ESTATE PLANNING CHECKUP: Do you and your loved ones deserve proper legal protection?
Our 2 Minute Guide to Estate Planning is a whistle-stop tour of the basics of Legal Planning. Everyone over 18 needs items 1, 2 and 3 in place if only to save their family agony if and almost certainly when things go wrong. Hopefully, that won’t be for 70 years, but all sorts of things go wrong with some folk along the way, and it is not just death that causes serious problems.
The whole point of our service is to get things organised and help you to keep them that way as the years’ roll by, changing your circumstances, the Government regularly changes the Tax rules, and they and the Courts change the Law and how it applies to your and yours. So keep up with our help and our Peace of Mind Service…..
The alternative is to allow Social Services and the Law, rather than your wishes or your family, to control your life, death and who inherits. For advice: 01323 741200
1. Who looks after your financial decisions if you can’t?
Accidents, sickness or old age can lead to your being unable to make your decisions for a period, or even permanently.
Who takes charge? NOT your spouse and probably never your partner. Joint accounts will be frozen. The Court then decides! Who pays – YOU! Unless you have an EPA or LPA: Lasting Power of Attorney Property & Affairs. Sound legal planning makes YOUR choices count, not the Court or Social Services.
ACTION NEEDED: Yes / No, I have this taken care of
2. Who looks after your personal welfare if you can’t?
This covers: where you live, who you see, what you eat, medical issues, etc. Do you think Social Services with find you a nicer Care Home than your family? Do Social Services know your wishes and dreams better than your family?
If there is a fit surviving parent they would look after the children under 18, but if not it will be up to the Court to decide unless you have a Lasting Power of Attorney – Health & Welfare (Introduced Oct 2007)
ACTION NEEDED: Yes / No, I have this taken care of
3. Last Will & Testament (deals with your affairs ONLY after death)
NO WILL? All decisions will be made by the State, including who gets your children, “Common Law” partners get nothing (without court action) and you will have missed an Asset Protection opportunity. If you have a Will is it up to date? Invalidated by Marriage? Guardians & all kids included? Regularly reviewed? In a safe place? Executors able to find it & still appropriate?
ACTION NEEDED: Yes / No, I have this taken care of
4. The Home Protection Plan©: Probate speed, security from creditors, speedy access & flexibility
Creating wealth for the Generations plus savings on Probate delays and the security that the value of your home will benefit the right people. Unprotected homes can benefit unexpected folk such as children’s creditors (or ex-spouses); probate may take 5 to 12 months. Save money, hassle and potential TOTAL loss. See: www.HomeProtectionPlan.co.uk
ACTION NEEDED: Yes / No, I have this taken care of
5. Pre-paid funeral plan
It makes sense to transfer money from low-interest, taxable savings to a Funeral Plan with inflation protection. Save money, stress, and argument at a difficult time by pre-planning. Sadly, the Financial Conduct Authority feels that independent advice should be available only to the well-off, and the firm we used felt that well-off people were not especially worried about funeral costs, and the people who were would be unwilling to pay a sufficient fee to keep the business afloat, so they closed. If any Independent Advisers remain, we will try to add a link, but the FCA seem to have wiped them all out, so now you have to advise yourself! Important, but it remains a lottery!
ACTION NEEDED: Yes / No, I have this taken care of
6. Ongoing review of legal planning – family situations, Law & Tax are always changing.
Will your legal planning remain up to date & safe? Not without our Peace of Mind Service to assist with all these issues! Call us or visit www.WillCustodian.co.uk
Yes, I realise that circumstances change all the time & I would like an ongoing service.
No, the firm who wrote my Will & LPA’s regularly review my planning, so I remain fully protected.
7. Probate – Sorting things out the estate after death
We can offer help to keep costs to a minimum. or we can refer you to relatively inexpensive solicitors etc if you don’t want to be involved. Planning ahead cuts costs dramatically, and it is something we can help Peace of Mind Service Members with.
We hope you found our 2 Minute Guide to Legal Planning helpful – feel free to get in touch on 01323 741200. We can help keep your estate planning safe and up to date.
