Murray Beith Murray LLP is a leading Scottish private client law firm.
For 175 years we have specialised in meeting the legal, financial and administrative needs of individuals and families, family trusts, charities and private companies.
A properly drafted Power of Attorney allows you to make provision in advance for the possibility that, at some stage, you require somebody else to deal with your financial or welfare affairs. However, it is important to understand what powers an attorney has under a Power of Attorney, and their limitations.
You might say it is a matter of life and death. Basically, an attorney deals with the affairs of someone whilst they are alive whilst an executor deals with the affairs of someone who has died. Whilst that might seem simple and straightforward, it is important to understand the different functions of an attorney and an executor.
Obtaining Confirmation in Scotland is one of the essential elements of dealing with an estate when someone has died. Confirmation confers authority on the executor to ingather the estate and distribute it to the beneficiaries. Before discussing how long it takes to get Confirmation in Scotland, it is important to explain what it is. It is also appropriate to explain that the Grant of Confirmation is the Scottish equivalent of the Grant of Probate in England.
When it comes to family businesses, there is an old adage that goes “The first generation makes it, the second generation maintains it and the third generation blows it”. In a family business, there are tensions and expectation not only across the generations but amongst those involved in managing the business and those who are not.
Whilst every family business is different, there are common themes running through them, not least the important of succession planning.
When there is a charity appeal, there is no doubt that the Scots are generous! The wish to “give back” has grown over the years, and never more so in gifting to charities through a Will. Recent consumer research conducted by Remember a Charity concluded that the number of people deciding to make a charitable donation through a legacy in their Will has increased by 43% in the last 10 years. But how do you go about leaving a legacy in your Will?
