Susan Jacobs is from Liverpool. Last year, after her father passed away, she and her sister (who now lives in Canada) inherited his property in Sussex but discovered that selling a probate property is not straightforward. “To be honest, we were totally lost. It was bad enough that our father died, but then we found ourselves suddenly overwhelmed by complex legal processes that were horribly stressful and put a real strain on my relationship with my sister” Susan told us.
Aside from the probate process being complex and time-consuming, Susan discovered how many expenses and fees are required to sell a probate property, ranging from payment to estate agents or auction houses, to lawyers and valuers, as well as taxes and maintenance fees. Although executors or administrators of the estate are usually in charge of paying these costs from the assets of the estate, if the estate’s funds are inadequate, it may be necessary to sell other assets or borrow money to cover these expenses adding to the emotional stress of losing a loved one, making the probate process even more difficult to navigate.
Timeshare claims and relinquishment
On March 16th, 2015, a ruling set by the Spanish Supreme Court came into effect following the European Directive (implemented in Spain by Real Decreto–Ley 8/2012). This ruling regulates timeshare, long-term holiday products, resale and exchange products and have set a precedent that has brought about big changes to the timeshare industry.
The new divorce legislation which came into force on 6th April 2022, means that couples are now able to obtain a divorce without one party having to apportion blame on the other.
New research* from the University of Manchester's Institute for Collaborative Research on Aging (MICRA) supported by the Pensions Policy Institute, has shown that there is still significant disparity between male and female pension wealth and concludes that there is "considerable potential for pension sharing" on divorce which could substantially affect the later-life finances of many women.
For many years now, contentious probate solicitors have been discussing the reasons for the rising number of inheritance disputes.
From recession in the early 2000s to Brexit and COVID-19, each economic lurch has heralded pronouncements about an increase in the amount of contentious probate work being seen by probate specialists. However, the history of the world, the universe and everything tells us that the more we know, the more we are empowered and it is hard to ignore the rise of the internet for an increased interest in litigating when things get tough.
