-
3 real clients we can learn from
In this article I am going to share 3 stories of real estate planning clients. We are sharing these stories to help educate about the need for effective estate planning but for client confidentiality, I have anonymised any names. These cases are unfortunate and I’m sure that after reading them, you will feel for the loved ones involved. Sideways disinheritance Figures indicate that over 42% of marriages end in divorce. It’s a harrowing statistic and we recognise that lots of people go on to remarry when they find happiness. This does present some challenges when we thing about estate planning and this is demonstrated by a client (Mrs Smith)…
-
5 reasons to choose SLS Wills and More as your Will Writer
The profession of Will Writing is unregulated. Something that often confuses people. This means that you don’t need a solicitor to write your Will. You may choose to write your Will yourself, although I wouldn’t advise it. In this article I share 5 reasons why SLS Wills and More make a wise appointment when it comes to choosing the firm to write your Will. STEP Qualified Will Writer. Full TEP. To many people STEP will mean nothing but they are considered the leading authority when it comes to training and professional standards within estate planning and many solicitors and Will writers undertake training with them. STEP, according to their own…
-
What does 2021 mean for estate planning?
ills What a year 2020 was. Lots of challenges and hurdles and unprecedented events too. It looks very much like 2021 will be filled with further challenges. For many of us the first challenge will be managing childcare and juggling work at the same time. When it comes to what this means for estate planning we can see in the news lots of cases where loved ones are passing away from the terrible virus and close family aren’t always able to be there. This must be incredibly hard and made worse in cases where it was completely unexpected. Lots of our newest clients have come to us because of their…
-
3 Reasons to write a Will
Ultimate Control is achieved by writing your Will. SLS have written a short blog detailing 3 reasons to write your Will. These should be common sense but that still doesn’t explain why about 60% of the UK adult population don’t have a valid Will. I use the term valid because some well meaning people will have a Will but won’t realise that it’s invalid or a gift within it may fail. If you do decide to write a Will, please seek professional advice. Don’t rely on the ‘advice’ of your friend who says, you can write one yourself. Whilst, this may be the case, in writing it yourself…
-
Equity Release
Hi, I’m Chris, Founder of Discover Equity Release based in Kent. I’ve been in financial services for almost 40 years, with the last 20 years working in the Equity Release sector. For many, public and professionals alike it is a bit of an unknown in the main, full of misunderstandings and myths. For instance the other day when I was speaking with a client, the first question they asked, was “I’m concerned that I can lose my home” something I felt needed to be addressed immediately and here I explained that there are no repayments to make with a Lifetime Mortgage, therefore you are unable to default and therefore you…
-
Films about Wills and Inheritance
Movies about Inheritances There are a number of movies about money and more specifically about an inheritance. Here are some of the best and least known movies dealing with the important subject of writing your Will. Caveat – some of the messages get a little confused… For clarity here are a couple of key messages before we list the movies In England and Wales, if you kill someone to inherit, your gift is forfeit. You should always keep your Will safe. You can change your Will as many times as you like. It simply needs to be signed correctly and your last Will is just that – Your last Will.…
-
Pensions – An article from Letts Wealth Management
A pension is a long-term investment that aims to build a fund for retirement in a tax-efficient way. This can be used in retirement in a variety of ways depending on the type of pension scheme the fund is from. Pensions take many different forms – workplace pensions, stakeholder, personal pensions, group schemes, final salary, SIPPs, the list continues. Pensions offer some of the most generous tax breaks around. Thanks to tax relief, your contribution is boosted by 25% immediately. If you pay more than the basic rate of Income Tax, you may be able to claim even more tax relief through your self-assessment tax return. Money you invest today…
-
A day in the life of an estate planner – Episode 3
Running a busy estate planning business can be challenging. Writing a Will isn’t as simple as making gifts to beneficiaries and then when the time comes, assets are simply distributed… I keep contemporaneous notes about all of these meetings, who was present, the reasons for making gifts, reasons for any exclusions, and then once I know what you’re looking to achieve, and only then – I can offer detailed advice about how you can protect, preserve and pass on your assets. That’s the difference between writing a Will with a cheap DIY Will kit and using a professional. Would I use a DIY Will kit? NEVER. Not just because…
-
SLS announce new Charity Partnership with Hypo Hounds
Recently we have been working on something really exciting and we’re pleased to be able to announce that we have Partnered up with Hypo Hounds. Hypo Hounds train dogs to detect and alert dangerous changes to their Type 1 Diabetic owner’s blood sugars. By alerting their owners or their families to these changes in blood sugars, Hypo Hounds can help to prevent potentially life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks. These are known as hypos and result from low blood sugar levels. Diabetic alert dogs can also be trained to detect potential episodes of hyperglycaemia (known as hypers) when blood sugar levels are too high. Hypo Hounds services are focused on children, enabling them…
-
Appointments with SLS Wills and More
Due to recent demand for Will Writing appointments with SLS Wills and More all available slots have been taken for the next two weeks. I am able to book appointments for the week commencing the 14th September so if you would like an appointment, please contact me and we will find a mutually convenient date. What happens during an appointment with SLS? During an appointment with SLS, please make sure that you have I.D to hand. We do this so that we can ensure that the person we are writing a Will for is the person giving us the instructions. I normally will not get instructions forms out straight away…
Affordable legal services in East Kent
