Metro Sports for the Visually Impaired

Brooks & Partners are very pleased to once again be supporting Metro, the sports and social club for the Visually Impaired that enables many students to participate in sports and provide a new dimension to their lives. Brooks have made donations to the charity for a number of years now helping to provide a better quality of life and an exciting interest that the visually impaired may not be able to gain otherwise.

In a few cases the participation in local clubs has resulted in a few members representing Great Britain at the Paralympics games. The team had great success at the Beijing games and we need to encourage youngsters to take an active part in sport and carry on that success – just one of the reasons we are proud to be associated with Metro.

Wine Tasting Event with Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice

When Michael Brooks was approached by Andrew Cox of Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice and asked if Brooks & Partners would sponsor an event he was delighted to do so, the culmination of this being a Wine Tasting evening at the Frimley Hall Hotel.

Guests were provided with champagne cocktails and canapés followed by a brief talk on New Zealand and Chilean wines by Andrew’s twin brothers. Everyone was then treated to a taste of no less than ten wines, five from each country and asked to provide scores. Although the Chilean wines won overall there was genuinely only half a point in it!

An excellent event enjoyed by everyone and over £1,500 raised for the Hospice!

Now is a good time to make a Will

It is estimated that about 60% of people in the UK do not have a will. None of us want to think about death, but if you die without a will your loved-ones may not inherit your assets or be able to use them in the way you would want them to.

How to write a will

· You can go to a solicitor, use a will writer or even buy a do-it-yourself will kit. But if the will is not drawn up correctly it can lead to complications and even mean that the will is null and void.
· If you are co-habiting, have a young or a complicated family situation or if you want to make provisions for a dependant, it's a good idea to use a solicitor who will be regulated by the Law Society.
· Will writers tend to be cheaper but the industry isn't regulated by the Law Society and may not necessarily be fully trained or insured.

Information to prepare in order to make a will

· A list of everything you own, including property, savings, cars, jewellery, home contents, bank or building society accounts, any shares and insurance policies.
· A list of all you owe - mortgages, hire purchase agreements, loans or credit. Take these lists with you when you see a solicitor or will writer.
· Make a note of people or organisations who you want to benefit from your will.
· Decide who your executors will be - those responsible for sorting out the estate and carrying out your wishes. You can also appoint guardians for any children under 18.

The most important thing is that you do make a will. Many people think they do not have enough assets to warrant making a will but this is never the case, a will is about what you want to happen to any property you have and also about your wishes for your funeral and burial or cremation so that your relatives are aware of what you want at a time that is difficult enough for them.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

Shirah Real comments on LPA's

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that allows you to choose someone now (an Attorney) that you trust to make decisions on your behalf about your property and financial affairs or health and welfare at a time in the future when you no longer wish to make those decisions or perhaps lack the mental capacity to do so yourself.

An LPA is a very powerful document, so when choosing your Attorney or Attorneys you need to be completely confident that you have picked the right person to carry out the tasks involved. Bear in mind that if you do not have the mental capacity, you may not be able to monitor what they are doing on your behalf but if you have any doubts in this respect you can always appoint a legal professional to be your Attorney if you so wish.

It is important to remember that an LPA can only be used after it is registered with the Office of the Public Guardian and, on occasions, this may take some time.

Anyone aged 18 or over, providing they have the mental capacity to do so, can make an LPA appointing one or more Attorneys to make decisions on their behalf. Unlike the old Enduring Power of Attorney you cannot make an LPA jointly with another person; each person must make his or her own LPA.

An LPA is a very important document and you may want to seek advice before making a final decision in regard to preparing one and appointing Attorneys. Although there is always a choice as to whether to seek independent legal advice or not this is a document that provides wide and powerful rights and we would suggest this should not be taken lightly.

Government figures show that only 135,000 people registered a Lasting Power of Attorney in the last two years in England and Wales and, as recently demonstrated by an item on BBC 1’s One Show recently, not having a Lasting Power of Attorney can not only be a very expensive exercise but also a terrible emotional burden for your loved ones.