Gamlins Wills & Probate Blog

Where there’s a will, there’s a way     When thinking of making a will, the idea of a Victorian lawyer taking down the last instructions at the bedside still springs to mind for many people.   And the 19th century lawyer would find things pretty much as they were if they time travelled to 2017, but a major change to how people can say what should happen after their death is likely to happen soon.   If the proposals from the Law Commission get the go ahead, the law is likely to catch up with technology, and in future we could see emails and other simple expressions of intention being acceptable. But in the meantime, the only way to be sure of what happens after you die is to make your will following the formalities that have been in place for hundreds of years.   That is particularly important for those who may be living with partners, for whom the current law offers no protection, or where there are young children, for whom the choice of guar...

Lasting Powers of Attorney   Recent comments about the misuse of LPAs by retired Judge, Denzil Lush, have caused some controversy.   Mr Lush suggests that the use of an LPA opens up the possibility of financial abuse by the attorney.      Ben Talbot, Wills and LPA solicitor of Gamlins Law, now responds;   ‘ There are very good reasons to put LPAs in place, it means that you will ensure that people you know and trust will be in control of your health and/or finances if the time comes when you are no longer able to deal with matters yourself.   It is very true that great care should be taken when choosing your attorneys as they may have control of your finances if you are unable to make decisions yourself.     There are clear safeguards in the process of making an LPA and we always suggest that, whenever possible, two Attorneys are put in place to best safeguard that financial abuse doesn’t happen.   The p...