Wills / arrangements for kids in US-UK families

[chica9]

I am hoping one of the many US citizens living in this area might be able to help me with this!

OH and I are finally getting around to drawing up a will including arrangements for care of our child should we both die.

I'm British, OH is American and our daughter has both nationalities, and we plan to reside here permanently. Over the longer term we anticipate holding no assets in the US (which I think means that in principle we only need a UK will, but I'd like to find a lawyer to confirm this!)

Can anyone recommend a lawyer who could draw up a will which would cover any points which might be relevant for the US but which might not typically be included in a standard UK will, in particular on the child custody points?

I'd be grateful for any recommendations or advice!

[LondonMix]

Oh God, I never even thought about that...

Watching to see if anyone has any advice!

[wellington]

I am in a similar situation but our solicitors didn't advise us of any ramifications of children having dual nationalities or being of different nationalities when drafting our will. What type of issues were you thinking of? What child custody points are there?

[kittysailing]

Hello My father in law has ben doing a once a month 'will clinic' in ED for the last year and would be happy to advise [email protected]

07535015022

[kittysailing]

Nick's next local dates are Sunday 26th October and Sunday 16th November - he will visit you at home and charges ?175 per joint will pm me for a factsheet.

[wellington]

Ummmm....I'm totally wrong on all fronts. Sorry!

I spoke to my husband last night about this and our solicitor was thorough in their questioning of our financial situation with regards to holdings, etc. He works in finance and has more knowledge of tax implications so he enlightened me what the issues might be. I'm still curious about child custody though.

[chica9]

Thanks everyone. I think what I'm keen to find is someone who can advise me on something which is workable and makes sense given the different legal systems, bureaucratic requirements and tax regimes in the UK and US - so I was wondering if there are any lawyers or firms which can do both the practical/financial advice and then the drafting! On the custody point, I wondered if there were any particular process requirements for a non-US guardian of a US minor overseas - and how the financial arrangements to provide for a surviving child might be set up and taxed given that my daughter is liable to both UK and US taxation.

Having dealt with the bureaucracy of winding up the estates of close relatives in both the US and UK in the last few years I've been struck by the many differences and so am keen to have a will which is straightforward for all involved!