Owens Estate Planning Services

24/10/2025

Not posted on here for ages but I couldn’t let this go by - just received my 100th, yes 100th, 5 star review!!

05/03/2024

This story is why it is really important to understand trusts...

You could read this and believe trusts are terrible and to be avoided. This is like hearing a car manufacturer has made a terrible mistake on one of their models and you assuming that not just that model and not just all of their cars, but every car is now dangerous and to be avoided.

With trusts it is really common to feel a bit lost, there is so much confusion and most simply misunderstad them. The major reason is becuase there are hundreds and hundreds of different trusts, all doing different things. Some are in Wills, some are in other legal documents, pensions are trusts, hospitals are owned by trusts, insurance policies are often in trusts.

Just like the above example, there will be one (or some) that are bad/go bad. At the same time 99% should not be tarred with the same brush. The main issue with the trust in the attached story is not the trust itself, but the fact the firm in questions got appointed as trustees then chose where to invest the money which clearly was disastrous. This is a bit like saying the model car in my example was actually fine but those who drove them did stupid things and kept crashing.

It is important to never panic when you read something like this and instead just get some advice from a professional so you can understand it.

Hundreds of elderly people whose life savings have been caught up in a financial scandal have been dealt a fresh blow to hopes their money can be recovered – with more than 90 per cent of millions currently owed in default.

04/02/2024

Literally not going to get my head around this for a while. Plenty of people can run quicker than this I know, but I’d only expected 1:34 a today, perhaps a high 1:33 at best but instead notched up my all time PB.

Now the sub 1:30 this year is well and truly on

20/06/2023

“I don’t need an LPA, my kids know what I want”

This was said to me only the other day on a call to a new potential client. Her partner didn’t get on with his kids so it was assumed he’d need an LPA, but she thought she didn’t need one because she got on with hers and they knew what she’d want.

“Interesting” I said. “So how would your bank know that you get on with each other”?

“What do you mean”? she replied.

“Well if you think the only difference between one of you needing LPAs and the other not needing it is whether you get on with your kids, how would your bank, pension provider, utility company, insurance etc know that you get on with your kids”?

“I’m not sure” she said with some sudden realisation.

This lady had not said anything that most clients have said to me in the past. It is not until you stop and think about the actual logistics that you realise simply getting on with your children means nothing in the event of you needing their help to deal with your affairs.

The only way you can ever empower your kids to help manage your affairs is through Lasting Powers of Attorney. Without it they are in the same position as everyone else, they would need to go to the Court of Protection and seek permission to access your bank, sell your house (if required), pay bills, sort pensions etc). This court is the last place on earth you’d want to force your children into dealing with, it is time consuming, arduous, stressful and very expensive.

Look into LPAs today and please do not rule them out until you’ve had a conversation with a professional.

27/04/2023

Live on set with my eggcellent helpers make some explainer (eggsplainer was a bit of a stretch) videos for my website. It was a bit quiet at the start but they’ve started to come out of their shells now and after a long day of filing all our minds are a bit scrambled.

08/05/2022

Carten done! That was a very tough but enjoyable day, Soph did brilliantly going further and doing way more hills than she has ever cycled before. It would have been easy to get off and push at many points but she kept going. Fair to say we are both very sore today!

24/04/2022

Well that’s the final training ride for Carten done. Ready for bed now! https://www.carten100.com

18/04/2022

A good Friday Penultimate training ride before Carten https://www.carten100.com

15/06/2021

After several video calls to discuss their needs and go through the client's new wills, it was brilliant to conduct the final appointment face to face in their garden. It felt like a real treat to be out of the house again and seeing new people.

11/06/2021

If you think trusts are only for the welathy or those in very special circumstances, think again. Learn more about Trusts in just 100 seconds.

11/06/2021

These could quite literally change your or your children's life...

Am I talking about some new miracle drug? No. What about a winning lottery ticket? No but a bit closer...

I'm actually talking about trusts. Hang on… keep reading, its more interesting than you may think.

It might sound sensationalist saying the above but quite literally a trust could be the difference between children receiving a full inheritance from a parent and receiving nothing at all. This could be enough so that a child has enough to buy a house, start a business, and if they are older, it could mean they can retire early or maybe even pass it down to their kids for a deposit on a house etc.

Why can’t you do that anyway? Well, life is complicated and often there are a number of issues (both pre-existing or perhaps something that right now you’d never foresee) that crop up which prevent it from happening. These could be both issues in the future of both/either the parents and children. Remarriage after death, a vulnerable beneficiary, a child divorcing and losing part of the inheritance to their ex are just some of many factors that could upset the applecart.

The only thing for sure is that the future is unpredictable and trusts can offer your family a little piece of certainty.

09/06/2021

The Asset Protection Trust is the ultimate weapon in an Estate Planner's arsenal. Providing certain conditions are met, anything you put into the trust is protected entirely. Protected not just during your lifetime but also the lifetime of your partner and your chidlren too. Protected from all threats that you can think of and no more worrying about your house being taken from you when you are older. Not only this but it means probate isn't needed, saving loads of legal fees and makes things so much easier for your children.

These trusts are available for a fixed fee of £2,000 plus VAT for a single person and £3,000 plus VAT for a couple. Get in touch to arrange a free home visit to discuss how the trust can protect you and your loved ones.