A recent Freedom of Information request, published by The Telegraph has shown the confusion over complex Inheritance Tax provisions. The number of estates being investigated by the Revenue is at a four-year high, with numerous families having to suffer scrutiny.

It is only in the early stages, but the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), together with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), has been seeking input from practitioners and other interested bodies as part of a new initiative to modernise the process of making a lasting power of attorney (LPA) in England and Wales.

The probate service is under pressure due to the number of enquiries checking on the progress of cases and asking general questions. They had been in the middle of a restructuring when the pandemic hit, potentially adding to the current pressure on them.

In all cases, where a Deputy no longer wishes to act, the Court of Protection will consider what is in the persons best interests before making a decision as to whether the Deputy may step down from their role.

The Office for National Statistics have issued their latest analysis of the pandemic which states that the number of deaths involving COVID-19 registered in England and Wales in the week ending 24 July 2020 was 217. This is 2.4% of all deaths in that week, with a total of 8,891 deaths having been registered.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has launched a digital ‘Use a Lasting Power of Attorney’ tool to help make attorneyship administration simpler and safer for those involved.

Many of us believe that our next of kin will automatically be able to make medical decisions for us if something unfortunate were to happen, but this isn’t entirely true.

LPAs came into place in 2007, but before then Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) were available instead. There is no need to worry if you have an EPA, rather than an LPA, as correctly made EPAs are still perfectly valid.

According to a recent report, another result of the Coronavirus pandemic will be falling markets and a decrease in house prices. Which will have an affect not just on those looking to buy and sell their own homes, but also Executors and Administrators of estates for family or friends that have sadly passed.

Like many people across the country, I recently suffered a family bereavement from Coronavirus. Unable to attend the funeral at the time due to lockdown restrictions, I had the strange experience of watching a live-streamed service from afar.

Although we have a national reach, Tozers LLP is a Devon law firm at heart, and the welfare of our clients and the local community are at the centre of what we do. As we start to see the lifting of the Coronavirus restrictions, it is important to reflect on the impact that the virus has had on Devon, and how as a county we can work together to move forward in the future.

The rules and regulations surrounding attending funerals have been in the minds of many over the recent months, both due to the tragic increases in family members passing away and the lockdown restrictions in place.