The Bottom Line on Inheritance Tax on Lifetime Gifts

March 30th, 2010

Inheritance tax, or IHT, is the tax that may have to be paid out of a deceased’s estate to HM Revenue & Customs after death. An estate that is currently worth £325,000 or less is exempt from any IHT, however, for estates worth over this threshold, tax can be payable at 40% of the amount that exceeds £325,000.

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Find Peace of Mind With Living Will Forms

March 29th, 2010

Preparation of a living will guarantees that your family and loved ones will respect your wishes in the event of catastrophic injury or illness. You cannot be too young or too fit to prepare a living will, and the easiest, most economical way to prepare the document is to use a living will form.

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Why Do I Need a Will?

March 28th, 2010

It is not the law to have a will but if you don’t have a valid, signed and witnessed will, your property, money and personal effects will be relocated by the government. Dying without a Will is considered dying ‘Intestate’, meaning that when you die, the government will get some if not all of your estate.

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Writing a Will

March 27th, 2010

Making a Will is not as simple as it may first appear. Like most things in life the hardest part is finding time to stop and take time out from your the daily life routine. The best way to start is to spend several minutes on the bus or in the bath to consider the serious ramifications of not leaving formal directions to your partner or children.

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Power of Attorney - A Brief Introduction

March 26th, 2010

There is more involved in estate planning than just deciding who will get your money and assets after your death. It also involves making decisions about who will be in charge of your financial and legal affairs should you ever be incapacitated. A legal document giving another person legal authority to act for and on your behalf as if you yourself were present is known as a Power of Attorney. The person so appointed is for all purposes and intent your “agent” and he does not have to be an attorney but it is preferably a person you implicitly trust. You can find specific do-it-yourself power of attorney forms and kits by searching for specific websites over internet.

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Using Specialised Probate Services Providers

March 25th, 2010

Probate services refer to the right to deal with a deceased person’s affairs and assets. Probate is a very complex matter and usually it takes months to complete. In the UK probate services are offered by banks or specialised solicitors but families can also apply for probate themselves.

Being a very complex process, probate involves a lot of tasks: confirming the validity of the Will, registering the death then sending the death certificate to the asset and liability holders. The executor then needs to apply for the Grant of Probate and pay all the creditors and the Inheritance Tax if it is necessary. A grant is needed when the deceased person leaves stocks or shares, insurance policies or properties.

How to apply for a Grant of Probate in the UK? There are several ways to make an application:

· In the case of multiple executors - up to four of them can apply for a grant or they can designate a representative to apply

· A probate solicitor can apply for a probate grant on your behalf

The grant application fee depends on the amount left in the deceased person’s name, for estates over £5000 the fee is £90. If the amount on the deceased person’s name is less than £5000 there are no fees to pay for the application.

The person dealing with probate should liaise with the deceased person’s bank, the Inland Revenue and High Court. If probate is not dealt with properly there is a chance for the possessions not to be released. The best option preferred by most families in the UK is to have the probate process managed by a specialised solicitor or a company specialised in probate services.

The largest probate services provider in the UK is ITC Legal Services. The company’s services are recommended by many banks, building societies and insurance companies in the UK.

By its nature Probate occurs when there is a lot of stress in a person’s life, so appointing a specialised service provider can reduce the stress, the pressure and the hassle.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D._Hunter

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5 Tips For Getting Started With Your Estate Plan

March 24th, 2010

Do you have your estate plan? If not, what are you waiting for? Every adult needs an estate plan, even if it is a simple Will. Here are 5 easy steps to help you get started on your estate plan and protect your family and assets. To create a comprehensive estate plan, you will need to gather information and make some important decisions.

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Procedure of Giving Power of Attorney

March 23rd, 2010

Power of Attorney is a document which is legal and which is to be signed by a person who intends to approve someone else to take the responsibility as his (grantor’s) agent, in regards to managing and tackling the decisions regarding his finances, investments and other financial settlements. There are certain steps which should be undertaken in giving the power of attorney.

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Granting the Power of Attorney to a Relative

March 22nd, 2010

A legal document which sanctions several rights to another person to operate on your behalf in terms of legal or monetary issues is known as a power of attorney. There are several people who select their relative or close friends as Attorney in Fact. Attorney in Fact is the one to whom the Power of attorney is sanctioned. It is essential to realize that a Power of Attorney is a document which offers the permission to someone else to manage your financial proceedings on your behalf. In case you intend to sanction power of attorney to a relative then, the below mentioned hints shall guide you -

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Withdrawing a Power of Attorney

March 21st, 2010

Power of Attorney is a document which is legal and which is to be signed by a person who intends to approve someone else to take the responsibility as his (grantor’s) agent, in regards to managing and tackling the decisions regarding his finances, investments and other financial settlements.

Revoking a Power of Attorney means removing the powers of taking decisions in terms of monetary matters that were previously permitted to another individual. This action can be taken through a legal written document mentioning the withdrawal of the powers which were earlier granted to your appointed Agent. The process of extracting the Power of Attorney is easy.

Instructions to Withdraw a Power Of Attorney -

• You will require a Notary to Witness and Seal

• The withdrawal of power of attorney document should be taken in writing.

• You can feel free to withdraw your Power of Attorney at any time. In case you are aware regarding the legality then you can take the decisions for yourself and withdraw the Power of Attorney made earlier. You can visit the web site in my biography below and you can find the specific do-it-yourself power of attorney forms and kits. The documents to withdraw the power of Attorney needs certain basic information which you can enter and complete the form. Hence, this step can be easily done by you by filling the forms available in my biography in my web site.

• The updated document should be witnessed and notarized. After the written document has been signed and notarized then, a copy of the document should be given to the person who was earlier your Agent. You should ask that person to give you back any copies of the original Power of Attorney, if he or she has.

• You must display a copy of the Revocation of Power of Attorney to any financial institution where you Power of Attorney must have been used earlier. Also provide a copy of your Revocation of Power of Attorney to any government agency that must have recorded your previous Power of Attorney.

• The Power of Attorney can be withdrawn only by the individual when, mentally sound.
Reasons for withdrawing a Power of Attorney

There can be several reasons for which one may wish to withdraw the previously exerted power of attorney. Some of the reasons for withdrawal are as follows -

• Purpose of POA has been fulfilled and there is no need of an agent to act on your behalf
• POA is not required any longer.
• Another person is been chosen by you to act as your Attorney-in-fact. You wish to replace the prior appointed attorney in fact with a new one.
• Your Agent must have shifted far away and it could not be possible for him or her to operate financial issues on your behalf.
• You may have no trust any longer on that person whom you had earlier given the Power of Attorney.

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