Showing 82 articles
Holiday Pocket Money and Gifting
As parents, children and teachers count down the days until the start of the summer holidays, those children who are lucky enough to be…
Posted on 13th June 2019
Planning for Retirement
As you approach your retirement, you may be thinking about spending quality time with family and friends, enjoying a few more hours on the…
Posted on 12th June 2019
Are business owners neglecting their personal affairs?
When running a business on a day to day basis, the primary focus is working towards the goals set for the year. Whilst business owners…
Posted on 23rd May 2019
Inheritance Tax and the Increased Residence Nil Rate Band
The beginning of the new tax year on 6th April 2019 marks the second increase in the Residence Nil Rate Band which originally came into…
Posted on 4th April 2019
Record £62k sum raised for Cash for Kids
Scotland’s leading full service law firm Thorntons has donated £62,000 to Cash for Kids through its annual Charity Wills month, thanks to…
Posted on 15th February 2019
A Matter of Trust.
A Trust is a way of managing assets, such as property, investments or money. It is an oft-quoted misnomer that they are the exclusive…
Posted on 17th January 2019
“I can’t tell where the journey will end” – Avicci
December 2018 saw news emerge of how the estimated $25M fortune of dance music legend Avicci (real name Tim Bergling) was to be distributed…
Posted on 17th January 2019
Funding the cost of care.
Increasingly, clients are approaching us expressing their concerns about protecting their capital from potential future care costs.…
Posted on 17th January 2019
Technology and succession planning – What will happen to your digital estate?
For the vast majority of the population our lives are increasingly consumed by digital technology, social media and the internet. It is…
Posted on 17th January 2019
Is a Will or Power of Attorney on your 'To do' list for 2019?
At this time of year, it can feel like life is one very long ‘to do’ list. Christmas shopping, cooking, baking, wrapping, Nativities,…
Posted on 21st December 2018
How grandparents can help grandchildren with nursery, school or higher education costs in a tax efficient way
Having a family can be costly, so preparing early for future educational costs should be carefully considered. Recent statistics estimate…
Posted on 12th December 2018
The use of Personal Injury Trusts
Trusts can have a variety of uses and benefits and are not just for the wealthy. If you are receiving a sizeable sum of compensation…
Posted on 16th November 2018
Dealing with your affairs after a diagnosis of Dementia.
September is World Alzheimers month, with 21st September being globally recognised as the day in which Alzheimers organisations raise…
Posted on 20th September 2018
Thorntons starts taking calls as it launches Charity Wills Month
Getting on the property ladder, starting a new career or having children are all key life milestones, but writing a Will is often…
Posted on 5th September 2018
Why is having a Will so important?
As the sad news was unfolding of the death of Aretha Franklin, the private client solicitor in me did wonder might there be further news…
Posted on 29th August 2018
Cryptocurrency - Inheritance of my ‘Wallet’
Scotland has its own digital currency (the Scotcoin – which was launched back in 2013), and given the increasing awareness and use of…
Posted on 28th August 2018
Can a text message be a valid Will?
This week, a French Court in the city of Metz ruled that a text message could not be regarded as a valid Will. The text message stated…
Posted on 22nd August 2018
Do you have a professionally drafted Will?
Why make a Will? Statistics show only a third of the population have a Will in place. Whilst the number of people making a Will increases…
Posted on 20th August 2018
Valuing Goods and Chattels
How many of us know the value of our household goods and personal effects? How many of us simply estimate the contents value for our…
Posted on 3rd August 2018
What we will see in the 2018 Budget… Maybe!
Earlier this month, the Treasury published draft legislation for the Finance Bill 2019 which gives us an indication of some of the points…
Posted on 18th July 2018
Funeral Instructions; let your wishes be known
Prepaid funeral plans have featured heavily in the Press in recent weeks, prompting many individuals to consider or reconsider their wishes…
Posted on 6th July 2018