We have focused in previous articles on why wills are important, how they help you plan for the future, react to change and protect your family and friends. I have recorded reasons why you need to make a will but what actually happens when you want to make one? I can happily confirm that superstition does not come in to play. I have never seen someone make a will who is then struck by a bolt of lightening or is runover by a bus. I have however seen people skip out of our meeting feeling much lighter, as something that has worried them for a long time has been completed. When you are ready to make a will it is at a time that is right for you and hopefully not because there is an emergency. Irrespective of circumstance wills can be made over a period or time or very quickly, depending upon your needs. It is important to make sure you find the right adviser for you. There are many people out there who make wills. Not all will be for you. Some are solicitors, some are legal executives, some are will writers. Some are good, some are average and some are bad! Never feel embarrassed to interview who you want to work for you. When you look for an adviser you should consider are they qualified and regulated? do they have good experience in the advice you need? are they a member of Solicitors for the Elderly or the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners? are they someone you can talk to and build a relationship with? do they come out to see you at home? do they charge a fixed fee for the work they do rather than hourly rates? These pointers will help you find a lawyer who is good at their job, experienced and a good listener. There is still a misconception that clients should put their lawyers on a pedestal and not question their qualifications or the information they are given. This is simply not true. You are purchasing a service from your lawyer just as you do from your plumber, your garage when you take your car for a service or the opticians when you purchase glasses. You would not ask any of these companies to help you without doing your homework and the same should be the case with a lawyer. You would also not purchase any of these services without knowing how much they will cost first. You need to feel comfortable with the person who is giving you advice as there may be difficult or emotionally sensitive situations that need to be considered as part of making your will, so make sure your lawyer can give you a hug if you need one! You will be asked about your family circumstances, your assets and liabilities. You will be asked about medication and health issues, all of which are necessary to help make the best will for you. You will speak about taxes and care fees, conflict of interests and potential disputes, how to protect your family and assets. You will be asked about what you want to do and who you want to leave things to. The job of your lawyer is then to take what you want to do and put it in a legal frame work to make sure you estate is distributed how you wish. In the event your lawyer is worried about your ability to make a will they will investigate whether you understand what a will is, what assets you have and how you want to leave your estate within the legal tests that have been established. Making a will should not be something you worry or stress about. It should be as easy as a chat with a friend over coffee. If it is not like this then may be you have the wrong lawyer? If you want a chat with a friend over coffee to make your will and even have a lawyer arrive with a fresh cream cake then Argo is for you. Give us a call on 01622 843729 to book an appointment to make your will so you can begin skipping!

Right now, the most important thing for a trustee to do is make sure they have registered their trust with the Trust Registration Service before the deadline of 1 September 2022. If you are a trustee it is important that you ensure this takes place to avoid penalties and charges from HMRC as the responsibility for compliance has been placed on your shoulders! This is not a straightforward task and many professionals are struggling with this exercise so please do not feel deflated. Sometimes the system does not work, sometime it crashes half way through registration, sometimes it just simply wants to be difficult! Sometimes you simply don't know whether the trust you manage is one that should be registered. If your trust is one of the following you must register before 1 September 2022:- trusts that were in existence before 6 October 2020 and do not generate income trusts that were in existence before 6 October 2020 but have since been closed that did not generate income trusts which were created after 6 April 2021 if they become liable for income tax To make sure you are covered and take the right action it would be sensible to review any trusts of which you are a trustee and take some advice to make sure you do the right thing. There will be many old dormant trusts which have not done anything for many years. They may own a property which an elderly relative lives in, may have a parcel of land or some other asset that generates no income. These trust will probably have to be registered too. Trusts created by wills, after the will maker has died will more likely than not fall into the above categories. Trusts created during lifetimes will more likely that not fall into the above categories. Trusts contained in wills where the will maker is still alive do not need to be registered as they do not come into existence until the will maker has died. Not that it will make it any easier but here is the link to the government website relating to trusts https://www.gov.uk/topic/personal-tax/trusts. Please use this link to see if the trust you are involved with needs to be registered. You will need to gather information about the trustees, the person who established the trust, the beneficiaries and the assets within the trust. All of these details will need to be included with the Trust Registration Service. To start the process of registering here is the link to the government website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-a-trust-as-a-trustee. Alternatively, you may just wish to call us for help on 01622 843729. Our trust team would love to help get the weight of this compliance headache off your shoulders!

The hot meal provided Apetito will be closing its doors at the end of July 2022 leaving hundreds of vulnerable people in the County of Kent not knowing what to do next. We have been notified on behalf of a number of clients of the closure and have spoken to the Apetito team to find out what has happened. Aside from a company wide cyber attack in June the Kent branch of Apetito can no longer provide a service to its clients due to financial viability. The staff in the Kent branch have been totally stunned by this announcement and are saddened not only to be losing their jobs but to no longer be able to help their customers, some of whom they have worked with for many years. Alternative providers are being recommended by Apetito but there is a limited alternative hot meal service in the County with many replacements only providing microwavable or oven cook meals. This will not meed the needs of individuals who are unable to prepare a hot meal for themselves. Having a hot meal every day is vital for the ongoing health and wellbeing of elderly and vulnerable individuals. We have raised this matter with our local MPs. If you are experiencing difficulty please do not worry and not speak to anyone. You can call our team on 01622 843729 to discuss your situation and we will work to help find a solution together

HMRC has revealed that it has seen an increase in the amount of tax paid on death in England and Wales for the period to April 2022. This is up £10million on the same period last year and brings Inheritance Tax receipts for the Chancellor to a whopping £0.5billion. This increase is due to higher volumes of wealth transfers which took place during the pandemic, an increase in asset values and the government's decision to keep the Inheritance Tax thresholds at current limits until 2025/2026 tax year. This continues a trend which has seen the receipts from Inheritance Tax double over the last ten years. When did you last sit down and work out how much your assets were worth. Take five minutes: total the value of your home, your savings, your investments, your National Savings premium bonds and all the other things you own. Do not include your income, life policies or your pension pots. What is the figure you come up with? If this total is more than £325,000 if you are single or more than £650,00 if you are married or in a civil partnership, then Inheritance Tax is something you need to be concerned about. If your assets exceed this amount then it is possible that your family, following your death, could be left to work out how to settle an Inheritance Tax bill at 40% of the value in excess of this £325,000 or £650,000. With the majority of the value being tied up in your home finding funds to pay a tax bill may cause an enormous amount of stress and worry for those you leave behind and could cause financial hardship. The solution to this problem is sensible advice. You need to talk through how inheritance tax planning can help to mitigate the potential tax liability you may have. It can help to structure your estate and your will to ensure you pay as little tax as possible and pass assets to your family in the most effective way. If you don't want to pay anymore than you have to to HMRC then take some time to thing about what you are worth, what you want and how you can get there, whilst taking some advice from an expert. The Argo team do this every day. We are here to help you and are even nice enough to give you some free time to discuss what you are worried about. Take advantage of our fifteen minute first aid call to find out how we can help you. Call us on 01622 843729 for more information.

As you will probably be aware the government has confirmed that all households falling within the council tax brackets between A to D will be eligible this summer for a rebate of £150 to help with increasing energy costs. Maidstone Borough Council has already paid £5.3million to 35,500 council tax payments as part of the government's rebate scheme, but have you had yours? If you settle your council tax by direct debit but have yet to receive your rebate you must visit your local Borough Council website and complete their application. For Maidstone residents this is https://maidstone.gov.uk/home/primary-services/council-tax/primary-areas/council-tax-rebate For those who don't pay by direct debit you should have received a letter during May with further details on how to complete the application form. You will not receive a telephone call or text from your local council in relation to this so do not fall fowl of any scammers who may be trying to obtain your bank details. If you are a higher council tax from E to H you may also be eligible for a discretionary payment if the council believes you are experiencing fuel poverty. Please keep an eye on your local Borough Council website to find out what they are offering in your area as it is likely they will all differ. If you need further assistance in claiming your rebate please give us a call on 01622 843729 and speak to one of our team who can help with claiming on your behalf.

Kelly is the founder of Argo Life & Legacy, a legacy for her grandmother. Argo exists to give a voice to those who struggle to be heard and to help those who need it. It is because of the difficulties Kelly experienced in caring for her grandmother that she decided support families with elderly or vulnerable relatives in planning for their future. Future planning is a family affair and involves all generations, regardless of circumstance. Over the last 20 years, Kelly has been supporting and holding the hands of her clients who wish to make a will. Whether they want to protect assets from future care charges, protect a disabled child or undertake planning to reduce inheritance tax charges Kelly works to take away their worries and prevent mistakes to stop things from going very wrong. She can even draft nice straightforward wills for those who want to keep it simple! Kelly makes sure that you have the time you need to make your decisions and explains things in a way that you will understand. We asked Kelly why she wants you to make a will and she replied "Over my career I have seen the fallout on a family because a parent died without making a will. Life can be thrown into chaos in a second and everything you thought would happen changes. Making a will gives your family certainty about their future and you peace of mind that you have done the right thing. A will makes life so much easier as it plans and protects for the future, after all none of us are getting any younger and none of us can predict the future, so who knows what might happen next" Many people use Kelly because clients say she is “caring and empathetic” and “not at all stuffy”. She has even been told that making a will with her is “as easy as buttering a piece of toast”! If you really wish to get this sorted please call Kelly to book your free telephone will check.

Pets are precious; after all, they are your best friends and part of the family. Cats can live for 20 years, dogs can live for fifteen years and tortoises can live for hundreds so it is important to make provision for what happens to them if you are not around. Did you know that your furry friend is a personal chattel just like your grandfather clock or engagement ring? Who looks after Barnie or Doris will be extremely emotive just as who receives your engagement ring is. There will be arguments if nothing is documented. Whilst you can leave an engagement ring to your granddaughter you may need to leave a cash gift to whoever is to look after your dog to help with ongoing expenses. Some things are worth more than others. You can put a price on an engagement ring and perhaps balance the gift out to others on a monetary basis but what price is your trusted best friend? It is important when giving away personal items that you own the item you are giving. You need to check the log book at the DVLA or the ownership records with the kennel club. When you know the item is yours write a letter to your executors detailing what you wish to leave to particular people and consider whether you need to provide funds to help to maintain what you are leaving. So, don’t forget to leave those important personal items to people you wish to receive them whether it’s the dog or granny’s heirloom. Make sure your instructions are clear and that they are kept with your will. Most importantly, make sure you ask the dog who they would prefer to live with!

People will always find a reason to put off making a will. They focus on the tiny details and forget the bigger picture. They blame superstition and feel that something will happen to them once they have completed the task. People even over think what they want to do and make it confusing and more complicated than it needs to be. All of these are excuses not to get on and make your will. It is not having a will in place which can lead to disaster. If you fail to make a will your estate will be distributed by old-fashioned laws which mean that those you would want to benefit from what you leave behind could miss out. In these circumstances, you do not get to choose who has what. You lose control and the chance to protect those nearest to you. Doing nothing is not an option. Get something written down even if it is not the final version. You can put a temporary will in place whilst you iron out the details. Take easy steps to think about what you want to do. Write a list of your assets, how much they are worth and think about whether they are owned just by you or by you and others. Write a list of those who are important to you with the most important at the top. This is where you need to start. Take the first step to make a will and protect your family. Get in contact today https://www.argolifeandlegacy.co.uk/wills

If you want to protect your assets because you are considering divorce or separation, Argo can help you make a new will so you avoid the worry and uncertainty of what might happen if you do nothing. There are four elements to a divorce. The first is the arguing stage. The second is financial agreement. The third is the issue of the decree nisi when the Court agrees you can divorce. The fourth stage is when the Court issues the decree absolute and confirms you are divorced. Until you receive the decree absolute you are still married and your spouse can inherit from your estate. If you have made a will your spouse will still inherit until you receive your decree absolute. This is because you are still married throughout the divorce process. It is only when this order is made that your will is read as if your ex had died before you. If they are appointed as an executor they will act in the event of your death. If you have not made a will your spouse could inherit under the legal rules that set out who has what. Your children could end up living in places you would not have wished for them and face an uncertain future, and who will keep the dog? All of this can be avoided if you make a new will. Act now and you can exclude your spouse from any new will. You can also ensure that they cannot benefit from your estate if something happens to you before your decree absolute. You can ensure your assets pass to those you wish. You can check how assets are owned to protect your interests in your family home. If you are not sure what to do give us a call today and take advantage of our complimentary 15 minute first aid call to see what you must to do to protect your family. We have a proven track record in getting things done. We take the stress and worry out of making new wills by using our experience and knowledge to give you a hassle free, easy service.

Having just helped a client purchase a new mobility scooter I was proud to receive my first scooter V5 form to keep safely in our strongroom. I have never seen one of these before! That got me wondering how many other people have? This exercise has taught me a lot! I never realised that mobility scooters have their own number plate, which I presume, means you can have a personalised number plate just as you would with a car! How cool is that!! There is no legal requirement however for the number plate to be displayed on the mobility scooter. Just like a car a mobility scooter should be taxed and insured. If it is registered as a class 3 vehicle (which the seller will tell you when you purchase) you are exempt from road tax. Insuring a mobility scooter is is recommended. Insurance will provide you with public liability, accidental cover, theft and vandalism, breakdown recovery, after all you insure your car why on earth would you not insure your scooter? It is important. If you have an accident because you have poor eyesight you may have to pay compensation if someone is injured, so make sure you can read a car registration numbers from 40 feet away. You will be issued with a V5 document when you purchase your new scooter and become the registered owner. This will have to be changed if you sell. If you purchase a second hand scooter make sure you as for the V5 so that you can become the registered owner. Once I had helped with the purchase of the scooter I thought I ought to look further into the rules. Unbeknown to me there are different types of scooters. Who knew!! All mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs can legally travel at a maximum of 4mph on footpaths or in pedestrian areas. Normal parking restrictions apply to parking. If your scooter is a class 3 scooter it can be used on the road. There are specific rules which will determine whether your scooter is class 3. Class 3 scooters or powered wheelchairs are the only scooters which can drive on the road, and you are only allowed to drive up to 8mph. You cannot drive in bus lanes, cycle lanes or motorways. It seems you can drive on dual carriageways but it is recommended you avoid those with a speed limit of over 50mph! You have to be up to date and familiar with the highway code as these rules apply to scooter drivers as much as car drivers. And there's me thinking that purchasing a mobility scooter was easy. This is before I get to the first 10,000 mile service and have to deal with replacement brakes, new tyres and oil changes!! Just in case you need any further help or advice in relation to mobility scooters because you knew about as much as I did I have put below the government website details where you can find out more. https://www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules

Almost as dangerous as not making a will is doing nothing when circumstances change. It’s easy to do nothing and before you know it time has passed and changing your will has gone from your thoughts. Your family cannot correct mistakes and forgotten beneficiaries once you have died without affecting their financial position. Birth, marriage, divorce or death, inheritance, financial loss, selling a business, retirement or changing health issues are all reasons you need to revisit your will and amend it. If you do nothing your grandchildren, your children or your new spouse may miss out on their inheritance. No action may cause you to pay unnecessary inheritance tax or care charges that will reduce the amount available for your family to inherit. It could cause family members to lose their state benefits which they need to live on. Your family will not thank you for forgetting to protect them or your hard earned savings. To prevent arguments, upset and future problems make sure you review your will regularly, and, particularly when your circumstances change or you have a life changing event. Also, remember to review your will when one of your beneficiaries has a life changing event because they may need some changes made to how they inherit from your estate. Don’t leave your will in the cupboard, review it at least every five years. Review when your circumstances and those of your beneficiaries change. If you are not sure about how things could affect your will take advantage of our free fifteen minute will check call to discover the impact of change.

Everything changes when you get married. You don’t just promise to love and to cherish and to honour and obey. You also become part of couple, not just because you love each other but because the tax man says so! Any will you have made which leaves your assets from your past life to parents, siblings, children and friends is revoked by your marriage. If you are marrying for a second time things become even more complicated. You may have assets from a previous relationship which you share with your ex. You may have assets you have acquired whilst you were on your own or could have children from a previous relationship. It may be that if you are newlyweds there are things you want to leave to individuals, other than your new spouse, if you die. This may change as your relationship develops or there may be assets you need to protect for many different reasons. If there is no will your new spouse will be entitled to inherit under the Intestacy Rules, a set of rules established in law to determine who inherits what in the event you die without having made a will, until you make a new will. This could mean that if you have children from a previous relationship a new spouse could prevent them from inheriting from your estate as you may have wished them to. The easiest way to head off all of the problems is to either make a will in contemplation of your marriage or make a will as soon as possible after you have married. Argo recommends the former. By taking control and making sure you put in writing what you want to happen should you die, you can guarantee that your assets pass on your death as you wish and to whom you wish, in the way you wish. Writing everything down will then mean you can get back to being married and doing the jobs you promised you would! Making a will does not have to be complicated or time consuming. Just think about who is important to you and put them in an order of importance. Think about what you own and who you want to have that item. Then, pick up the phone and call Argo to take advantage of our free fifteen minute consultation call on 01622 843729 or log into our website https://www.argolifeandlegacy.co.uk/argoonlinewills to see how easy it can be to get sorted!