New Year, New You – New Will?
Now that 2025 has begun, many people will have been thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Most are, quite rightly, keen to…
Private Client
Thorntons expands leadership team with two new Partners
Independent full-service Scottish law firm Thorntons has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of two new partners, one an…
Powers of Attorney: Choosing the right Attorney for you.
Powers of Attorney have been in the news in recent times, and not in a favourable light. In July, former TV presenter Hayley Matthews was…
Conflicts and Captain Tom - A Trustee's Duties
This week, the Charity Commission published its long awaited report on the Captain Tom Foundation. While it featured some significant…
Unpacking The Autumn Budget: Our Legal Experts Analyse What Legislative and Tax Changes Could Mean for You
Following weeks of speculation the 2024 Autumn Budget has been announced. In what is one of the largest tax rising budgets in history…
“There’s not much money left.” How Rachel Reeves’ Plan to fill the £22bn Black Hole Could Impact Estate Planning, And What To Do About It
Rachel Reeves’s first Budget could be the most significant in a generation. Since entering office, the Chancellor has been steadfast in her…
The most significant budget in a generation?
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, will deliver the Labour Government’s first Budget Statement on 30 October 2024. Since…
Digital Assets and Estate Planning
It is becoming increasingly common for individuals to own not only physical, but digital and online assets. Digital assets are those things…
The Importance of Wills when you live on your own
In a recent BBC News Article, it was revealed that Scotland has the highest rate of people living alone in the UK. The National Records of…
Protecting Your Partner: The Critical Need for Wills Among Cohabiting Couples
It is becoming increasingly common for couples to live together (cohabit) rather than marry or enter into a civil partnership with…
Trustee Duties: Lessons To Be Learned
A recent court case in Wales involving a mother accused of stealing her daughters’ £50,000 inheritance while acting as a Trustee highlights…
Spring Budget 2024; What do I need to Know?
The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, delivered the UK Spring Budget in March 2024 and he announced several significant tax, benefits and savings…
Thorntons charity Wills campaign raises £43,500 for vulnerable families and children
Children and families across Tayside, Fife and Edinburgh are benefiting from Thorntons’ latest charity wills initiative, which raised £43,…
Creating a Will: The simplest way to protect loved ones
Recent days have seen several cases involving disputes over Wills and why it’s important to have a Will made professionally. One case…
Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Act 2024 Briefing | Part two
As we noted in our previous blog on the new highly anticipated Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Act 2024 was unanimously passed by the…
Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill Briefing | Part one
In late December 2023 the highly anticipated Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill was unanimously passed by the Scottish Parliament…
DIY Wills - tempting, but risky.
A recent court case where a homemade Will was struck down as invalid demonstrates the perils of making your own Will.It was recently…
What is a Letter of Wishes and when should I use one?
As I was watching the first episodes of the final season of The Crown, knowing the tragic event that was coming all too soon, I wondered…
Senior appointment for Thorntons’ Inverness operation
Full-service law firm Thorntons has appointed a third partner to its new Inverness office. Private Client Partner, Magnus Mackay,…
Contesting a Will in Scotland
The death of a loved one is an exceptionally difficult time. Even in such cases where the deceased has made plans and left a Will, there…
Personal Planning for Business Owners
Often you will invest time, money and hard work in setting up your own business but when it comes to planning for the future of that…