Wills & Living Trusts

A Power of Attorney means that you give someone permission to act in your place The power is given by signing a form in the presence of a witness. Read More »

In Thailand alone, it is estimated that there are in excess of 100,000 foreigners living by independent means, most of them are retired, or shortly will be. Similar clusters of expatriates are also to be found in Indonesia (particularly in Bali), the Philippines and also Malaysia.

In addition there are career expatriates whose lifestyle must include the demands of an employer.

Can a Protective Trust, in particular the “Guardian Angel Trust” service provide the answers? Read More »

In respect of a Last Will, the term ‘Trustee’ is usually synonymous with ‘Executor’. Although the roles run parallel they are in fact different. The two appointments are often made to the same person so that the administration is kept simple, in the initial stages the tasks a Trustee must do are very similar to those of the Executor and having the same person doing the two jobs reduces the time spent on paperwork. This article explains the responsibilities of Trustees in the context of a Will trust.
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The Executor is the person appointed to be responsible for the paperwork involved in processing an estate. Often this appointment the surviving spouse or partner acting as sole executor, and others as alternatives in case of a joint death. A Last Will and Testament must be passed by the probate office as acceptable before a Grant of Probate is given to the Executor. The Grant allows the Executor to get on with his or her job, without it nothing can be done with the Testators money or possessions. Read More »

Expats, frequent travellers and owners of property abroad

Domicile is a legal term. Literally, it means where your home is. Your domicile affects where you are taxed, and the governing law for your immovable assets. It is the cause of much confusion to the lay person, we hope this article will clarify what domicile is and how it affects us all. Read More »

Information on blood taken from the umbilical cord of a new born baby can and should be included in a Last Will and Testament. This article tells you more about the process of collecting cord blood and why it is a good idea; it is a comparatively new concept but could become standard procedure at delivery in the future. Read More »

The word ‘codicil’ occurs quite frequently in a Last Will and Testament. Some people have no idea what it means; it is a word that is not in common usage and has a rather old-fashioned ring to it. You may need to do a Codicil after you have signed your Will if you need to make minor changes. This article tells you all about what a codicil is and what to do. 

The Oxford English Dictionary definition is ‘an addition or supplement that explains, modifies or revokes a Will or part of one’. Read More »

I am often asked why a single person should make a Will. In some cases it probably is not worth the effort and expense, agreed. BUT if you have a good job, a comfortable home, and even worse if you are a long way from your family then you should think carefully about what this would mean to your surviving next of kin. Read More >

Trying to decide who should be a Guardian for your children in the event of both parents dying is one of the hardest parts of writing your Last Will and Testament. It can be a source of conflict especially in blended families, but it is very important to come to some arrangement as the alternative, leaving it to a court to decide, is very unappealing. This article spells out the procedure for appointing a guardian and some of the points to consider when you are deciding who to appoint. Read More >

Chattels are often overlooked in a Last Will and Testament as being not sufficiently important to warrant a separate clause for their distribution and left as just part of your residuary estate. There are some situations in which this is simply not a good idea. This article explains why and what to do about making sure your chattels are properly handled.

In our opinion, your Last Will and Testament should include the disposal of your Chattels.

Giving to charity is something many people want to do in a Last Will and Testament. It sounds very straightforward, but as with everything else to do with Wills it must be correctly worded and carefully thought through. This article points out some of the ways in which good intentions may not be met unless great care is taken with drafting. Read More >

In the last 20 years many people have turned to property as a long-term investment. Those of us who travel, or live away from home, are exposed much more to the concept of  buying property which is not their principal private residence. It is quite usual to find that your friends and neighbours are buying either their dream home or a ‘buy to let’ investment property while their earnings will support a mortgage. It is one of the acceptable faces of gearing. Read More >

Henry Abts’ father suffered an untimely death. Henry, as a young man, was called upon to be the administrator of his father’s estate. Following the unpleasant and agonising experience he had with the probate system in the state of California, Henry wrote the Living Trust with the avowed purpose of educating the American public to the evils of probate. Read More >

Winston Churchill in his later years retained his keen sense of humour. His sharp and witty comments are well documented and no doubt he would have been happy to think that, as well as his greatness as a statesman, he is also remembered as an intelligent and funny man to his dying day. He once said that when he wakes up in the morning he reaches for The Times (England’s No 1 Newspaper) and when he gets to the obituary page,( which records the life and times of those distinguished members of society who merit more than just an announcement), if he is not mentioned he then rises and sets about the business of the day! Read More »

I am often asked why a single person should make a Will. In some cases it probably is not worth the effort and expense, agreed. BUT if you have a good job, a comfortable home, and even worse if you are a long way from your family then you should think carefully about what this would mean to your surviving next of kin. Read More »

Many people think that a Will isn’t important but they couldn’t be more wrong! Read More »