Linda Heaton

The findings of a recent Quality Care Commission (CQC) report have highlighted that during the early weeks of the Coronavirus pandemic, Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitate (DNAR) orders were wrongly used. Widely condemned by the CQC...

If someone asks you to be the executor of their will, following their death there are several things you’ll need to do. Here’s an overview to help you fulfil your responsibilities as an executor. What is an executor?...

Managing someone’s affairs when they die is something many of us face at some point in our lives. The process of administering a deceased person’s estate involves organising their money, possessions and other assets and distributing them as...

Managing someone’s affairs when they die is something many of us face at some point in our lives. The process of administering a deceased person’s estate - known as probate - involves organising their money, possessions and other assets and...

Chances are that many of us will face conditions which limit our ability to make decisions in the future. When someone loses their capacity to take decisions, families and professionals can struggle to determine what they might have wanted to happen in terms...

According to The Alzheimer's Society, there are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have dementia and 225,000 will develop dementia this year. That's one every...

We are often asked how to protect property from being fraudulently sold or mortgaged. This can be of particular concern if: your identity has been stolen you rent your property you live abroad...

The Secretary of Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced that all new build housing will need to be sold as a freehold property. Following a speech at the Chartered Institute of Housing Conference on 27 June 2019, James...

If you're thinking of appointing godparents ( or have been asked to become a godparent), it's important to understand your legal position, should anything happen to prevent parents from caring for the child themselves. What rights...

This week saw the issue of unclaimed 'severely mentally impaired' (SMI) council tax discounts back in the news. According to Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis, thousands of 'severely mentally impaired' people who are...

If you have taken out a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in the past five years, you might be eligible for a Lasting Power of Attorney fee refund. Between 2013 and 2017 almost two million people were overcharged by the Office of the Public...

According to the recently released English Private Landlords Survey , there are 25% more rented properties in England now than there were in 2010. With 4.5 million homes now in the private rented sector, it’s becoming more and more important to...

In yesterday's Budget, the Chancellor announced that Stamp Duty Land Tax relief will be extended to first time buyers purchasing shared ownership homes valued up to £500,000. Buyers will be exempt from this tax, which has been...

We are often asked how much it will cost to deal with the estate of someone who has died. The work required to administer an estate can vary enormously and we therefore will look at each case on an individual basis and provide a quotation based on...

If you're saving for a deposit on your first home, there's still time to start a Help to Buy ISA - but only until 30 November 2019. Help to Buy ISAs won’t be available to new savers after that date, but if you opened your Help...

Moving on from your first home can be a daunting prospect but with the right help, marketing your property and dealing with the legal aspects of a sale can be a pretty smooth process. If you're selling for the first time, here's some advice from...

Following this week’s budget, stamp duty has been abolished with immediate effect for first-time buyers buying a property up to £300,000. The move is designed to encourage first time buyers to save for a house deposit. According to Chancellor...

The amount you can currently pass on to your children when you die without being liable for inheritance tax is £325,000. This is known as the Nil Rate Band. Amounts over this threshold are taxed at 40% (with a few exceptions such as gifts to...

Barely a week goes by without care for the elderly making the headlines. Thankfully, more people than ever before are aware of issues relating to the treatment and care of loved ones who no longer have capacity. However, it seems that many people remain...

It’s a common misconception that if you’re married and die without making a will , your surviving partner will inherit your estate. In fact, intestacy rules (i.e. the rules governing what happens to wealth where there is no will) state that...

When it comes to inheritance, there’s no such thing as “common law” rights. Sadly, many surviving unmarried partners discover this all too late i.e. when their loved one has passed away without a will and they are left facing the harsh...

A recent case highlighted in The Guardian will serve as a timely reminder (to house movers and conveyancing solicitors alike) of the growing problem of conveyancing scams. In the case highlighted by the Guardian, emails were hacked which led to...

Lasting Powers of Attorney were brought in in October 2007 as a result of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Lasting Powers of Attorney were designed to produce extra protection as they need to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before...