by johnireland | Estate Planning Essentials
A Will covers what happens after you die. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) covers what happens if you lose mental capacity while you’re still alive – and without one, nobody automatically has the legal right to manage your money or make care decisions for...
by johnireland | Estate Planning Essentials
From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and death benefits will count towards your estate for inheritance tax — legislated in Finance Act 2026, with HMRC’s technical note (updated 29 May 2026) setting out the mechanics. Pensions stop being the tax shelter...
by johnireland | Estate Planning Essentials
Leaving money directly to a vulnerable beneficiary — someone with a disability, mental health condition, addiction, or simply poor financial judgement — can do more harm than good. A direct inheritance above £16,000 can end means-tested benefits like Universal Credit...
by johnireland | Estate Planning Essentials
Sideways disinheritance happens when your assets pass to your spouse, who later remarries, and everything ends up with their new partner’s family. Your children get nothing. It is one of the most common estate planning failures in the UK. The root cause is...
by johnireland | Estate Planning Essentials
Most people do not know this: in England and Wales, marriage automatically revokes your Will. The moment you say “I do,” your existing Will is treated as though it never existed — unless it specifically says it was made in contemplation of that particular...
by johnireland | Estate Planning Essentials
The Problem Around 54 per cent of UK adults do not have a valid will. When someone dies without one, the intestacy rules decide who inherits — and the outcome rarely matches what the deceased would have wanted. Who Gets What Under Intestacy If you are married with...
