March 2016 – Succession Law Changes – Part 2
The Succession (Scotland) Act 2016 (“the 2016 Act”) was passed by the Scottish Parliament last month and received Royal Assent this month. Last month’s Bullet Point Update commented on some of the Act’s provisions concerning wills. This month we look … More
February 2016 – Succession Law Changes – Part 1
The Succession (Scotland) Act 2016 (“the 2016 Act”) was passed by the Scottish Parliament last month (although none of it is yet in force). It is not one of those Acts that makes sweeping changes to the general law of … More
September 2015 – “The battle of the executors”
Introduction When someone makes a will they usually include in it the appointment of “executors”: that is the people they want to be in control of the administration of their estates and responsible for distributing the property to their chosen … More
June 2015 – “Don’t Take This To A ‘Greedy Lawyer!” – Home Made Wills
The words in the title appeared in the notebook of Mrs Melanie Gibson who died on 7th October 2012. Her notebook also included other wording as follows:
May 2014 – “Legal rights”: where there’s a will there’s not always a way
Introduction and background It is a distinctive feature of Scots law that, on death, a person’s surviving spouse and children have automatic entitlements to a certain cash amount from the deceased’s estate. These entitlements are called “legal rights”. They apply … More
December 2013 – “Start The Conversation” Powers of Attorney Solicitors’ duties
Christmas is hailed as a family time. Advertisers are tuned into this. In its Christmas advertising campaign this year Tesco aimed at portraying the reality of Christmas for families, rather than a “perfect airbrushed one”. It focused on one family, … More
February 2012 – Death Where There is no Will – Who Gets What?
If someone dies without leaving a will the law lays down who inherits the deceased’s estate. One of the most important aspects of these rules covers the rights of a surviving spouse or civil partner. The rights are threefold. They … More