Inheritance Tax Hits a Record High

Following a record £5.2 billion raised in Inheritance Tax (IHT) in the 2017-18 financial year, the SNP have now called for the reform of IHT, claiming that there are ‘loopholes’ in the current UK system. With the figure rising 8% from 2016-17, Alison Thewliss, the SNP Westminster treasury spokesperson, warned that “the current system of inheritance is…

Calls for Convicted Murderer to be Removed as Executor to Victim's Estate

A petition has been launched calling for a change in the law in Scotland to prevent a man found guilty of murdering his mother from being able to act as executor to her estate, reports the Daily Mail. Ross Taggart received a life sentence in 2015 after he was found guilty of killing his mother, Carol, at…

Timescales Can Vary When Settling an Estate

When a family member or other loved one dies, it can be hard for those closest to them to move on and find any sort of closure, particularly while work is ongoing to settle the deceased’s estate. As a result, a question of common concern to the recently bereaved is; ‘how long will it take to settle…

Appointing More Than One Executor

In a recent blog post we looked at some of the considerations to be taken into account when deciding who to appoint as the executor of your estate in your will. In this post we look at whether it is advisable to appoint more than one executor.  There are several advantages to having at least two…

Digital Assets Can be Problematic for Executors

One of the first jobs the executor to an estate must carry out is preparing an inventory of the estate i.e. a list of all assets belonging to the deceased person, such as property, money and savings/investments.  Obviously, the complexity and duration of this task depends to some extent on the size of the estate, but…

Appointing an Executor in your Will

One of the most important decisions facing people when writing a Will is who to name as the executor to their estate. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, as it will be the role of the executor to act as a representative of the deceased. He or she will be responsible for paying off…