Dying Matters is an organisation based across England and Wales which aims to help people talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life. This week they are aiming to raise awareness of this and how important it is to have the “Big Conversation” about death and what you would like your plans to be. One way of doing this is by leaving your instructions in your Will, for example, if you would like to be buried or cremated. You can also leave a Letter of Wishes in which you state your […]

This week is Dementia Awareness Week and you may have seen and heard about this in the news.  Many people contact me when they are worried about their parents, often because they have just been diagnosed with the early onset of Dementia or Alzheimers. These illnesses can be very traumatic for loved ones as well as the sufferer and practical problems can arise if a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is not in place. An LPA is simply a legal document that appoints Attorneys to act on your behalf and make day to day financial (Finance & Property LPA) and […]

As you all know, David Cameron has been in the spotlight over inheritance tax and the issue of tax planning. Regardless of whether people think planning to mitigate your inheritance tax liability is morally correct, there are various things people can do to reduce an inheritance tax bill. They are legal and commonly used by families as part of their financial planning as a whole. Here are a just a couple of simple things you may not be aware of when considering tax planning. Of course, the information below is an overview and you will need to seek further professional […]