Probate registry delays
It has been widely reported in the press in recent months of the considerable backlog of work that the Probate Registries in England and Wales are facing. Whereas in previous years, a Grant of Representation often took 10 days to be issued from the outset of...
Gifts to charity
Giving money to charity in your Will is a lovely way to leave a positive legacy for the future. People leave: Cash sums Property A share, or the whole, of their estate. There can be tax advantages to leaving money to charity in your Will. Legacies left to UK...
What a ‘shippy’ takeaway
In the media there has been controversy over a “shipping company with no ships”, Seaborne Freight (UK) Limited, that has been awarded a £14 million government contract in readiness for Brexit. Ridicule has been heaped on the company in many publications because of the...
The important ‘all in the car together’ clause
A recent gift to the charity Oxfam has highlighted the importance of making a provision in your Will for the unlikely event that the whole family should die with you or before you. Richard Cousins was the head of Compass, a successful Catering company, and had an...
We are expanding
We are pleased to announce that we are expanding and will be opening our new Lichfield office at Ground Floor, New Media House, Lichfield, WS14 9DZ on Monday 22nd October. We have outgrown our offices at 168 Birmingham Road, which has been our home for the last 2...
Lasting powers of attorney refund fees update
We reported back in February that the Office of the Public Guardian would be making partial refunds to people who had paid to register their Lasting Powers of Attorney between the 1st April 2013 and the 31st March 2017. This was due to the Office of the Public...
Tamworth Wellbeing Cancer Support Centre Charity Golf Day 2018
On Wednesday 12th September 2018, Four Oaks Legal Services and Tamworth Wellbeing and Cancer Support Centre, held their inaugural charity golf day at Aston Wood Golf Club. Ten teams played the 18 hole course at Aston Wood, including a team made up of former football...
Universal wealth preservation
Were you a client of Universal Wealth Preservation? Four Oaks Legal Services have been made aware by the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP) that they have received an unprecedented number of enquiries about Mr Steven Long and the companies of which he...
Can I get a copy of a deceased’s will?
A question that our probate team often get asked is “Can we get a copy of a Will after a person has died?”. If an estate requires a Grant of Probate then the deceased’s original Will is submitted to the Probate Registry and is retained there. The Will then becomes a...
Court of protection to refund overcharged fees
Following the successful refund scheme for registration fees in relation to Lasting Powers of Attorney, the Ministry of Justice have now announced that some Court of Protection fees are also to be reduced. An internal review found that the fees are higher than...
New report warns of looming incapacity crisis
• 98% of people in the West Midlands leave important health and welfare decisions to chance • 71% would like a family member to make medical and care decisions on their behalf, in the event of mental incapacity • 80% of people in the West Midlands are worried about...
Will this be the next mis-selling scandal?
Promises from slick marketing campaigns that by putting your property and assets into a trust you can avoid care home fees and Inheritance Tax (IHT) are all over the local and national press. Several companies are currently running high profile marketing campaigns...