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by Lisa Dunn LLB
Lawyers get a bad press. We are perceived as being more interested in
the law and making money out of it than the people we serve. My aim is to
disprove this stereotype!
By way of introduction, I am Gerry Dunn's daughter (S84) - not my usual way
of introducing myself! Some of you may know him and indeed I may know some
of you. I have been around cabbies all my life - my grandfather, father and
uncles are all taxi drivers. I am most proud to be the Honorary Solicitor
for the London Taxi Drivers' Fund for Underprivileged Children and have
always been involved in the Fund's charitable events over the years.
I am a partner in Freedman Green solicitors and am Head of the
Private Client Department, specialising in Wills, Administration of Estates,
Inheritance Tax Planning, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Elderly Care. I
also give talks to local groups and lecture for the staff at Age Concern.
My intention in this article is to draw your attention to the
importance of 'Putting your Affairs in Order' and to this end, I ask the
following simple questions:-
- If you don't make a Will, do you know who will inherit your estate?
- Are you aware of the effect of separation or divorce on your Will?
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Putting Your
Affairs In Order
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Lisa...
- Do you want your children to inherit at age 18? Who will care for them
on your death?
- How can you minimise Inheritance Tax?
- Have you considered what would happen if you needed to go into a
nursing home? Would your property have to be sold to pay for it?
- Have you considered what would happen if you became incapable of
managing your affairs?
It is a remarkable fact that only three in every ten people in this
country have bothered to make a Will. The remaining seven will have no
control over what happens to their hard earned possessions, as these will be
divided up amongst remaining family, which may mean an estranged spouse or
alienated child, or even back to the Crown!
If you do not have a Will, you may be familiar with many of the
usual reasons people give for not having one - death seems so far away, you
are too busy, accidents only happen to others, it is too complicated,
solicitors are expensive. You may not think you
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...and dad Gerry
are rich enough for a Will. Yet you are probably wealthier than you
realise once you add up the value of your home, car, savings and
possessions.
Tax planning and a well drafted Will can drastically reduce
your potential Inheritance Tax liability. Leaving all of your estate
to your spouse may not be the most tax efficient way of dealing with that
estate.
Anyone can buy a Will form at a local shop and draft it on
their own - but one small mistake may invalidate the whole Will. Remember -
solicitors make far more money sorting out the mistakes in home-made Wills
than from preparing properly drawn up ones! A simple Will is not expensive
and may save money on your death. If you have young children or other
dependants it is essential.
Through my association with the Licensed Taxi Trade, I am
pleased to be able to offer a discounted rate for any cab drivers who wish
to receive advice in any of these specialist areas - simply mention this
article!
Action: Contact... Lisa Dunn
Freedman Green Solicitors
104 Boundary Road
St Johns Wood, NW8
Tel: 020 7625 6003
Lisa Dunn will be writing bi-monthly in Call Sign.
If you have any questions you would like answered, please send them to Call
Sign...
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YOU CAN'T ESCAPE CALL SIGN, JAMIE!
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Call Sign's SF reporter Charles Rathbone tests out
the TX1 jump seat
Jamie Borwick, CEO of Manganese Bronze (parent company of London
Taxis International), recently paid a flying visit to San Francisco. Of
those
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hat Jamie met, Call Sign's man in San Fran, Charles Rathbone was first
in the queue to welcome him back to the City by the Bay. He flashed a
copy of Call Sign in front of Jamie, which contained the only photo in
the UK trade press of the Mercedes parked outside the London
headquarters of M&O in Holloway Road.
Although Call Sign has readers throughout California via
the Internet, as our correspondent over there, Charles Rathbone has the
only 'hard' copy.
Charles told Call Sign: "It was fun to confront Jamie Borwick
with the shocking photo of a Mercedes taxi at the TX1 dealership. He had
a good story about where it came from and said it had proven to be an
effective marketing tool.
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They invited prospective buyers to back the Mercedes into a tight
parking space and then try the same manoeuvre in a TX1. Most drivers
completing the test claimed that Mercedes may make lovely cars, but not
for driving a taxi in London!"
Charles, a San Franciscan cab driver for three years who
has written several interesting stories for Call Sign, went on to add:
"We have some nice cars in use as cabs, but I'd
love to see the TX1 over here. Having driven one last year (see Call
Sign September 2000...Ed), I think it would be very popular among
drivers."
As for Jamie Borwick, Call Sign doesn't have anyone in
China yet, so you can still go there in safety...!
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