairs in order?

Send me a DM if you are.

Rachel

24/06/2025

"We've been talking about it for a while ..." 🙈

The "it" of course being, making a Will and the "for a while" normally meaning years!

If I had penny for every time I've heard this phrase ... I would have a lot of pennies ...

So many people talk about making their Wills for years before they actually get around to making them. Years!

But I'm always glad to say, 'it's better late than never!' and I mean it because in that instance, it's normally true: better to finally make your Will than not at all.

For my clients, this means they finally get to give voice to:

- who they want to choose as legal guardians of their children (an unpleasant thought, I know)

- who they want to inherit their money, property, possessions e.g. the things that they own and have worked hard to attain

- any concerns they have about loved ones (e.g dependants with a learning difficulties, mental or physical vulnerabilities) and how to provide for them in a suitable manner

As well as financial, these are hugely emotional decisions to make so it's important that, in addition to as getting a listening and non-judgemental ear, they also, and very importantly, receive legal advice and guidance in these areas. But it doesn't stop there, clients will often need to be advised concerning:

- inheritance tax and how it would be applied to their estate

- the role and responsibilities of other parties under their Will (e.g. executors and trustees)

- other areas they had not considered but which could have an impact on whether their assets are distributed in line with their testamentary wishes.

So, while it may have taken years to get here, I'm so pleased when clients finally get beyond talking about it and get around to making their Wills. Failing to make a Will means your estate will be distributed following a strict, legal order thats unlikely to reflect the desires of your heart concerning your loved ones and your assets.

How many years have you been talking about making your Will? 🤔

Send a DM if you would to finally get around to making your Will.

21/06/2025

"Oh no, I'm going to have to rethink my pensions ... actually, how I was planning to distribute everything will need to be reconsidered".

That's what a client said when we met to update their Will and I advised them of the upcoming changes to pensions and inheritance tax coming into play in 2027.

In essence, any death benefits that remain in their pension pot when they pass away will no longer be free from inheritance tax come the tax year (TY) 2027.

The impact on their estate will be significant. Whereas before a small inheritance tax payment would have been due - which they didn't mind - after the Autumn Budget changes, the amount due will be fairly substantial.

My client is unmarried, has no children and is living with their partner in property they own together. This means they do not get the same, more favourable, treatment of inheritnace tax as married couples/civil partners or home owning parents.

This client is not a 'high net worth' individual and neither has anything been, or is going to be, handed to them (read: inheritance). They're just a person from humble beginnings who studied, worked hard, saved, sacrified and was able to buy their first home.

Previously they had structured their affairs so that their family members and partner could benefit from their estate in a way that satisfied my client. With pensions soon coming into the inheritance tax net, things will materially change.

The current inheritance tax threshold of £325k has been in place since the TY 2009/10 - over 16 years ...

Have house values and other capital assets maintained the same price over the same period?

My client is considering their options. Are you?

Send a message if you would to get your affairs in order.

13/01/2025

You may have made New Years resolutions or have written a list of things you would like to achieve this year.

Maybe one of those resolutions included making your Will? Or getting your affairs in order? If not, you should give consideration to updating your resolutions. Here's why ...

When you arrange a Will, you get to:

- Appoint guardians to look after your minor children

- Appoint executors to administer your estate (money, property and possessions) and distribute your assets

- Make monetary gifts to family members, friends or charities close to your heart ❤️

- Gift property to loved ones 🏡

- Exclude people from benefiting under your Will (e.g. estranged children - sadly more common than you think)

- Make provision for any pets you may have 🐕 🐈 🐟 🐇

- Include various Trusts, when appropriate and applicable

- Determine how your estate is to be distributed and to whom

- Be introduced to Inheritance Tax and Inheritance Tax Planning, if applicable

Thats why making a Will should be one your resolutions

AND a task that intend to achieve if protecting your family and their future when you are no longer around is important to you.

Send a DM if you would like to know more.

Rachel

08/01/2025

It's the start of a new year ✨

Whether you were abroad over the festive period or stayed home with family and friends, I hope you had time to rest, reflect and recharge before returning to your normal routine.❤️

A reminder that now is the perfect (and a popular) time to get your affairs in order. By that I mean:

- Making or updating your Will: to ensure your hard earned wealth is passed down to your family and to direct who would care for your young children if you weren't around;

- Arranging Lasting Powers of Attorney: to legally empower your trusted loved ones to make decisions for your benefit and on your behalf, should you ever be in a position where you lack mental capacity;

- Requesting inheritance tax advice: to establish whether your estate is taxable for inheritance tax purposes, and if so, the options that may exist to reduce your potential tax liability. The benefit of course being larger sums left to your children.

If you are interested in arranging, or would like to know more about, any of the above, send us a DM.


And of course, wishing you a Happy New Year! ✨️🥂

Rachel 💛

10/10/2024

Finally! The law has caught up with reality. Credit to England Wales for being one of the first countries to legally recognise some digital assets.

Globally, there has been a rapid increase in the development of, and interest in, digital assets. ‘Digital assets’ is a very general term that can be applied to a host of things including email accounts, digital files, digital records, crypto assets, non-fungible tokens (digital art) and carbon ...