Tag Archives: Wills

What happens to wills when a law firm closes?

Posted on 22/09/2023 by Ben Ironmonger

Storing your will with a law firm is one of the best ways to ensure it is easily accessible when you or your loved ones need it. However, issues can still arise if the law firm’s circumstances change. Like any business, law firms can move, be acquired or close completely. When this happens, it can make tracking down legal documents that have been stored with them much harder. In this guide, we will explain what happens to wills when a law firm closes, and how you can them, using a local example. If you are local to Lymington, you may recall Abrahms Collyer Solicitors, who traded on Lymington High Street before being taken over by Bernard Chill & Axtell, and then by Linder Myers. Unfortunately, Linder Myers left the area, taking all of their strong room documents with them. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Wills, Trusts and Probate | Tagged , | Leave a comment

DIY Wills – short term gains and long term pains

Posted on 24/04/2023 by Ben Ironmonger

When a loved one dies, it is of course a very emotional time for those around you. Therefore, having a professionally prepared Will in place will bring peace of mind for your family  and also ensures both your non-financial and financial wishes are carried out by your chosen executors. Some people choose to write their own Will and others may look to a free or budget friendly Will writing service, either because they believe it is simple to do or it is not worth spending more on instructing a solicitor. Whilst there is no legal requirement to have a Will, there are specific formalities and wording to ensure your Will is legally valid. So, if you are writing it yourself, you must ensure the correct wording is used and the Will has been signed and witnessed correctly. If your Will … Continue reading →

Posted in Scott Bailey News, Wills, Trusts and Probate | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Funding care – exploring the minefield

Posted on 02/03/2020 by freestyle

The crisis in social care funding has at last come near the top of the government’s “to-do list”. Sadly, this complex issue has been largely ignored for many years.  That is of little help if you have a loved one currently needing care or about to be in that situation.  It is heart breaking enough to confront the fact that your mother or father may no longer be able to look after themselves.  It can be hard to find the appropriate care without having the additional concern as to how the potentially enormous costs will be paid. The average costs of residential care in the UK in 2017/18 was over £32,000 per annum.  This rose to over £44,500 a year when nursing care was included.  These costs vary hugely across the country and indeed between individual care homes. Depending on … Continue reading →

Posted in Scott Bailey News | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Funding care – exploring the minefield

You’re having a laugh

Posted on 11/11/2019 by freestyle

Planning to have salmon for dinner?  Make sure you don’t handle the fish “in suspicious circumstances”……… It was Charles Dickens who coined the expression “the law is an ass” nearly 100 years ago.  It is arguable that there is a fair amount of evidence to back up that assertion. Did you know that the Salmon Act of 1986 makes it illegal to handle a salmon in suspicious circumstances?  Woe betide you should you choose to carry a plank along a pavement. That is an offence under the Metropolitan Police Act of 1839. As we are coming up to the festive season, perhaps some landlords may need reminding that it is illegal for them to permit drunkenness on their premises under an act of 1872. And, did you know that it is an offence to be drunk in charge of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Scott Bailey News | Tagged , , | Comments Off on You’re having a laugh