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!

More people than you think have estranged family members or are subject to significant family disagreements. Exercising care and caution when making a will which excludes a family member is really important. The law says that anyone can challenge a will or make a claim for provision from an estate. It is then up to a judge to decide whether the claim is valid or whether they should be provided for. Often people are not sure about how to make a will which excludes someone. The impact of this worry is unnecessary stress you do not need. It is more important to make a will if you wish to exclude a family member as soon as you can. If you do nothing they may inherit anyway. Regardless of whether the claim succeeds, there will be a significant cost implication on your estate as it is very possible that a claim could end up with a Court hearing. This will result in less money being available for those you really want to inherit. The solution is to think about why you do not want a particular person to benefit. What are your reasons and thoughts behind your decision, do you have evidence to support your thinking? If so write all of these things down in a letter which you can keep with your will. To prevent it from being argued that you lacked capacity to make the decision about excluding them get a capacity report to show that you were fully aware of what you were doing and the decisions you made when you made your will. Then place all of this information with your will and keep it safe. Cutting someone out of your will is no reason not to complete a will. Just think carefully about why you want to act in the way you do and do as much as you can to protect yourself, your will and your family. Also, give us a call to talk through your thoughts so that we can reassure you. After all it is your will and you should leave your estate to those you wish.

As lawyers we can tell you about the formalities for making and signing wills, ensuring the right things are included and making sure they are signed correctly, but we're not going to do that as these things are down to us, not you. And, we also don’t need to tell you that a will is a document that you have to sign to make sure things are divided out amongst those who are important to you upon your death. You know that already! We want you to make sure you understand how not doing things when making your will can impact upon you and your family’s future as this is more important and might be stopping you from taking that next step. It is important to ensure that you get the right advice. At some point we could all take advice from the man in the pub or pay expensive legal fees for advice. Making a will is important so it is not just about getting the document right but making sure you get the right adviser; someone who you can talk to and explain your worries to, someone who understands your circumstances and listens, someone you feel you can trust to talk about the secrets that are hidden away and someone who will tell you the best way to achieve your wants and wishes. The worst thing you could possibly do however is to do nothing. It is important that all of us over the age of eighteen who own houses, have savings, own cars, have children, have grandchildren or a dog make a will. It is thought that over half of the adult population in England do not have wills. For those individuals they are leaving the future of their estate and their family to chance. For those who have made wills they have peace of mind and security in knowing that their wishes can be carried out and their families are protected. If you think that you need to review or make your will why not give us a call or visit our website to start the process today https://www.argolifeandlegacy.co.uk/argoonlinewills

Did you know that if you employ a veteran you could be eligible for a National Insurance holiday for the first year they work with you? As always there are lots of special rules set down by HMRC but for further information click on the link below https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-national-insurance-contributions-relief-for-veterans-as-an-employer

You may have seen in the news that Bruce Willis is retiring from acting because he has been diagnosed with asphasia. You will know who Bruce Willis is but do you know what asphasia is? Sometimes you may come across people who have difficulty in speaking, understanding others, reading, writing and using numbers. They may have difficulty with having conversations, expressing emotions, asking questions or answering communications. They may have asphasia. Asphasia is a communication disability which is caused by damage or changes to the networks within the brain which control communication. These live in the left hand side of the brain. It is often a symptom of dementia, stroke or brain trauma. Whilst many people will think that aphasia is a condition for the older generations young children, teenagers and young adults can also be affected. Sometimes aphasia is temporary for example after a stroke but more often it is a progressive condition which will worsen over time. There is no cure for aphasia and treatments and their effectiveness differ for each person living with the condition. In a world where everything we do is dependant upon communication a diagnosis of aphasia can be devastating. Self confidence may be shattered, people may withdraw from the once active life they lead, work can be affected and personal relationships may alter. the simplest of tasks become problematic. Signing your name, understanding letters and speaking on the telephone may quickly become things which are no longer manageable. A diagnosis of asphasia is a prompt to review things, specifically whether anyone has the ability to assist with communication and decision making. In England no-one has authority to communicate or make decisions on behalf of another regardless of whether you are husband and wife or parent and child. Your family needs to have written authority to do this and that authority is in the form of a lasting power of attorney. These authorities can be completed to provide support and assistance with decision making for financial matters or health matters and will last whether someone has capacity to make their own decisions or not. They will allow your family to sign cheques, transfer money, speak to the bank or utility companies. They will also allow your family to discuss things with GPs, social workers and other clinicians, make decisions about where someone lives and, in the most serious of circumstances, make decisions about whether someone receives treatment to keep them alive. As long as you are over eighteen you can make a lasting power of attorney. Make sure it is not too late to ensure your family can help you when you need it. If you need to discuss your situation or preparing lasting powers of attorney please give us a call on 01622 843729 to make use of our free fifteen minute information call.

Today was the first memorial service to mark the death of Prince Philip. So much can happen to a family in a year! Even the Royal family have deaths, marriages, divorces, scandal, fall outs and estranged family members, so remember, if any of these apply to you, these things happen to all of us!! Last September I reported how every will made in the UK is a private document until after a Grant of Representation has been issued by the Probate Registry. This is unlike Prince Philip's will which has been sealed for 90 years. Only when this time has passed can a conversation take place about whether it is appropriate to release the terms of his will into the public domain. https://www.argolifeandlegacy.co.uk/post/prince-philip-duke-of-edinburgh-his-will-and-family-privacy Should Prince Philip have been minded to detail his inner most thoughts about his family in his will, to document why they may not have been included as beneficiaries, any scandal or character assassination would remain carefully protected for years to come. What an interesting lawyer / client conversation that would have been! It is likely that by the time his will is considered suitable for the public domain those who would have been most affected by any negative comments would have died. This is not so however for the ordinary man on the street. If you are not minded to include a family member as a beneficiary of your will this is entirely up to you. After all, it's your will! Just be wary of providing detail in your will as to why they are not included. Whatever is written in your will becomes public record once the Grant of Representation has been issued. This means that the person you have eloquently disinherited will be a party to everything written, and, even worse, will be aware of what was written even if things have changed and rifts have been healed. A good lawyer, such as that which Prince Philip would have had, would advise that It is much safer to write a separate letter to your executor documenting why you have made the decisions you have as this letter remains private between you and your executor. Should your estranged family member choose to challenge your will the letter can be produced to the Court as evidence of your wishes, if necessary. In this letter you can provide as much detail as you wish, evidence situations and examples of behaviour. attach documents which support the decision you have made and keep it safely with your will. It is our job at Argo to make sure that you have the emotional support you need when making a will because many people find it a very difficult exercise to complete. It is also our job to ensure that those you leave behind are not subjected to any catastrophic fall out as a result of what was said at a time of emotion. You can rely on us to keep the level head! If you have been putting off making a will for this exact reason put it off no more! Not having a will is worse than putting your thoughts on paper, even if it is difficult for you to do. If you want to discuss how disinheriting a family member could impact upon your will take advantage of our FREE 15 minute first aid phone call to put your mind at rest. Give the team a call on 01622 843729 for reassurance and peace of mind.

Do you know any Dunkirk veterans? If so you need to read this article! We have just discovered the existence of a special pot of money held in a charitable trust called the 1940 Dunkirk Veterans Association. Although this fund was closed in June 2000 it has now been transferred to the 1940 Dunkirk Veterans Memorial Trust Fund. It is administered by the Royal British Legion and the trustees have to manage it as a ring fenced pot. This means they can only use it to assist Dunkirk Veterans ie • Ex service personnel who served in the British Expeditionary Force in France at Dunkirk, the adjacent beaches or other ports of evacuation between 10 May 1940 and 30 June 1940 • Royal Navy personnel who took part in the evacuation and their widows, widowers or dependants • Royal Air Force personnel who took part in the evacuation and their widows, widowers or dependants The pot of money is to be used to alleviate the need, hardship or distress of any of these the Dunkirk Veterans. In addition to grants a widow or widower would be eligible to receive a one of widow/er’s grant of £75, following the death of their spouse, if a death certificate can be provided to the Royal British Legion. The pot of money the Royal British Legion has does need to be spent and the number of people who can benefit from this pot is falling. If the specific fund is not used for Dunkirk Veterans it will fall into the Royal British Legion general funding pot on a specified date. If you know of Dunkirk veterans it would be worth contacting the Royal British Legion to see whether they could use these funds to provide financial support. With the falling numbers and the balance of funds available they may be able to assist in circumstances that previously would have been refused. To contact the Royal British Legion you can call them on 0808 802 8080 or email them on info@britishlegion.org.uk. Ask to speak to the grant funding team. Please share this article as far as you can to make sure we reward those veterans who did the unthinkable.