Harris & Harris are proud to confirm that Neil Howlett, Partner and Solicitor based at the firm’s Frome office, has been awarded a Civic Award by Frome’s Mayor, Sheila Gore.

Neil commented:

Thanks folks, and particularly to Sheila Gore. I’m getting quite used to being the only male in the line-up – here’s me with my professional colleagues in Stony Street. It takes me back to my first job as a solicitor back in 1984 when I was the first male in an all-female firm.

Read more about this news in the article featured in the Frome Times, via the following link:

http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2018/04/10/towns-champions-honoured-with-civic-awards/

Harris & Harris are pleased to announce that they have raised £1,800 in support of the Royal United Hospital, Bath’s charity The Forever Friends Appeal.

The month of September 2017 saw people across the Royal United’s catchment area being urged to put their affairs in order and make or update their Wills as part of the hospital’s third Make a Will Month scheme which raised a total of £42,000. The highest so far.

The Forever Friends Appeal provides a vital service to help improve the hospital’s environment, providing additional medical equipment, facilities as well as all the finishing touches and extras that help care for patients more effectively, together with its ongoing research and development. Every donation raised by Harris & Harris as part of the Make a Will Month will help to continue providing this care.

We are delighted to have made a contribution towards the Appeal and would like to thank all our clients who made generous donations.

The Ministry of Justice has launched the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) refund fee scheme for payments made to register either Lasting Powers of Attorneys (LPAs) or Enduring Powers of Attorneys between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017.

If you registered either an LPA or EPA in this period and paid a fee, you may be eligible for a partial refund plus interest.

The scheme is by way of an online application, details of which can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund

For those who do not have internet access you can ring the OPG helpline on 0300 456 0300 (option 6).

The application can be made by either the donor (the person who made the LPA or EPA) or their attorneys appointed by the registered Power of Attorney. The refund must be made to the donor and takes approximately 12 weeks to be paid to their account.

If you have any queries regarding whether you are eligible for a refund, please contact one of our specialist lawyers:

http://www.harris-harris.co.uk/what_we_do/wills_probate_trusts/

Caroline Fletcher

We are delighted to congratulate Caroline Fletcher, Associate Private Client Solicitor, on obtaining the STEP Certificate in Advising Vulnerable Clients with Distinction. Caroline is currently studying for the STEP Diploma in Advising Vulnerable Clients and this certificate is one of several she will complete in order to obtain the STEP Diploma and achieve “TEP” status, the designation of a full STEP member.

The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (“STEP”) is the global professional association for practitioners who specialise in family inheritance and succession planning. You can find out more about STEP via the following link:

https://advisingfamilies.org/

At Harris & Harris we pride ourselves on our care for our clients and Caroline’s achievement and development of this specialism shows the firm’s continued commitment to looking after vulnerable clients.

As of 22^nd November 2017, first time buyers purchasing for £300,000 or less on a property pay no Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and those purchasing between £300,000 and £500,000 will pay considerably less.  The change has come in with immediate effect, therefore even if you have exchanged contracts you may still benefit if you complete on or after 22^nd November.

We act for numerous first time buyers and the recent changes have been welcomed by most to help them take their first step on to the property ladder.

The following conditions must apply in order to qualify for the relief:

• You must be purchasing for £500,000 or less
• You must be a first time buyer – This applies to every purchaser if you are purchasing jointly and you will not be classed as a first time buyer if you have received property by way of gift or inheritance or if you have ever owned residential property either here or anywhere else in the world
• The property being purchased must be intended to be used as your main home

More information can be found on the following government websites:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stamp-duty-land-tax-relief-for-first-time-buyers/stamp-duty-land-tax-relief-for-first-time-buyers

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/661728/8274_guidance_note_SDLT_relief_for_first_time_buyers.pdf

If you require assistance with your property matter, please contact one of our specialist lawyers:

Buying, Selling & Renting Homes

HM Revenue & Customs recently introduced a new online Trust Registration Service. New and existing trusts and also some ‘complex’ estates of deceased persons must register using the new service. There is an initial deadline for some trusts and estates of 5th January 2018 (which has been extended by HMRC from the original deadline of 5th October 2017). Trustees and Personal Representatives will need to ensure that they register by the relevant deadline or face penalties for non compliance (the level of which have yet to be confirmed by HMRC).

More information about the new service can be found on the government website via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/trusts-taxes/trustees-tax-responsibilities

If you are a Trustee or Personal Representative and think you may need to take action, please contact one of our specialist lawyers who will be glad to help (click on the link below).

Wills, Probate, Trusts & LPAs

Harris & Harris are pleased to announce that we will once again be supporting the annual Bath Royal United Hospital Will Month initiative, which helps to raise funds for the RUH’s charity, the Forever Friends Appeal.

Throughout September 2017, we will be offering to draw up a professional Will at a reduced cost and donate the fee towards the work of the hospital and help provide continued high quality patient care.  Your fee can be donated to a particular area of care within the RUH, or a hospital service that may hold meaning to yourselves, family or friends.

RUH Will Month will be running for its third consecutive year this year.  Will Month not only supports thousands of patients and their families in helping to provide quality and consistent care, but it also raises awareness of the importance of making or updating your Will.  A professionally written Will can ensure certainty for your future and will allow for a speedy and effective distribution of your estate and possessions.

We are once again proud to work alongside the Forever Friends Appeal by donating our time and expertise to such a worthy charity that relies heavily on public fundraising.  Every penny raised throughout the Will Month initiative will go directly to the RUH.

We are also offering to reduce our fee costs, from normal rates, to £100 for a single Will and £150 for a Standard Mirror Wills.  We hope that this will entice clients to make an appointment with one of our Will writing experts, both to write their Wills and to donate funds to an incredible cause.  Without the commitment from our clients, this impressive sum of money raised would not be possible.

We ask all clients who are interested in making an appointment with one of our experts to please contact the relevant office, citing RUH Will Month.  We would be continually grateful if many of you could get involved in this initiative and help us raise as much money as possible for the RUH Forever Friends Appeal.

If you would like to make an appointment please telephone us on 01749 674747 (Wells) or 01373 463366 (Frome).

Our senior Solicitors are full members or affiliates of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the leading international multi-disciplinary professional group.  STEP members help families plan for their futures, from drafting a simple Will to complex issues surrounding international families, protection of the vulnerable, and family businesses.  Our Solicitors who are involved in the preparation of Wills adhere to the STEP Code for Preparation of Wills, a copy of which can be inspected here: Will-Writing-Code-2014

Annemarie Swainson and Joshua Eva, both partners in the firm, are full members of STEP and known as “TEPs” (short for “Trust and Estate Practitioner”). Caroline Fletcher, associate solicitor, is currently studying the STEP diploma in order to qualify as a TEP.

To find out more about TEPs and why you should speak to one, please click on the following link:-

Advising Families (STEP)

A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life and Work of Tim Berry will be held at Wells Cathedral on Friday 19th May at 2:30PM.

It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our Senior Partner, Tim Berry, following a short illness.  Tim was articled to the late Charles Wyndham Harris, and became a partner in Harris & Harris upon qualification as a solicitor in 1970.  He became Senior Partner in 1975.

Tim was a nationally recognised specialist in Ecclesiastical and Charity Law and served as Diocesan Registrar to the Diocese of Bath and Wells from 1993 to 2015 and the Diocese of Bristol from 1997 until 2015. To our clients, and our colleagues, Tim was a guide, mentor, and friend.

During a career that spanned 50 years, Tim played a leading role in the continuing growth of Harris & Harris, and in particular the firm’s Commercial Property and specialist Ecclesiastical and Charity Law practices.  Tim’s enthusiastic, incisive, and thoughtful approach was appreciated by his clients and colleagues alike.  Tim was a trusted advisor who approached his work with uncompromising integrity, empathy, and humility.  His approach personified the guiding principles of our firm which are his lasting professional legacy.  Tim’s loss is immeasurable to all those that knew him, personally and professionally.

Our thoughts are with Tim’s wife, Shirley, his sons Jonathan and Daniel, and their family at this difficult time.

Roland Callaby, the present Diocesan Registrar of the Diocese of Bath and Wells and the Diocese of Bristol succeeds Tim as Senior Partner of Harris & Harris.

There will be a Book of Condolence in the Reception area of our offices at 14 Market Place, Wells.  Tim’s family has requested that any messages of condolence are sent via Harris & Harris and that their privacy is respected at this time.

Monday 10th April 2017