Gibson Kerr Solicitors Blog

According to a new survey, not enough people in Britain are making plans for their end of life.

One of our partners, Fiona Rasmusen, has been recognised by the law society of Scotland as a specialist in Family law. At Gibson Kerr we believe that it is important that the solicitors who are dealing with clients cases have specialist and indepth knowledge of the particular area of law in which they are working. 

An American probate judge has ruled that a man accused of the murder of his mother and two of her friends, cannot inherit anything from her estate until the case has been heard, reports the Hartford Courant. 

Many British couples are burying their hands in the sand over their financial situations. One in seven couples over the age of 40 – or around 4.22 million people – admit they have never discussed their finances, according to new research from Prudential.

A recent survey from Canada has found that many Canadians are relying on luck to ensure their financial future, reports the Globe and Mail.

Massey University in New Zealand has received a bequest of $1.2 million, the largest in its history.

A recent study has found that there are now over 28 million adults (58%) without a will in the UK. As a result, they have no guarantee that their assets will be passed on as they wish in the event of their death. They are also running the risk of paying more inheritance tax than necessary by not tax planning.

A recent ruling from the High Court in Botswana has given women equal property inheritance rights for the first time, reports the Telegraph.The ruling overturned a customary inheritance law of assumed male inheritance.

The Legal Services Board has announced that, following a public consultation exercise, it proposes to recommend to the Lord Chancellor that the list of “reserved activities” in the English and Welsh legal sector be amended to include will-writing and estate administration, as well as probate.

A teacher from California is likely to inherit an estate worth at least $7 million from a cousin she hadn't been in contact with for over a year, reports the Daily Mail.

Remember A Charity has launched a new scheme in recognition of the difference people can make to charities when they leave charitable bequests in their wills.

The use of 'blocking orders' in Ireland as part of a divorce to prevent a former spouse receiving maintenance having a claim on their ex-partner's estate has been cast in doubt, reports the Irish Times.

There is a growing trend in America for estate plans to specify that beneficiaries use some part of their inheritance for travel, reports the Huffington Post.

The Government has launched a consultation over proposed changes to the services of the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) in England and Wales. The proposals include a new secure online facility for Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA).

The Scottish Law Commission has published a Discussion Paper on Adults with Incapacity for consultation.

The new regulation on cross-border successions, proposed by the European Commission and formally adopted by EU Member States last month, has been published in the Official Journal and has now become law.

The Supreme Court has recently given its judgment in the case of Gow v Grant, which was on appeal from the Second Division of the Inner House of the Court of Session.

The Institute of Fundraising (IoF) has warned that legacy giving in wills could be negatively affected by the Government's proposals to tackle the costs of social care.

An RNLI lifeboat at Portpatrick, which was funded through a generous bequest, has had its official naming ceremony in honour of its benefactor's husband, reports the Gallloway Gazette.

The Supreme Court in Delaware has ruled that a woman's decision to adopt her ex-husband does not entitle her family to a greater share of her father's estate, reports the International Business Times.