Estate planning is a vital aspect of securing your legacy and ensuring the well-being of your loved ones after you’re gone. A crucial component of this process is making a will, a legal document that…

Clear Thinking
Estate planning is a vital aspect of securing your legacy and ensuring the well-being of your loved ones after you’re gone. A crucial component of this process is making a will, a legal document that…
We extend our sincerest congratulations to Emily Williams on completing her training and being appointed Assistant Solicitor in our Probate department. Emily’s journey from trainee to solicitor exemplifies the dedication, hard work, and passion…
The High Court has found in favour of an 83-year-old widow who contested the will of her husband of 66 years, awarding her a share of his estate, valued at more than £1 million. In…
Contentious probate refers to a dispute relating to the way a deceased person’s estate is administered. Put simply, it is a disagreement that occurs after someone has passed away about the validity of their will…
The executor of a will is a person responsible for dealing with the estate of a deceased person. The executor is named by the person making the will, the testator, as being responsible for dealing…
New government legislation, amending the Wills Act 1837, will state that remote witnessing of wills is to be made legal during the coronavirus pandemic. Here, Louise Williams, partner at Hutchinson Thomas, looks at the reasons…
A recent inheritance case between two stepsisters based on which of their parents passed away first has been determined by the High Court, which by using a 1925 law, ruled that the younger parent legally outlived…
Do it yourself (DIY) wills have become more and more popular over recent years. Yet with their popularity has come a rise in contentious will and probate matters. The legal requirements of a will are…
It may surprise you that many people don’t have a will, so the idea of changing an existing will may be something that has never crossed your mind. Yet the importance of having a will…