Deputyship Series: What is a deputyship and how do you get appointed as a deputy?

In previous articles we have looked at putting in place Lasting Power of Attorneys in order to appoint Attorneys that you trust to look after your health & welfare affairs and manage your property & financial affairs, in the event that you lose capacity and are unable to make your own decisions. In order to put in place Lasting Power of Attorneys, you need capacity. So, what happens if you need someone to look after your health, welfare, financial and property affairs, but do not have capacity to appoint someone? Someone could make an application to make decisions on your behalf where you are no longer able to make decisions yourself, and be appointed as a Deputy. That someone is usually a friend or a relative, but can also be a professional. In this article, we look at deputyship and how a Deputy can be appointed.

A person can be appointed as a ‘Deputy’ in order to manage the affairs of a person that is unable to manage their own affairs, this is known as a deputyship. The application is made to the Court of Protection, who will decide whether to appoint the person making the application as a Deputy. If it is decided that they should be appointed a Deputy, the Court will pass an order giving the person authority to act on your behalf where you are unable to manage your own affairs and do not have an LPA in place. 

Types of Deputyship 

There are two types of Deputies that can be appointed:

  1. Property and financial affairs Deputy– who are normally responsible for managing your financial and property affairs, such as paying bills, for example. 
  2. Personal welfare Deputy– who are normally responsible for making decisions about your medical treatment and how you should be looked after, for example. 

Fees for making the Application

Not only are there court fees to pay when making the application, but there are also annual fees that must be paid every year after the Deputy has been appointed. The appointed Deputy will be responsible for these costs. At the current rate, the application fee for making the application is £365.00. On making the application, if the court decides that a hearing is required to decide on whether the deputyship should be granted, then a court fee of £485.00 is currently payable.  

There are also fees to be paid after the Deputy has been appointed, the amount to be paid will depend on the level of supervision that the deputyship requires. The fees are currently £320.00 for general supervisor and £35.00 for minimal supervision, this fee will also apply to some property and affairs deputies who are managing less than £21,000.00.

If the Deputy appointed is acting as a deputy for the first time, then there is also an additional fee of £100.00 that will be payable.

You can get help to make payment of the application and supervision fees, and more information about fees can be found on the government’s website www.gov.uk/become-deputy/fees.  

For more information about appointment of deputyship and how you can be appointed as a Deputy, please contact us on 01753 486 777, for a free initial consultation.

Why you are never too young to have Lasting Power of Attorneys and Financial Advice in place

We follow on from our article entitled ‘why you are never too young to create a Will and get your affairs in order’ and look at why you are also never too young to have Lasting Power of Attorneys and Financial Advice in place. A copy of our article entitled ‘why you are never too young to create a Will and get your affairs in order’ can be found on our website at www.astonbond.co.uk/legal-blog/.

Lasting Power of Attorneys 

In the midst of a pandemic, it is fair to say that everyone is concerned about their health and welfare. Times are unprecedented and even with a vaccine now found, we don’t know how long it will take for the vaccine to take effect and the substantial effects of the virus eliminated. 

In addition, on an ‘ordinary’ day, we do not know what is around the corner, and in the event that you lose capacity because you are unwell for example, it can be reassuring to know that you have a person or persons you trust to look after your health, welfare, financial and property affairs. In the absence of a Lasting Power of Attorney, only you have authority to deal with your own affairs, and as a result it means that your affairs will be left unattended simply because there is no other person with authority to deal with your affairs whilst you are unable to. 

With regards your health and welfare affairs, often where a Lasting Power of Attorney is not in place, medical professionals are left with no choice but to make decisions on your behalf where you are unable to do so. However, you may wish for a loved one to make such decisions on their behalf. In order to have this, a Lasting Power of Attorney should be registered and in place.

The Lasting Power of Attorneys last your lifetime, unless revoked. On your death, the Lasting Power of Attorneys come to an end.

In our previous article, ‘Things that cause temporary capacity issues’ we look at the legal and medical definition of capacity in a bit more detail. This article can be found on our website at www.astonbond.co.uk/legal-blog/.

Financial Advice 

Whilst you are getting your affairs in order, this can be a great time to reflect on the assets that you currently have and think about the assets you would like in the future, for example you may wish to purchase a property or a vintage car for example. Seeking advice in relation to your finances at an early stage can often assist with setting clear objectives on how to reach your goals, looking at your finances and setting out realistic options in order to achieve those goals, and having professional advice to assist you in making the best financial investments for you, your future and where you see your future headed. If you would like to speak to a financial advisor, we have contacts that we can share with you.

In addition to the above, whilst you are considering your estate present and future, obtaining financial advice can be a valuable way of reviewing what happens with your pension(s) and how to protect your care home fees from being withdrawn from your estate in order to pay for your care. It is also a good way of looking at succession planning, and in what ways could you protect your estate from paying excess Inheritance Tax. 

At Aston Bond, we offer a free initial consultation to discuss your Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney(s). If you would like to benefit from this service, please do not hesitate to contact Jade Gani or Mamta Rajanwal on 01753 486 777 or at jgani@astonbond.co.uk / mrajanwal@astonbond.co.uk

Why you are never too young to create a Will and get your affairs in order

It is often assumed that preparing Wills, creating LPAs and seeking financial advice should only be done at a later stage of your life once you have, for example, worked numerous years of your life, purchased many assets, got married, had children or bought your dream car. In this article we look at the reasons why you are never too young to create a Will and get your affairs in order.

Wills 

Where you do not have a Will in place, on your death, the Intestacy Rules will apply to your Estate. In the majority of cases, this means that the person or persons dearest to you, whom you may wish to benefit from your Estate, may not benefit by virtue of these rules. 

At the time of your death, it is extremely difficult to know how much your Estate is worth. Therefore, although you may feel at this stage of your life that your Estate is not worth much, it could potentially be worth more than you think at the time of your death. For example, if you were to die in an accident that was not your fault, compensation may be payable to your Estate, increasing its value.

Covid-19 is a true life example of how we cannot predict what the future holds. Simply, we do not know what lies around the corner. Therefore, it is extremely important to review your Estate and get your affairs in order, so that your loved ones are protected in accordance with your wishes.  

Once your Will is in place, it can be amended or a new Will created depending on your circumstances at that time, and the changes that you wish to make. Nevertheless, don’t be afraid to speak to the Solicitor drafting your Will, not only of your current circumstances, but any future plans that you may be aware of, or you hope to achieve. The solicitor drafting your Will can then be mindful of this when drafting your Will in order to cover your plans as much as possible, and advise you accordingly at that time. 

Having a Will in place means that no matter what lies around the corner, you can be rest assured throughout your life that you have your affairs in order and have security to protect your loved ones and retain control of what happens to your Estate. 

A Will is not only about your finances, but can also cover a number of other matters. Some of these matters include provisions to help your Executors carry out your wishes in relation to your funeral wishes, appointment of a guardian of any minor children, setting out health care wishes or even appointing someone to look after your pet, for example.

We look at these, and a few other examples as to why you are not too young to put in place a Will, in more detail, below:

Children: you may have children under the age of 18 years of age. You may or may not have thought about who you would trust to look after your children in the event that you were no longer around. A provision as to who you wish to appoint as a guardian to look after your child or children can be included in the Will. By having this provision, you have reassurance that your Executors are aware of who is to be appointed as the Guardian, so that your children are not left in a vulnerable position of not knowing what is happening, where they are going, who is going to look after them etc. Not only is this reassurance that your children will be appointed a guardian in accordance with your wishes, but including such a provision in the Will creates an effective legal appointment. 

Pets: We often overlook the fact that we can appoint someone in our Will to look after our pets in the event that we predecease them. They are our family after all, we have looked after them, raised them and brought them into our lives as our loved ones. Therefore, we would want to know that they too are looked after. This can be done by including a relevant provision in your Will. This might include appointing someone to look after them, and/or setting out your wishes as to how they should be looked after. 

Fiancé, boyfriend, girlfriend, partner: where there is not a Will in place, the Intestacy Rules will apply. In accordance with the Intestacy Rules a fiancé, boyfriend, girlfriend or partner, may not receive anything from your Estate. In the event that you wanted to protect that person, in order for them to inherit from your Estate, you wishes would need to be set out in a Will. 

Other Investments or items of value: often other investments or items of value can be overlooked as forming part of our estate. These might include death in service benefits, insurance policies, pensions and items of sentimental importance for example, jewellery, art work, pictures, medals to name a few. Provisions can be made in the Will known as ‘specific legacies’ where these items can be named individual and left to a person of your choice, for example you might wish to leave your vintage car model to your nephew, or an expensive handbag to your aunt. 

Where a person has not been nominated to benefit from your pension benefits or insurance policy directly, then this will form part of your estate and should be addressed in your Will.

Funeral Wishes: matters such as funeral wishes aren’t necessarily discussed amongst family members at an early stage of our lives. Having provisions in a Will setting out your wishes will give clarity to your Executors as to your wishes in relation to how you wish your funeral to take place, what you would like to happen to your body or even where you would like to be buried, or your ashes scattered. For example, you might wish to have a religious burial, or perhaps you might wish for your body to be donated to science for the purposes of research.  

Avoid family disputes about the estate following your death: this can be an incredibly difficulty time for loved ones. There is nothing to say that a dispute will not arise, but the extent of the dispute is likely to be minimised hugely by having a Will in place in the event that it does. Having a Will in place sets out your intentions clearly, where the Will is drafted accurately and properly. In the event that you anticipate a dispute arising in the future, for example because you have left out someone in your Will who feel they should be included, you should discuss this with your Solicitor so that they can take this into consideration when drafting the Will and ensure that your wishes are protected and your affairs are in order, in order to mitigate the risk of a dispute arising as much as possible. 

At Aston Bond, we offer a free initial consultation to discuss your Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney(s). If you would like to benefit from this service, please do not hesitate to contact her on 01753 486 777. 

Things that cause temporary capacity issues

You may have heard the term ‘mental capacity’ floating around, however may have been unsure as to its meaning. You may also have been told that you could lose capacity temporarily or permanently. Capacity plays an important part when it comes to preparing Wills and dealing with your affairs. We look at the legal definition of capacity and consider some of the things that cause temporary capacity issues.

The two relevant sections of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to take into consideration when thinking about temporary capacity issues are sections 2 and 3.

Section 2 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out that a person lacks capacity in relation to a matter if at the time where capacity is required, that person is unable to make a decision for themselves because of an impairment or disturbance in the functioning of their mind or brain. Section 2 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 also sets out that it does not matter whether the impairment or disturbance to their mind or brain is permanent or temporary. 

Section 3 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out that a person is considered to be unable to make a decision for themselves where they are unable to:

  1. understand the information relevant to the decision to be made;
  2. retain the relevant information to the decision to be made; 
  3. to use of weigh the relevant information as part of the process for making the decision; or communicate their decision, be it by speaking, using sign language or any other means.  

From the NHS website (www.nhs.uk), capacity is defined as being ‘the ability to use and understand information to make a decision, and communicate any decision made. A person lacks capacity if their mind is impaired or disturbed in some way, which means they’re unable to make a decision at that time’. 

In consideration of the above definition of capacity, we look at some of the things that may cause a temporary lack of capacity.

Consciousness – the state of being aware of and responsive to your surroundings

Being unconscious or barely conscious may cause a temporary lack of capacity, this is because in this state of mind, your awareness and response to your surroundings is significantly less than on an ordinary day, or in more severe cases, you have no awareness of your surroundings and are unable to respond to the same. Unconsciousness may be caused by an accident, as a result of an illness or a treatment for that illness, being under anaesthetic, or even being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

Short Term Memory loss- where you forget things you heard, did or saw recently

Short term memory loss can be caused by a number of different factors. To name a few examples, some of the factors that may cause short term memory loss include:

  • a lack of oxygen to the brain; 
  • alcohol or drug use; 
  • an injury to, or trauma to the head; 
  • anxiety or depression; 
  • epilepsy; 
  • seizures; 
  • stress; or 
  • insomnia. 

Mild Cognitive Impairment- the stage between normal aging and dementia 

The symptoms of Mild Cognitive Impairment include often forgetting things, losing your train of thought, having trouble remembering your ordinary routines such as finding you way to the shops, feeling anxious and overwhelmed by making decisions, or becoming more impulsive. 

Delirium- sudden confusion 

Sudden confusion can be caused by a range of factors. Some of the factors that can cause sudden confusion include:

  • an infection, for example a urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infections are a common cause in elderly people or people with dementia. A more serious urinary tract infection can also cause pain. The level of pain combined with sudden confusion can also cause temporary capacity issues;
  • alcohol or drug misuse;
  • some types of prescriptive medicine can also cause sudden confusion; 
  • a severe asthma attack; or 
  • low blood sugar level in people with diabetes. 

So why is all this important? 

There are a number of legal requirements that have to be satisfied in order to prepare a valid Will in the United Kingdom. One of those requirements is that at the time of making the Will, the person making the Will must have had capacity. It is so important to ensure that at the time of making the Will, the person who made the Will had capacity in order to mitigate any future claims arising against the estate after passing and ensure that the estate is distributed in accordance with the wishes of the person creating the Will. 

If there are any doubts as to a person’s capacity, the individual should be formally assessed by someone who has the appropriate skills to do so, such as a doctor or other medical professional. If you have doubts as to a client’s capacity, you may wish to consider the capacity test set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005:

  1. Does the person have an impairment of their mind or brain, as a result of an illness, or external factors such as alcohol or drug use?
  2. Does the impairment mean the person is unable to make a specific decision when they need to? 

In the event that you lose capacity, temporarily or permanently, you might wish to appoint an attorney, or attorneys to make decisions about your finance and property, and your health and welfare by way of a Lasting Power of Attorney. The Lasting Power of Attorneys will give your appointed attorneys the power to manage your property and financial affairs, and make any health and welfare decisions where you lack capacity to do so. You should always appoint attorneys that you trust to act on your behalf. 

The application for putting in place a Lasting Power of Attorney for financial and property affairs asks when you would like your attorneys to make decisions. There is an option to give your attorneys this power only when you do not have mental capacity. However, it should be noted that this is more restrictive as each time your attorneys try to use the Lasting Power of Attorney they might be asked to prove that you do not have capacity. The Lasting Power of Attorney for health and welfare can only be used when you lack capacity to make decisions about your health and welfare.

We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your Lasting Powers of Attorney. If you would like a free initial consultation, please contact jgani@astonbond.co.uk or call and speak to a member of the Wills & Probate department on 01753 486 777.

Resolving Conflicts Between Families and Carers

Family, friends and carers can all play an incredibly important part in assisting someone in need of care. Yet, why with such important roles do conflicts arise between family and carers? In this article, we look at the ways in which conflict can arise, and the methods to resolve those conflicts with one objective in mind, to care for the individual in need. 

Often when a loved one becomes so ill they are unable to do those things they once could do, it can be difficult for that person’s nearest and dearest to accept the reality that they now face. Many emotions, thoughts and feelings can be experienced by family members, including the person in need of care. At such times, many might feel helpless and are likely to feel strongly that they want to help the person who is poorly in whatever way they can. 

Conflicts between carers and family members, and even family members amongst themselves, can arise where everyone is working individually and are not communicating with one another. In such situations mis-understandings can arise, there can be disagreements as to the correct type of care, where to receive that care and even who can visit the person who is sick. 

Such conflicts can lead to the person in need of care feeling very alone and un-supported, especially where family members may drift away as a result of conflicts that have arisen or where they feel they are no longer needed as a result of the person in need having a carer. 

This can be a particularly disheartening time for families, including carers who might feel that they have failed to deliver the best service, or have let the person in need of care down.

How can we resolve these conflicts?

The first and foremost way to resolve conflict might be to help all family, friends and carers to understand that they usually all have the same intentions in mind; to care for, and help, the person in need. When it is understood that they can all work as a team to help the person together, it can often ease tensions when they arise. Use this mutual position to work together, and let your loved one know that you are there to support them together. 

Once you have understood that your intentions are often the same, try to understand one another; don’t be shy to ask one another questions. Why did the conflict arise? Why do you feel a certain way? Have a discussion about your thoughts and feelings and how you can progress forward in the best way, and try to be honest and open with each other. Communication is incredibly important, if you find yourselves in an argument or a heated conversation, step away and take some time to reflect, and most importantly remember that the most important thing is looking after the person who is unwell. 

It is important to stay calm, with a clear mind you are in a better position to make the best decisions for everyone involved; put your emotions to one side and think about the situation for what is it. Remember that you can all work as a team with the same objective in mind.

Where you find that everyone is not on the same page, sit down and make decisions together. Think about what everyone’s strengths are, and where their passions lie; for example, one family member may love cooking and make the most nutritious and healthy meals, therefore you might consider allocating the responsibility for food to this person. Another person may love to play the piano, perhaps this person should be responsible for an evening of music for all to enjoy. 

Each and every person, be it family, friends or carers each play a significant role in caring; individually and together. Keep this in mind and allocate regular time slots to come together and have discussions on how things should progress moving forward. In an ever-changing life, particularly in the current circumstances where times are incredibly uncertain, it is always good to have regular catch ups to avoid any misunderstanding and so that everyone is effectively ‘singing from the same song sheet’. 

Use the carers valuable knowledge and experience, together you can make an even bigger difference for the person in need. Don’t forget to remind each other, particularly the person in need of care that you are not alone, you have each other; individually and as a team you can do this. 

Safeguarding concerns 

Unfortunately, there can be circumstances where not everyone has the right or the best intentions at heart. In such circumstances safeguards need to be put in place to protect the person who is unwell. 

In order to protect yourself in the eventuality that you might become unwell and be unable to make decisions for yourself in the future you should consider appointing an attorney to make these decisions for you by way of a Lasting Power of Attorney. Attorneys can make decisions about your health and welfare or your property and finance on your behalf. Unlike the Lasting Power of Attorney for Finance and Property the Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare can only be used where you are unable to make decisions about your health and welfare for yourself. You should always consider appointing a person or persons that you trust to be your Attorneys. 

In the event that the person who is unwell needs protection from a person or persons who may not have the best intentions at heart, it is vitally important that families and carers come together and regularly review the progress of the person who is unwell. If you notice something suspect, don’t ignore it; come together and carefully review the situation for what it is and consider the options available to resolve the matter. If you are unable to find a solution, don’t be hesitant to contact a professional for advice; if the issue is very serious seek legal advice.   

If you would like to put in place Lasting Power of Attorneys, please contact us now at jgani@astonbond.co.uk for a free initial consultation. 

 

Assisting those with Mental Illnesses

‘Mental health conditions are disturbances in a person’s thinking, feeling or behaviour (or a combination of these) that reflect a problem in mental function. They cause distress or disability in social, work, or family activities.’

Mental illness is the second-largest source of disease in England. Mental illnesses are more common, long-lasting and impactful than many other health conditions. With this in mind, it is vitally important we adopt into all practices, measures to assist those suffering with a mental illness, where we can. 

In this article we look at a number of important considerations we should consider adopting into our practice.

Listen Carefully and Ask Questions

It is important as with any client, that we understand what it is our client is looking for, and the ways in which we can help them achieve their objective and/or resolve any issues. In order to achieve this, we need to be able to listen to our clients carefully and try to understand why it is they feel a certain way, or would like to achieve a certain objective. 

It is important to be aware that one service does not fit all. We should be taking steps to adapt our services for each individual client, specifically tailored to them, and take steps to address their most immediate concerns. We might consider asking more questions about our clients. If we can understand what it is our clients are experiencing, we can then adapt our services to make it more tailored to them. 

There may be cases where our clients do not feel ready to speak to us about a particular matter. In this situation we should assure our clients that we are available to speak once they are ready.

In any event, it is important that we allocate enough time to get to know our clients, ask them questions and listen to what they have to say carefully.  

Do not make any Assumptions

There are a huge number of mental health illnesses, many that we are familiar with, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia. There are also a number of mental illnesses that we may not be so familiar with, such as Stendhal syndrome, Alien Hand syndrome, and Capgras syndrome. In any case it is important to be mindful that the same type of mental illness may not always affect a person in the same way. Therefore, we should be very careful to ensure that we do not make any such assumptions. This can be achieved by asking the client questions that might include questions about them and their experiences, on both a personal and a professional level, and by listening to their responses carefully. 

Decide Actions Together and Stay Calm

When suffering with an illness we can often feel vulnerable. This heightened vulnerability can lead us to focus on matters we are currently experiencing that are difficult or unresolved. Often when a client arranges to speak to a Solicitor, or instructs a Solicitor to act on their behalf, there is usually something that has triggered their need to come to us for help or advice.  At this time, clients will need reassurance, and trust, that we are able to and will do all we can to provide the best service. 

This can be achieved by checking in with our client on a more regular basis than usual, opt for speaking to our clients via a telephone over sending an email or writing a letter, and setting out some time in order to review the next steps of their matter together.

When taking instructions from a client suffering with a mental illness, we should avoid putting pressure on the client. This can be achieved by setting a pace for the matter from the outset, and continue to review this at regular intervals as the matter progresses.

Where we are responding to the client’s queries, a response should be provided as soon as reasonably possible, and in a calm and coherent manner. Where we are unable to respond quickly then a holding response should be sent to the client so that they feel assured that their matter has not been forgotten. 

By making decisions about the matter together, the client is likely to feel informed and somewhat in control of their matter. Any concerns about the difficult or unresolved matters they may have previously been concerned about are likely to be lessened as they see the matter progressing. 

By speaking to the client in a calm and coherent manner, you will be making it much easier for the client to understand and take in what is being said. In turn, this will also make the client feel happy to know that they have instructed a Solicitor who will get the job done, whilst looking after their best interests, not only professionally but personally too. 

For training or courses designed to help raise awareness and understanding of mental health, contact the Charity, Mind. https://mind.turtl.co/story/elearningbrochure

 

Probate applications are going online

Details of consultation have been released by the Ministry of Justice that proposes making online applications made by professionals for Grants of Probate or Letter of Administration mandatory. In this blog, we look at whether the probate process should go online entirely.

The consultation published by the Ministry of Justice proposed that all probate applications should be made online with the exception of four probate applications being:

  1. Where there are multiple applicants entitled under intestacy (although the system is currently being developed to allow such applications;
  2. Rule 31- grants to attorneys, only where the attorney (representative for a deceased person who when alive was subject to a power of attorney order) is not an existing probate professional able to use the online service; 
  3. Rule 36- trust corporation applications (these must be made by officers of the Trust Corporation); and 
  4. Rule 39 – resealing under Colonial Probates Acts (these applications continue to require an affidavit, rather than a statement of truth and thus need to continue to be paper-based). 

The Ministry of Justice set out in their consultation paper many advantages of the probate process going online entirely, one of those was saving the users cost and time, and providing a more efficient and reliable system. They also included providing a secure means of making a probate application with an immediate receipt on making the application, and that the system would be accessible to use at any time.  

It has also been proposed that the system is set to include a detailed checklist of the steps required to be completed which is likely to reduce the number of errors being made and ensure all of the information required in order to complete the application is included at first instance, this should help speed up the time probate applications are being processed and turned around. 

It is accepted that the new online system will have many advantages to it, but what are some of the disadvantages? 

With more and more of us working from home, there has been a strain on the telecommunications industry to enhance the systems so that more connections at a higher speed and rate can be made. Although time and costs will be saved by making probate applications mandatory this will be heavily dependent on having a reliant and secure internet connection. What happens if part way through the process you lose your internet connection, will that mean you have to start the application again?

Furthermore, despite the new system being an online based process, there will still be a requirement to post the Will and Statement of Truth/Legal Statement. Although the online process will generally speed up the process and save time and resources, this requirement is likely to achieve the opposite effect. Having said that this requirement removes the need for clients to swear on oath in person in an intimidating Court setting which will certainly help client’s feel more reassured.

There are also talks of making all copy documents/scans a requirement. This is likely to cause some issues with regards the question of validity of documents. If only copy documents/scans are required? Then how do you know for sure that the document has not been tampered with. Effective safeguards need to be put in place to protect vulnerable clients and fraudulent applications being made. We fear that if only copy documents are required in the future this may lead to an increase in improper wills and subsequently an increase in estate disputes. 

All in all, mandating online applications for probate looks promising. By creating a new modernised way of making the applications, Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration should be received at an earlier time meaning that probate practitioners can concentrate on progressing the file and assisting their clients complete the process in a more efficient and effective way. As long as any technical issues are addressed the new system is likely to be an excellent way of saving time and resources and allow practitioners to progress probate files expeditiously. However, any advancements in technology must safeguard the interests of the most vulnerable and unless all concerns regarding safeguarding those individuals are properly addressed then we are hesitant for all probate applications to be made entirely online. 

If you would like a free consultation to discuss your Will or Probate matter, please contact a member of the team on 01753 486 777. 

Shortlisted for the Young Practitioner of the Year!

We are delighted to announce that Jade Gani of this firm has been shortlisted for the Young Practitioner of the Year award at British Wills and Probate Awards.  Jade qualified in 2016 and joined Aston Bond in 2017. Since then she has been looking after and managing the Private Client department here at Aston Bond.

The British Wills and Probate awards have been introduced to recognise the successes and achievements of those in the Wills and Probate sector. This is the third year the awards are taking place. The purpose of the awards is to recognise ‘the work the sector is doing for clients at this unprecedented time, delivering important services to people despite the challenges, pivoting and innovating quickly to ensure that client needs have been met’.

At Aston Bond we pride ourselves on being traditional but different and going the extra mile for our clients. We offer a free, no obligation consultation for Probate matters and Will consultations to discuss your needs and personal circumstances.

The pandemic has caused a great deal of uncertainty and sadly loss to many, and has also been a time for individuals to reflect and put their affairs in order. We have seen an increase in Wills being produced over the lockdown and have been busy working throughout to ensure we are there for our clients every step of the way.

As a thank you to the brave individuals on the frontline we are offering free Wills for all NHS staff.  We have seen tremendous support from the NHS during this pandemic and we believe that we should also take some steps to support them.

We have also quickly and efficiently taken steps to adapt our services, practices and policies in order to ensure we are still able to provide our clients with the same level and standard of service they were receiving beforehand, all from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Whether you are sitting on your couch, walking the dog or even lounging in bed, business has been operating as usual here at Aston Bond. Clients are now truly spoilt for choice when it comes to instructing us.

Stephen Puri, CEO says “This is truly a proud moment for me and the firm. Jade works tirelessly for her clients and her attention to detail and drive for perfection is admirable. May she continue to grow and develop into what we believe to be an outstanding lawyer and leader.”

This is what Jade had to say about being short listed for this prestigious award:

“I am over the moon to have been shortlisted for the Young Practitioner of the Year award. It is testament not only to several years of hard work with Aston Bond, that I have thoroughly enjoyed, but also to the amazing team that I am lucky enough to have supporting me; they really go above and beyond in everything they do and I am entirely grateful to them for putting my name forward for this award. I also want to express my gratitude to all my wonderful Clients: they are the reason we strive to continually improve and evolve our services for the better and I cherish all my relationships with them because they make even the tough days worthwhile.”

Many congratulations to Jade and the other shortlisted candidates. We wish you all the very best of luck.