Monthly Archives: September 2024

News

Resetting Britain’s trade relationship with reformed EU infrastructure

A report by Aston University Business School has found that Brexit red tape has caused goods trade between the UK and EU to slump – a problem which is getting worse for British producers.

With many businesses still feeling the sting of this new bureaucracy, there is huge potential for growth if these burdens can be eased. One Dartford-based British logistics provider sees these challenges daily but is working hard to ease the burden and help get Britain moving.

The report states that between 2021 and 2023, UK goods exports to the EU were down 27 percent, with businesses giving up on exporting consignments to some EU nations after facing more ‘regulatory burdens’, complex paperwork and significantly longer transit times.

A small furniture business, based in West Sussex, said: “Like so many British businesses in need of road freight services, we have struggled with Brexit and all the delays and red tape it has brought.

“We had a fairly strong customer base in Europe that we all but lost because of all the problems.”

Andrew Baxter, Chief Executive Officer at Europa Worldwide Group explained: “This report is a stark reminder to logistics companies that more is needed to better support our British producers and traders.

“These are businesses who traded regularly with EU countries before Brexit. Yet nearly five years on from the UK leaving the EU officially, due to the additional work and cost associated with the red tape, these businesses have given up on trying to feasibly reach their European markets.”

To reset the trading relationship, Europa has invested heavily in its customs support infrastructure in years since Brexit, developing innovative Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) technology and bettering its customer service.

Europa Road, the European road freight division of Kent-headquartered Europa Worldwide Group, is easing the pain with an established customs support infrastructure and guaranteed pre-Brexit delivery times.

To reinforce its customs infrastructure, Europa Road launched its innovative service Europa Flow in 2021, which uses a combination of DDP, postponed VAT accounting and pre-logged declarations to ease the administrative burden for exporters.

The unique service, launched in 2021 because of Brexit, is making it easier for British businesses to serve their European markets.

For smaller to mid-sized operations who might not have their own customs entities or specialist finance teams to tackle their customs admin inhouse, Europa’s infrastructure is protecting their trade from Britain to the EU, ensuring the movement of consignments is as seamless as possible.

Investing more than £5 million in the technology, Europa Flow ensures goods are not delayed by additional paperwork and customers aren’t faced with unexpected additional fees. With more than 50 per cent of Europa’s groupage exports now using DDP, the company has been able to guarantee pre-Brexit delivery times for its consignments.

The small business continued: “Europa has single handedly and with the patience of a saint, helped us overcome the problems and our fears of exporting to Europe.”

Andrew continued: “At a time when British exporters continue to face significant additional complexities of paying import duties, VAT and customs clearances post-Brexit, Europa Flow combines advanced technology with customs expertise on both sides of the channel, providing support to British businesses exporting to the EU.

“Through our network of sales branches across the UK and Ireland, which manage shipments of goods into our Dartford 1Hub11Hufrom, all freight goes on to connect with daily, direct services to a partner network of 42 continental hubs.

“Reinforced with teams of customs experts on both sides of the Channel, we are offering guaranteed transit times to France in 2 days, Hungary in 4.1 days, Italy in 3.9 days, Denmark in 3.5 days and Germany in 3.1 days.”

Europa’s speedy delivery times are down to its investments in its infrastructure. Confident in its transit times for British businesses, it also introduced a ‘no quibble’ Money Back Guarantee, which offers financial reassurance to exporters looking to grow their European reach. Believed to be unique in the marketplace, the Guarantee offers full financial recompensation to Europa Flow deliveries that do not arrive on time.

Andrew concludes: “In a post-Brexit, post-pandemic climate, British exporters are constantly battling economic and financial headwinds and growing consumer pressure in a competitive market. So, they recognise that they cannot gamble their reputations by risking delays to deliveries emanating from incomplete paperwork, or disputes over the payment of VAT and customs duties.

“While Europa Flow is proven in removing these issues, our Money Back Guarantee as an additional service for Europa Flow users to offer that peace of mind.”

Strategically located close to the Dartford Crossing, Europa operates the UK’s largest European groupage 1Hub in Dartford, Kent and is one of the largest commercial users of the Eurotunnel and makes more than 30,000 journeys annually into the EU from the British terminal in Folkstone.

News

Streetbees Democratises Segmentation with AI-Powered SBX Platform

Streetbees, which offers a unique blend of qualitative and quantitative audience insight at scale using conversational research, is now making the benefits of segmentation accessible for all with its AI-powered insights platform, SBX. In market research, segmentation enables a brand to break down their target market into smaller, defined groups based on occasions, behaviours or needs, so it can identify and target growing audiences, unmet needs and emerging trends.

 

Traditionally, segmentations have been slow and expensive to run and have therefore been limited to large enterprises. Many businesses have instead relied on small-scale studies, like focus groups, or gut-feel assumptions to guide their targeting. However, in today’s fast-changing environment, this will not provide the accuracy and nuance needed to develop stand-out strategies.

 

After running segmentations for some of the world’s leading brands for nearly a decade, Streetbees is changing the game by making segmentation accessible and affordable for businesses of all sizes. The feature, now built into its agile insights platform, SBX, offers a new level of granularity into audience insights, providing rich and robust data on behaviours, characteristics, and occasions to help brands map potential customers and innovation opportunities within the broader consumer landscape.

 

For example, a coffee business specialising in providing sustainable, fair-trade beans can segment coffee consumers at scale and with ease. With SBX, they may discover that ‘Home Baristas,’ who make up 15% of the coffee landscape, are willing to pay more for ethically sourced beans than ‘On-the-Go Drinkers,’ who make up 30% of the landscape and prioritise convenience while being more price sensitive.

 

“For too long, only organisations which are able to afford the six-figure price tag have had access to segmentation capabilities”, says Vatsala Rathore, VP of Customer Success at Streetbees. “As a result of our decade of industry expertise, we’ve been able to improve the accessibility and affordability of segmentation through AI-powered automation and conversational probing, meaning our platform can seamlessly identify groups within large amounts of the highest quality data. We’re so proud of the strides we’re making in developing a faster and more user-friendly segmentation capability that removes barriers to data-driven decision making.”

 

Vidisha Gaglani, CEO at Streetbees adds: “Segmentation isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore – it’s critical for brands that are looking to remain competitive in today’s unpredictable economic landscape. With SBX, the process has been made easier and more cost-effective without compromising on quality, delivering both the depth and breadth needed to help brands make decisions with confidence. We want to ensure businesses of all sizes get maximum ROI from their investment decisions and with SBX, we’ve made that more achievable.”

Marches, Shrewsbury

Collections of samplers and ceramics star at Shrewsbury auction

Three samplers dating from the 18th and 19th centuries sold for more than £8,000 for a Worcestershire collector at a Shrewsbury auction last week.

 

Art Deco Wedgwood Fairyland lustre and Royal Crown Derby ceramics also grabbed the headlines at Halls Fine Art’s successful pictures, ceramics and collectables auction.

 

The samplers included a George III needlework example from around 1810 by Helen Ingles, which raced away from its pre-sale estimate to sell for £4,400.

 

The sampler depicted a country house or cottage with fenced garden surrounded by flowering plants, peacocks and other fauna beneath a floral garland.

 

Two other samplers sold for £2,000 each. A George II example by Esther Bix. was worked with a spray of roses, wildflowers and foliage surrounded by cruciform patches.

 

The other George III sampler was made in around 1805 by 14-year-old Maria Thorneycroft and featured three panels with flowering plants and birds, a ship flanked by six marines celebrating Lord Nelson and a country house surrounded by trees, figures and animals.

 

There was further success for a framed 17th century stumpwork – raised embroidery – fragment, depicting King Charles I standing in a landscape with flora and fauna, a villa and a cottage in the background, also which sold for £2,300.

 

“The samplers sold well because they were early and quite rare with interesting subjects,” said auctioneer Alexander Clement. “The Worcestershire vendor will be delighted with the prices we achieved.”

 

Alexander’s colleague Caroline Dennard, ceramics specialist, was similarly pleased with results in her section.

 

She saw an Art Deco Wedgwood Fairyland lustre punch bowl and vase, both designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones in the 1920s, sell for £2,800 and £2,700, respectively. Both pieces were consigned by a Rutland collector.

 

A collection of Royal Crown Derby “statement pieces” from a late Shrewsbury collector sold for £4,500. The collection included a pair of large Royal Crown Derby ‘Arum Lily’ Imari vases, dated 2008, at £1,200, a late 20th century Imari coffee service at £650 and pairs of ‘Passiflora’ Imari vases and Imari elephants at £500 each.

 

Other ceramic successes included a pair of 1941 Royal Worcester reticulated vases painted with still lives fruit by Edward Townsend which sold for £1,050 and a scarce John and William Ridgway pail and cover in the ‘Pembroke Hall, Cambridge’ pattern, circa 1815-20, at £800.

 

A ‘Travel’ part dinner and tea service by Eric Ravilious (1903-‘42) for Wedgwood sold for £750, a scarce set of 11 Irish Belleek ‘Greek’ dessert plates from 1891-1926 made £600, an impressive 1894 Royal Worcester blush ivory vase and cover by Edward Raby made £550 and an 1885 moon flask by Christopher Dresser for Linthorpe Art Pottery found a buyer at £380.

 

Top prices in the paintings section were £650 for an Italian landscape by an artist in the manner of Jan Frans van Bloemen (1662-1749), £480 and £420 for oils by contemporary artist Adrian Rigby of a peregrine falcon and tawny owl, respectively and £400 for a watercolour by George Arthur Fripp (1813-‘96) of the view from Llanelltyd looking along the Mawddach valley in Mid Wales.

 

Elsewhere in the auction, the second part of a large  pen collection owned by Shropshire collector sold for £1,000.

Awards, Diversity & Inclusion, News

TV legend joins star-studded unsung hero awards ahead of this year’s ceremony

Baroness Floella Benjamin has pledged her support for a ground-breaking UK unsung hero awards scheme after signing up as a patron for the annual star-studded event.

The much-loved children’s TV icon said she is delighted to play an active role in the Multicultural Business and Community Champion awards (https://mbccawards.com) behind the scenes after scooping her own MBCC Lifetime Achievement award in 2022.

Accepting her win, she observed at the time how wonderful it was to see such a happy, home-grown motivational ceremony packed with diverse award-winners from across different vibrant cultures and backgrounds.

 

She said: “When I first used to come to awards like these, I was the only Black person in the room…just look at tonight.”

On becoming patron she added: “This positive celebration of all those from around the UK, from many rich heritages remains a beacon of light and I could not be more pleased to come on board as patron.”

 

MBCC Awards founder Zoe Bennett said: “Baroness Floella Benjamin’s remarkable legacy and passion for excellence inspires us.

“We are honoured to have her support the Multicultural Business and Community Champion Awards while we strive to champion diversity and celebrate excellence.”

 

This year’s event will be hosted by top comedian and presenter Judi Love and renowned soul singer, songwriter and actor Omar Lye-Fook MBE.

The MBCC awards was set up in 2016 with the sole purpose of recognising and valuing inspirational people nationally. This year awards will be presented on Saturday, November 30 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, National Exhibition Centre.

 

Zoe added: “This year is shaping up to be another truly inspiring night and I can’t wait to see our brilliant celebrity hosts in action.

“That said, our mission has always been to focus on unsung heroes who make a difference in both the business and general community.

“There are extraordinary, modest people who go out their way to help others selflessly without wanting any praise or thanks.

“Our platform gives them a fabulous opportunity to be recognised nationally for the incredible work they do for our country.

“We have really gone from strength to strength and grown significantly over the last seven years. We are so delighted that Omar and Judi have agreed to host this year’s awards. We are going to be celebrating multicultural diversity and success UK-wide and we will have some international surprises on the night too.”

 

Sir Lenny Henry was also honoured by the MBCC awards.

He told organisers: “You don’t get events like this in London, you should be so proud.”

 

Dame Denise Lewis, Sir Trevor McDonald and soul star Lemar have also paid tribute in person to the MBCC Awards as they continue to shine a light on deserving winners and nominees.

At each MBCC awards night, there is a charity partner. This year Birmingham’s Free at Last has teamed up with award organisers in a bid to boost their inspiring work fighting inner city challenges. Find out more at https://freeatlast.co.uk

 

• Nominations in all categories for the 2024 MBCC Awards are now closed and judging is under way.

Tickets for the evening cost are available from: https://mbccawards.com/tickets/

Marches, Shropshire

South Shropshire farm dispersal sale follows couple’s retirement from farming

A couple’s retirement from farming has resulted in a South Shropshire farm dispersal sale this coming weekend.

 

Halls auctioneers are conducting the sale for Graham and Sue Jones at Lower Acton Farm, Acton, Bishops Castle on Saturday, September 28, starting at 11am.

 

Well maintained farm implements, machinery, vehicles, workshop tools, livestock equipment and fodder are set to go under the hammer.

 

Included in the sale, which will be held live on the MartEye online auction platform from noon, are a 2018 Deutz-Fahr 6155 tractor, a 2009 New Holland T6030 tractor, a 2012 JCB 526.56 Agri tele handler, a 2013 Isuzu D Max 2.5TD, a 20216 Kawazaki Mule 610 and a Opico 555XL 12 tonne corn dryer.

 

There will also be a range of cultivation and livestock equipment on offer together with 120 bales of hay and straw.

 

The sale catalogue is available at www.hallsgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Lower-Acton.pdf

 

For more information about the sale, contact auctioneers David Bryan-Jones on Tel: 07791 795380, director James F. Evans on Tel: 07581 552438 or Henry Hyde on Tel: 07398 137343.

Marches, Mid Wales & Borders

Fine art experts seeking treasures at charity antiques event in Kington

People living in the market town of Kington and the surrounding Herefordshire, Powys and South Shropshire borderlands are being urged to check their attics, storerooms and cupboards for hidden treasures that might be worth a small fortune.

 

Experts from Shrewsbury-based Halls Fine Art will be visiting the Oxford Arms in Kington on Friday, October 4 from 10am to 2pm to hold a charity antiques valuation event.

 

A fee of £2 will be charged for each item professionally valued and all money raised by the event will go Open Arms Kington CIC, a social enterprise established to enliven and regenerate the rural borer town.

 

The experts hunting hidden treasures are Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, silver, jewellery and bijouterie specialist and Alexander Clement, watches, clocks and Asian art specialist and general valuer.

 

Anyone wishing to have collections or large antiques valued at the event may take along photographs to show Maryanne and Alexander, who may arrange a follow up home visit.

 

Those who have antiques that they wish to be valued but are unable to attend the valuation event can contact the fine art team on Tel: 01743 450700. Visit https://fineart.hallsgb.com/ for more information.

 

“We are really looking forward to visiting Open Arms Kington CIC with a mission to support the social enterprise as well as, hopefully, finding hidden treasures,” said Alexander. “One of the joys for us, as professional valuers, is that we never know what we are going to see at these events.”

 

 

The social enterprise bought The Oxford Arms, a Grade II listed former coaching inn, last year and is transforming it into a vibrant community hub and pub, where good things happen every day. www.openarmskington.co.uk .

 

While the Grade II-listed building is being restored, a rear Courtyard and ancient Barn are being used for pop-up events to unite people of all ages through food, art and music – and now antiques!

Eating Disorders

Sid Owen To Star In A New Film Shining A Light On Personal Struggles

Legendary actor Sid Owen is starring in a new film – shining a light on eating disorders and mental ill health.
The 52-year-old – most famous for playing Ricky Butcher on Eastenders – is the latest in a string of celebs who have agreed to appear in A Day With An Eating Disorder.
Sid said the film – written by film-maker and author Lynn Crilly – was a great project and that he was delighted to be involved.
He said: “Mental health and eating disorders affect lots and lots of people.  “I know someone who has gone through an eating disorder and it’s really tough. So it’s great to be able to take part in a project which looks to break down stigma and help people.”
Sid, who became a dad two years at the age of 50, said he was loving life as a dad to two-year-old Skye.
“It’s great,” he said. “Tiring, but I’m loving every minute of it.”
Meanwhile Sid, who has appeared on Albert Square four times, said although there are no immediate plans for a return to the soap he wouldn’t rule it out.
“Never say never,” he said. “It would be my fifth time but there’s no plans right now. I stay in touch with everyone there so you never know what might happen in the future.”
Sid is among a number of celebs who have agreed to appear in the new film for free.
Also taking part is the actress and reality TV star Jessica Impiazzi; Missing actor Paul Cooper, the dad of This Is England star Daisy-May; comedy legend Bobby Davro, and the former Hollyoaks star Mikayla Dodd.
A Day With An Eating Disorder is being produced by filmmaker Lynn Crilly, an author and counsellor who specialises in supporting those living with conditions including anorexia and bulimia.
Her daughter Samanta will star in the film and comes 20 years after Sam was diagnosed with an eating disorder and OCD. Lynn, author of Hope With Eating Disorders, says the film is needed to provide a voice to those suffering and their carers.
For more information visit www.lynncrilly.com
Women's Health

Lisa Snowden Opens Up About The Menopause: ‘It Doesnt Have To Be The End Of Your Life’

TV presenter Lisa Snowden has spoken out about going through the menopause and her mission to break the stigma surrounding the issue.

 

She told GB News: “It affects everybody. It affects the men in our lives, the men that we live with, the men that we work with. It’s like it affects everybody. Yes, 51% of it affects us ladies directly, but it does have an impact on everybody.

 

“It’s amazing that we’re talking about it so much more openly now, and us women can understand the signs and the symptoms and can get the help that we need to feel better and to start taking control and sort of just really owning our menopause, because I’ve spoken soberly about it.

 

“It doesn’t have to be the end of your life. It can be the start of a really new relationship with yourself once you’ve got a handle on the signs and the symptoms.

 

“There are about 60 symptoms and counting with perimenopause and menopause, and that’s why it’s really hard to understand what’s happening.

 

“We have oestrogen receptors from the roots of our head to the tips of our toes, so we all experience a very different perimenopause and menopause.

 

“And perimenopause is the start when the hormones start declining, and then when you go into menopause, you go into it, not through it, and that’s kind of where you haven’t had a period for a year or more.

 

“It can be about ten years that process and like I said, everybody’s menopause and premenopausal symptoms are very different.

 

“But what I want to talk to you about today is the fact that it’s National Eye Health Week, and one of the symptoms that I didn’t know that I was going to be experiencing are eye changes.

 

“I’m working with Vision Express, and they’re the first optician on the high street to really upskill their clinical staff and train them in menopause and the link to eye health.

 

“It’s not only eyesight that starts to be affected, but a lot of us women experience dry eyes, which is what I’ve got, which doesn’t sound like much, but it is really quite debilitating.

 

“You could get very sore eyes, really gritty, itchy. They can be very kind of watery as well. And what happens is the glands around the eyes get really blocked, so the oil stops producing, and it can have, obviously, an impact on your vision and make everything blurry as well.

 

“I want to encourage people to get their eyes tested. A lot of women, I think it’s over a quarter of women over 45, didn’t realise the impact that the menopause was going to have on that eye health, not only for vision, but also the other things that you can experience before.

 

“Eye health is really important, not only to make sure that you get your eye test, eyes tested regularly, but do the advanced eye test, because it will look at the overall health of your eyes, and it can be prevented.”

Banking

How to save money by switching bank account

A leading consumer expert has shared her advice on how to save money by switching bank accounts.
Jane Hawkes said the process is now “easier and quicker” than ever, and that consumers can save a bundle in the process.
Money and consumer expert Jane explained: “In times gone by, switching bank accounts was a long, convoluted process, which involved a mountain of paperwork and a whole lot of work, effort and stress. Luckily since the introduction of the Current Account Switch Service the whole process has become a whole lot easier and quicker.”
Here Jane shares her quide on what you need to know about switching, and offers her  tips on how to best achieve it.
 
Why switch bank accounts?
Despite some big lenders including Barclays and Lloyds recently withdrawing cash bonuses for switching bank accounts, there are still lots of offers out there, banks regularly vie for new custom with a range of cash back offers, vouchers, interest free or lower overdraft charges, interest on balance payments, Avios points or extra benefits such as car breakdown cover. Who doesn’t love a freebie or an extra bit of cash?
There’s often a minimum monthly pay in, which can be tricky but a bit of moving money around from account to account might well be worth the effort. Some offers may also involve other requirements such as a set number of debit card purchases and/or payments in to the new account per month.
How to switch bank account
Simply apply for chosen bank account, choose start date and let the switch service do the work for you.
If you decide to switch bank account you will need to provide basic details to your new provider such as your account and debit card numbers. You will also need to choose a date that you would like the switch to take effect bearing in mind that it can take seven working days.
The Current Account Switch Service takes care of the whole process including transferring all your direct debits and standing orders to your new bank, moving your balance and redirecting any usual salary, benefits or pensions payments. It’ll cover the closure of your old account so you don’t need to worry about that either and you can even switch if you have an overdraft or if you have a joint account.
The Account Switch Service Guarantee means that any payments accidentally made into your old account will automatically be redirected to your new one and your bank will inform the payee of your new bank account details. If anything goes wrong with the switch, you can have peace of mind of knowing that any interest lost or charges incurred will be refunded to you.
There is no limit to the amount of times you can switch but every time you switch a credit check will be carried out. This means that if you are thinking about taking out a mortgage anytime soon or applying for any other type of credit, it might be best to hold fire on switching bank account for at least six months beforehand.
Where to find the best bank account switch offers?
A NEW First Direct switch offer for new customers only has just been launched with a £175 welcome bonus. Conditions include £1000 minimum pay within 45 days of opening the account, switch using the Current Account Switch Service, transfer over at least 2 direct debits/standing orders and make at least 5 payments with your card in the first 45 days. If you apply via Top Cashback you could even pocket an extra £35 cashback too.
TSB is offering a £100 bonus to its Spend and Save bank account customers. Just log on to the app and make at least 5 payments before the 27th September. New customers can earn £15 cashback each month for the first six months provided that at least 20 direct debit payments are made per month. Other banks offer alternative incentives.
New Halifax Current Account customers can benefit from a 0% interest- free overdraft and up to to 15% cashback from selected retailers.
The Chase Current Account offers 1% cashback on everyday debit card spending for the first year.
With Starling Personal and Joint Current Accounts you can earn 3.25% AER / 3.19% Gross (variable) interest on balances up to £5,000 .
If you’d rather hold out and make money by switching bank account, keep your eyes peeled for new offers to re-appear.
Business

Expert Shares A-Z Guide On Probate And Estate Administration

An A-Z guide explaining the terms that relatives will come across when handling a loved one’s estate has been issued by an expert in a bid to try and help demystify the process.
The advice comes in the wake of a survey by the Association of Lifetime Lawyers, showing how nearly half of UK adults have not made a will and a third would rather watch TV than write their will.
It also found that 32% said they haven’t made a will because they do not know how to get started.
A study by Co-op Legal Services has also found widespread confusion over inheritance and estate issues.
Some 31% of people for example did not realise that an estate passes to the Crown if a person has no blood relatives and does not leave a will.
One of the UK’s leading experts on the subject, Steve Bish, fears many people are being needlessly put off by the process.
Steve, a Wills and estates expert, said: “The process of probate can seem daunting so an explanation of the terminology involved may help to avoid errors that can delay the whole process.
“Dealing with someone’s estate after their death can involve a number of different probate terms.
“We have put together a glossary of these to highlight some of the most commonly used words and phrases to help explain the probate and administration process.”
Here, Steve explains the terms that relatives will encounter when embarking on the process of probate:
Assets – all items owned by the deceased, to include money, property, investments and valuables.
  • Bequest – a gift left to someone in a Will.
  • Chattel – personal property, other than money, securities or business assets.
  • Deed of Variation – where the beneficiaries of a Will agree to change its terms. Usually done to make it more tax efficient or to benefit someone who wasn’t included in the original Will
  • Executor – deals with the administration of the deceased’s estate. An executor is appointed by the deceased in their Will.
  • Funeral wishes – It is possible to incorporate your funeral wishes into your will but these are not binding and we always recommend that you let those who may be organising it know of your wishes.
  • Grant of Probate – the legal document issued by the Probate Registry giving an executor legal authority to administer the deceased’s estate. This is the document that the executor will need to apply for where the deceased left a Will. A Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration is not needed in the case of a small estate, usually defined as less than £30,000.
  • Heir – a person who is legally entitled to the property of a deceased person, more commonly known as a beneficiary.
  • Intestacy – where the deceased died without leaving a Will.
  • Joint tenants – a form of property ownership between two or more people who share equal ownership and equal rights to the property.
  • Kin – a person’s family and relations are that person’s next of kin.
  • Legacy – another word for bequest, this is a gift left to someone in a Will.
  • Mediation – an informal process for helping people who have a dispute to resolve the dispute without going to Court.
  • Notice of Death – the document required to transfer property owned as joint tenants into the sole name of the surviving owner.
  • Offer of Compromise – a written offer made from one party to another party stating the terms on which they would be prepared to settle the dispute between them without going to Court.
  • Probate – this is often used to refer to the whole estate administration process as well as to the Grant of Probate itself.
  • Qualified Witness,  the persons who are authorised to witness the testator signing their Will. They must be over the age of 18, independent and have capacity.
  • Rules of Intestacy – when someone dies without a Will, their estate is distributed to beneficiaries in the order listed in the Rules of Intestacy. These rules set out those who are entitled to inherit in a set order of preference, starting with the deceased’s spouse and children.
  • Survivorship destination – a survivorship destination is a provision often inserted into the title deeds of a property which ensures that title is automatically passed to the other person or persons named on that title.
  • Testator  – the person who made the Will.
  • Undue Influence – where a will can be deemed invalid because the will maker was coerced or influenced by another person to include something in their will that is against their true wishes.
  • Valuation – the value of the estate at the time of death.
  • Witnessed – a will must be signed and witnessed to be valid so all 3 people (will maker and 2 witnesses) must be present together and must sign.
  • X – plus Facebook and other social media sites form part of our digital assets. When drafting a Will, most people will consider what happens to their physical assets such as their savings and their home. However, we are becoming increasingly reliant upon our digital assets and it is therefore important to consider how you want your digital assets to be distributed after your death.
  • You – can make your own will easily enough with a DIY kit. However, nobody with any professional experience would recommend this due to the many potential pitfalls.
  • Zoom – as of 12 Jan 2022, wills can continue to be witnessed via Zoom in England and Wales, measures first brought in during Covid.
If you would like further information on any estate planning issue, contact Steve Bish via https://www.sbishestateplanning.co.uk/about or on 01727 220930 or email contact@sbishestateplanning.com