Are you still legally prepared…?

Posted on by Paul Flint

Ann OrrThe Probus Club of Basingstoke, the social club for retired professional and business managers, heard Ann Orr update the legal situation about some matters that had changed in the six years since her last visit. Working for Collective Legal Solutions, the largest independent legal service providers in the UK meant that she was an expert about problems that can sometimes surround the matter of inheritance.

There is a danger that having made a Will, it is safely put away until the time it is required, but her recommendation is that a Will is reviewed at least every five years to check that it is up to date and fit for purpose. One specific benefit of such reviews was that it is a simple check that the solicitor was still conducting business and had not moved location. And seeing the original Will is important as a copy is not considered a legal document. Any appearance of grandchildren should give good cause to revisit the Will to properly target any inheritance. She also said that if anyone remarried then their Will prior to that event would be null and void and a new document would be needed.

A surprise to most of the audience was that any property owned abroad cannot be included in an English Will as a separate Will is required to be written in the country where the property is situated.

Consideration should also be given to incorporating medical decisions in a Lasting Power of Attorney. The rights involving dispensing of medication were explained and any individual wishes will need to be included within the LPA. Monetary considerations if a partner enters a care home were highlighted together with possible funding implications and to what extent assets will be taken into account.

The rules surrounding Probate were outlined and there are considerable pricing differences for executive services provided by banks compared to solicitors or specialist company executors.

Visit to RAF Museum

Posted on by Paul Flint

A party of 31 consisting of Probus Club members, their wives/partners and friends went by coach on Thursday 6th November to the RAF Museum at Hendon. For those of the non-military type it was extremely impressive but for those members who had served in the RAF it was a poignant trip down memory lane.

The visit started with a welcome cup of coffee or tea and a Danish pastry in the Echo Alpha Tango (EAT) restaurant which was also the venue for a late lunch. The first sight outside the main entrance to the museum was the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane and then perhaps surprisingly was to see two RAF rescue high speed launches which had been used to pick up downed pilots out of the drink.

There were several connected halls so that once inside it would be several hours before everything had been seen. And what a vast array of aeroplanes were on display. From the earliest glider to the the latest stealth fighter. From a German V2 rocket to the impressive AV Roe Vulcan. From ejector seats to the magnificent Short Brothers Sunderland Flying Boat. From The famous AV Roe Lancaster bomber and its American sister  Boeing B17 the Flying Fortress. From all kinds of helicopters and autogyros to wartime displays about the blitz. Barnes Wallis and his bouncing bomb used by the Dam Busters and a Dornier dug out of the Goodwin sands. Various plane engines and military vehicles from pre- war Hillman Minx and post war Standard Vanguard staff cars to Ferret scout cars. Everything was magnificently displayed but in parts dimly lit to reduce the corrosion process.

Although a museum of specific interest to the male species the ladies also thoroughly enjoyed the visit. One of the RAF veterans thought it quite awful to see so many machines he had flown in were now in a museum.