The Will Cast

American Rapper DMX died in April 2021 aged 50. 

So far there have been 15 people who have come forward claiming to be his children. 

In this episode we look at what DMX could have done to make things easier for his family.

What is a Trust? Ancient origins but still very useful for planning your estate today. No longer the preserve of the very wealthy. This is a short introduction to Trusts, the roles, and responsibilities of the people involved as well as a couple of examples.

Today we are going to talk about one of the most common excuses I hear for not writing a Will, my family will know what to do if I die.

The death of a family member or even a close friend is a deeply emotional time. Grief can cause people to act out of character. Small things suddenly become very significant and stress levels rise. The possibility of squabbles turning into long-term feuds is very real.

The idea that “My family will know what to do” is often a short-term fix that prevents us from contemplating our own mortality. But it beckons a potentially bigger problem.

This week is back to basics - Why Have A Will. 

This was the most popular episode of season 1 of The Will Cast.

Eid Mubarak

The executor is the person responsible to the relevant authorities for the administration of a person's estate. It can be a time-consuming job, so what can be done to make life easier for executors? In this episode, we describe the duties of an executor and as well as offering a free useful document to share with anyone who has appointed you as an executor.

With restrictions on movement reducing, clients are moving back to the traditional face-to-face meetings. But is there any reason why they should?

If you have ever wondered about excluding someone from your Will, this is the episode for you.

We look at 

• whether exclusion is possible, 
• why people exclude, 
• what action you should take; and 
• what remedies an excluded person may have against your estate.

Choosing a person who will look after your children in the event of your death is important. This episode provides a few ideas to help you make the right choice.

Simple planning to pass on more of your hard-earned money to your heirs and less to the government.

Having carefully built up assets during your lifetime by planning your finances, a Will provides you with control over how you pass that which you own to the next generation. It can also help minimise death duties and legal costs.

A review of commonly held beliefs about Wills by UK expats based in the UAE.

A brief introduction into the benefits of using a professional over a DIY approach for the document that determines who gets all your worldly goods on death and, where applicable, who looks after your young children.

Learn how to avoid common mistakes when writing a Will. 

Learn what you need to consider when writing a Will in 8 minutes. 

A 5-minute look at why reviewing your Will regularly is just as important as preparing your first. 

Miscellaneous matters often included in a Will. A 5-minute introduction on things to consider when making choices for funeral arrangements, organ donation, pets and digital assets.

6 minutes on things to consider when appointing beneficiaries under your Will. How to protect your estate from divorce. How to reduce death duties (tax). What to do when excluding some-one from your Will and more.

5 minutes on Guardianship for expatriates

A 5-minute ex-pat brief on the role of an executor and how to choose one.

In this episode, we look at why gifts fail under a Will, the types of gift, how to update your wishes without a lawyer and tax treatment of gifts.

This episode provides information on moveable assets as well as things you cannot gift under your Will.

In this week's episode we look at Real Estate and answer the questions:

What is Real Estate?

Why is it treated differently to other assets?

How can I regain control over my Real Estate in Dubai?

The second of my podcasts in connection with the local Will and Guardianship options for expatriates resident in Dubai. For more information visit www.greatbritishwills.com 

In response to the large number of enquires I have received over the last week, I have prepared 2 short podcasts. The first covers the use of home country wills in UAE and the second summarises the various options for guardianship and certain assets within the UAE. For more information visit www.greatbritishwills.com

This episode provides you with a brief look at what makes up your estate and why it is important for your Will draftsperson to know this information.

This episode provides insight into why a Will writer needs to have detailed knowledge of a person's family structure. Key areas covered are distribution of assets, guardianship and tax planning.

In this episode, we look at 8 reasons why having a valid will is important for expatriates living in Dubai.