What happens if a will is lost? UK probate guide
A UK guide to lost wills - the legal presumption of revocation, how a copy can sometimes be admitted to probate, the search steps after death, and how to avoid the problem.
Insights & guides
Plain-English guides to writing your will
Articles on choosing executors, leaving a legacy, inheritance tax, blended families and the practical nuts and bolts of probate.
Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB): the £175,000 IHT allowance explained
A UK guide to the Residence Nil Rate Band - the additional £175,000 IHT allowance for family homes passing to direct descendants, the downsizing rules, and the taper for large estates.
The hidden risks of cheap will-writing services
Not all cheap UK will services are the same. The seven warning signs of a risky service, what you actually lose at the bottom of the market, and where to draw the line.
Can you disinherit a child in the UK? The 1975 Act explained
A UK guide to disinheriting children - the lack of forced heirship, the Inheritance Act 1975 risk, and the practical steps to make a disinheritance stick.
How long does probate take in the UK? Realistic timelines for 2026
A stage-by-stage view of the UK probate process - from death registration to final estate distribution - with realistic 2026 timeframes.
How much inheritance tax will my family actually pay?
A UK guide to estimating inheritance tax - worked examples for different estate sizes and family situations, the reliefs that genuinely reduce IHT, and the myths to avoid.
What happens to a mortgage when someone dies in the UK?
A UK guide to mortgages after death - sole vs joint mortgages, life insurance, mortgage protection, taking over a mortgage, and what executors need to do.
Can an executor sell estate property? UK guide for 2026
A UK guide to executors selling property - the authority, the steps from instructing agents to completion, beneficiary disputes, and the CGT implications.
Can an executor also be a beneficiary? What UK law actually says
Yes, you can appoint a beneficiary as an executor in the UK - here is when it works, when it backfires, and how to set it up properly.
Does a will override "next of kin"? UK guide
A UK guide to what "next of kin" actually means - the informal status, why it doesn't determine inheritance, and how to control your affairs through a will and LPA instead.
UK Inheritance Tax explained: thresholds, reliefs and the £325,000 nil-rate band
Inheritance tax thresholds, the residence nil-rate band, the spouse exemption, business and agricultural reliefs, and how a married couple gets to £1 million.
The 7-year rule: how lifetime gifts affect inheritance tax
The seven-year rule explained with worked examples: PETs, taper relief, gifts with reservation of benefit, and the most useful exemptions to know.