In these times of increased cost of living, we are all painfully aware that salaries for the vast majority have not kept pace with inflation. Indeed, despite a fairly vigorous effort by the BMA, not even the junior doctors were able to secure an inflation pacing uplift from the government.  read more...

We get this question a lot. In typical lawyery fashion, the answer is ‘it depends’. The major ‘dependant’ factor is usually whether your children live with you or not. But in both cases, even if an IHT advantage might be secured, it is often a terrible idea in any event. read more...

Receiving an inheritance can have significant consequences for individuals in receipt of state benefits in England and Wales. Indeed, my colleage Ashley has written about this topic previously (see here & here ) as it crops up frequesntly when discussing Wills and Estate Planning.  While inheriting money or assets might read more...

The terms life interest and right of occupation are sometimes used interchangeably, however there is an important distinction between these two types of trusts. For both, if established under a Will, they are immediate post death interests. This means that, for inheritance tax purposes, the immediate beneficiary (life tenant or read more...