When a client asked George Neal, of Dodds Solicitors LLP, about information he had read on the Government’s website about when people pass-away without a will, George, with over 30 years’ experience in the field, quickly recognised that the government’s website was actually incorrect, and set on a mission to get it corrected.
The flowchart on the Government website stated that a child could receive a share of the deceased person’s estate where the deceased person had a parental role to that child. The flowchart states that step-children are not included within the definition of “children” who can inherit under the intestacy rules, but contradictory wording of “any children where the deceased had a parental role”, existed on the very same page. This could lead to significant confusion for people seeking clear advice, and potentially people making the wrong decisions for their individual situation.
After speaking with the Probate Registry, who agreed that the Government wording was incorrect and misleading, it was confirmed that they would contact the relevant people within the Government to request that the wording “any children where the deceased had a parental role” be removed.
Many aspects of end of life planning are non-regulated, meaning anyone can write a will, using uncontrolled information on the internet. This is an example when it shows that you should always obtain expert advice.
George Neal, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, said “Nowadays people turn to the internet for information on many legal matters. But this example shows that even official sources can be out of date or incorrect. I am just pleased to have been able to get the government to update their information”.
Samantha Downs, Head of Wills and Probate, said: “I am so proud of my team in identifying the error. A little bit of knowledge can be dangerous, and this does show that only by using experts such as my team can you be assured that you get the right advice for your situation.”
About Dodds Solicitors LLP
Based in the centre of Leicester, Dodds Solicitors offers a comprehensive legal service, and have a team of over 40 dedicated and fully trained members of staff all specialising in various aspects of legal advice and representation work. We have over 30 years of experience helping people with their personal legal problems and, over this time, have been involved with the complete range of legal cases.
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Contact: Samantha Downs, Dodds LLP Solicitors, 32 Friar Lane, Leicester, LE1 5RA, 0116 2628596 samantha.downs@dodds-solicitors.co.uk