Offaly Solicitors and Notary Public, Thomas W Enright Solicitors: Expert Legal Advice
Offaly Solicitors and Notary Public, Thomas W Enright Solicitors: Expert Legal Advice
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What is the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)

4/4/2018

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Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) logo
The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) is an international society of experts in inheritance and succession planning, the administration of trusts and estates and associated taxes. 

STEP has published a short leaflet that provides a quick explanation of what the association does and outlines the role, experience and qualifications of its members and the ways in which they can help families plan for their futures, from drafting a will to advising on issues concerning foreign property, the protection of the vulnerable, family farms and businesses and the various taxes associated with succession planning. 

The leaflet is available as a pdf below.

Ken Enright of Thomas W Enright Solicitors is a member of STEP and a Trust and Estate Practitioner. A large part of the work he does relates to the provision of advice to private clients, business people and farmers in connection with lifetime and succession planning, the making of wills, the creation of will trusts and other estate planning structures. He also deals with post-death matters and, for almost twenty years, has been involved on a daily basis with the administration of estates, advising executors and administrators of their rights, powers and obligations.
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Video - Making a Will

15/3/2018

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​For this edition of our blog we've posted a short(ish) video guide called 'Some things you need to know when you are making a will'.

The video outlines the main issues you and your solicitor will need to discuss before you make a will.

It explains the role of executors and trustees and the appointment of guardians as well as giving a quick overview of the various restrictions on the freedom of testation, the legal requirements for a valid will as set out in the Succession Act 1965 and the various reliefs and exemptions from inheritance tax that are available. 

​We hope you find it helpful.

Why make a will?

 When a loved one dies, things can be difficult for those they have left behind. Matters can be made that much easier if the deceased person has made a will setting out their wishes as to what is to happen to their property after their death.

If you die without having made a will then, essentially, the law makes a will for you and your estate will be divided according to what are called the "rules of intestacy". These are set out in Part VI of the Succession Act 1965.

If a person dies without having made a will, the distribution of their estate will depend on their civil or marital status and whether they have children, grandchildren or other issue. If they are not married or do not have a civil partner or issue then their estate will be distributed between their next of kin in accordance with the rules of succession set out by law.  

Briefly, if "an intestate" dies leaving a spouse and no children, then their spouse takes their entire estate.

If they die leaving a spouse and issue, their spouse takes two-thirds of their estate and their issue take one-third between them. If all the issue are in an equal degree of relationship to the deceased (e.g. if they are all children of the deceased) then they will share the one-third equally between them. If all the issue are not in an equal degree of relationship, the distribution will be what is called per stirpes. Say, for example, a deceased intestate husband and father had two sons and one daughter, the latter of whom died before him leaving her own children, then those children, the grandchildren of the deceased intestate, would take their late mother's share of their grandfather's estate between them, with the two surviving sons of the deceased intestate taking, as surviving children, the remainder of the one-third equally between them.

If the intestate dies leaving issue but no spouse then the whole estate is distributed between the issue, in equal shares if they are all in the same degree of relationship or, if not, per stirpes.

If there is no issue or spouse then the distribution depends on the degree of blood relationship.

All this shows that if there is no will, matters can become complicated very quickly. 

​If a person with, for example, a spouse and minor children dies without having made a will, the burden placed upon the surviving spouse is that much greater. One of the difficulties that frequently arises is that the surviving spouse can only deal in their own right with two-thirds of their late spouse's property;  the other third to which the infant children are entitled must be held in trust until the children reach the age of eighteen. Complications of this sort - and the additional costs and burdens associated with them - can be avoided by simply taking the time to make a will.

A will enables a person to deal with their succession in a planned way, taking account of the needs of their spouse and children and any other loved ones or next of kin. 

The will needs to express clearly the deceased person's intentions, it needs to observe the technical requirements of the Succession Act and it should take into account the various legislative restrictions on the the freedom of testation. It should also try to minimize tax liabilities.

In order to ensure that all these issues are properly considered, anyone making a will needs to consult a solicitor or, better still, a solicitor who is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, an international society of experts in inheritance and succession planning, the administration of trusts and estates, and associated taxes.


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Basic Payment Scheme Transfer of Entitlements 2018 - New Rules for Inheritances

16/2/2018

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Under the revised inheritance rules, the way entitlements are dealt with will depend on the date of death.

Inheritance of Entitlements 2018

The Department of Agriculture has recently published answers to a list of frequently asked questions about the transfer of entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme 2018.

The full list of the department's FAQs and replies is published at the end of this post.

Included in the FAQs is the department’s interpretation and proposed implementation of Statutory Instrument No. 639 of 2017 which came into force on 21 November 2017 (see our blog post of 22 January 2018, Important Changes to European Union (Basic Payment Scheme Inheritance) Regulations 2017). 

How the department proposes to deal with the inheritance of entitlements following the new statutory instrument will depend on whether the owner of the entitlements died before or after 21 November 2017. 

​We have summarized the position below.

​Inheritance of Basic Payment Scheme entitlements for deaths after 21 November 2017

  • ​where the will does not specifically mention entitlements, the entitlements will transfer with the land unless there is a legal impediment preventing the transfer;

  • where the will does not specifically mention entitlements and lands are transferred to a number of beneficiaries, the entitlements will be transferred to the beneficiaries in proportion to the amount of land they each receive under the will. If they receive land in equal shares then they will receive an equal number of entitlements.
 
  • ​In all cases, where the will of the deceased bequeaths the entitlements to a particular person, the entitlements will be transferred to that person unless there is some legal impediment preventing it.

​Inheritance of Basic Payment Scheme entitlements for deaths before 21 November 2017

  • ​where the will does not specifically mention entitlements, the entitlements will form part of the residue of the estate and the residuary legatees will inherit them.

  • where the will does not specifically mention entitlements and there are farming and non-farming beneficiaries, the non-farming beneficiaries can do either of the following:

                  a) waive their rights and allow the farming beneficiary to receive the entitlements, or
                  b) apply for a 700 series herd number, take the entitlements and then transfer them to a third party
 
  • Again, in all cases, where the will of the deceased bequeaths the entitlements to a particular person, the entitlements will be transferred to that person unless there is some legal impediment preventing it.

 Department of Agriculture's Replies Frequently Asked Questions on the Basic Payment Scheme 2018


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What happens to a joint account when one of the co-owners dies?

13/2/2018

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The funds in a joint account do not automatically pass to the survivor​
In Irish law, if the surviving co-owner has not contributed to the joint account, the presumption is that a ‘resulting trust’ exists and the survivor holds the funds on trust for the deceased’s estate and not as beneficial owner.
 
This default position can be rebutted in certain circumstances.
 
For example:
 
1. If there is clear evidence that the account was put into joint names with the intention of making a gift to the surviving co-owner, then the surviving co-owner will be entitled to the funds.
 
2. If the surviving co-owner is the spouse or child of a deceased co-owner, then the “presumption of advancement” will displace the presumption of a resulting trust and the funds will advance to the spouse or child, unless there is evidence that this had not been the intention of the deceased.
 
In summary, if no consideration was paid by the survivor, if there is no evidence of intention to make a gift, and if the surviving co-owner is not the spouse or child of the deceased, then the survivor holds the funds on trust for the estate. This means that the funds will be distributed in accordance with the terms of the will of the deceased or, if the deceased has not made a will, in accordance with the laws of intestacy. 

​Joint accounts in Ireland

It is quite common in Ireland for a parent - often an elderly or infirm widow or widower - to add the name of their son or daughter to their bank account as a joint owner or co-signatory.
 
Often, this is done “for convenience”, with the intention of enabling the son or daughter to operate the account for the benefit of their parent: to pay, for example, various day-to-day expenses on the parent’s behalf.
 
In such circumstances, the funds remain the property of the parent and, on the death of the parent, form part of the parent’s estate. The surviving joint account holder is said to hold the funds on a “resulting trust” for the estate. In other words, no beneficial ownership passes to the surviving joint account holder at any time.
 
Sometimes, the parent might wish for the child to take a benefit from the account, either at the time the account is put into joint names or, more often, on the parent’s death. There might, in other words, be an intention on the part of the parent to make a gift to the child.
 
A parent might also intend for both situations to apply successively. While they are alive, the parent might want the child to operate the account for the parent’s benefit and convenience but intend, at the same time, that the child should succeed to the ownership of the account after the parent’s death.

​The Account Mandate

If another person’s name is to be added to an account for convenience, then the account mandate signed with the bank should make this explicit. It is always preferable in such circumstances that the new person’s name be applied to the account as a signatory rather than as a joint owner of the account. This removes any doubt as to the intentions of the parties.
 
In all cases, whether the new name is to added with the intention of conferring a benefit or merely for conveience, it is extremely important that the older person be afforded the opportunity to receive independent legal advice.  This will ensure that they fully understand the effect of putting another name on their account and that they are not subject to any undue influence. Their intentions should be made clear to all parties - including the bank - written down, and acted upon.
 
The account mandate should be reviewed and signed by all account holders and copies retained. 

​What is a Resulting Trust?

A resulting trust - also called an implied trust - is a trust that arises by operation of law based on the unexpressed but presumed intention of the parties. Such a trust exists when an interest in property has been transferred from one person to another but the beneficial interest returns - or results - to the transferor.
 
As a general principle of law, where the legal ownership of a property is transferred from one person to another and the transferee (the person who receives the property) gives no consideration (or payment) for it, then the transferee is presumed to hold the property on a resulting trust for the transferor.

​The transferee can rebut this presumption by providing evidence of the transferor’s intention to make a gift.
 
Alternatively, and to similar effect, the presumption of advancement might apply. Whether it does or not will depend on the relationship of the people involved.

​What is the Presumption of Advancement?

​The presumption of advancement is based on the idea that when one person stands in a particular relationship to another, particular obligations ensue; and that when, in the context of such a relationship, property is transferred from one to the other, there is a presumption that the transferor intended to benefit the transferee absolutely.
 
In a situation where funds are placed by one person into a joint account with another, the doctrine operates to presume that the parties hold the beneficial interest jointly and, ultimately, for the benefit of the survivor.
 
The presumption of advancement, like the presumption of a resulting trust, can be rebutted by contrary evidence. In other words, if there is evidence that an advancement or gift was not intended, this evidence will override the presumption of advancement and the default position, that of the resulting trust, will apply.

Gender Discrimination and the Presumption of Advancement

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Some Good News for Setanta Claimants and Policy-Holders

1/2/2018

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Not all Setantas are the same.
The Minister for Finance had some good news this week for Setanta third party claimants – not to mention the defunct insurance company’s unfortunate policy-holders – when he announced an agreement in principle that the State would ensure that compensation claims would be paid in full. The proposed scheme – once it clears all state aid and competition law obstacles – will also apply to claims against Enterprise Insurance which likewise shut down leaving thousands of policy-holders without cover and claimants unpaid.  

The announcement means that, at long last, there is an end in sight to many years of anxiety suffered by claimants and policy holders, the former worrying that their rightful claims would not be paid in full, the latter facing the prospect of personal ruin in situations where the value of the claim against them exceeded their ability to pay it.

It was often pointed out during the course of the Setanta debacle – and was acknowledged again by the Minister in his announcement –  that the victims of motorists who wilfully or negligently drove without insurance were compensated 100% for their injuries through the MIBI while, in contrast, those involved in an accident with a Setanta motorist – a supposedly insured motorist – faced the possibility that their claim would, at best, be only partially covered. This left the innocent Setanta policy-holder personally liable for the balance of the claim, which in some cases could be enormous.

The liquidation of Setanta was the subject of protracted court proceedings, ultimately decided by the Supreme Court in May 2017. The court held that the Insurance Compensation Fund (ICF) was responsible for the payment of third party claims up to 65% of the claim or €825,000, whichever was the lesser, leaving, in most cases, a shortfall of 35%. While there was some hope that the liquidation of the Maltese-registered insurer would eventually yield up to 22%, it was the policy-holders against whom the claims were made who were immediately on the hook for the deficit.

While the news is positive from the point of view of claimants and defendant policy holders, it is not so good for the average motorist who will be required to pay for an extended period the 2% insurance levy to the ICF, the fund initially set up to cover the costs of the collapse of Quinn Insurance. As a result of the newly-announced Setanta compensation fund, the ICF is due to last an additional eight months or so beyond its initially anticipated span. The fund is expected to expire in 2028 or thereabouts, provided there are no more insurance failures in the meantime.

​Watch this space.
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The Transfer of a Site from a Parent to a Child - Taxation and Other Issues

30/1/2018

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How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?

1. Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

 Application of CGT, chargeable persons and rates 

CGT applies in relation to any life time transfer of property including the transfer of a site

CGT is charged on the person who sells or transfers the property.

A charge is applied even if the person who transfers the property is not receiving any consideration or payment in return for it. In such a case the property is deemed to be disposed of at market value and CGT is charged on that value. 

Tax is payable on the difference between the value of the site at the date it was acquired by the transferor and the value it has on the date of the gift to the transferee, at a rate of 33%. 

However, in the case of a transfer of a site from a parent to a child, a CGT exemption is available.
 
 CGT exemption on the transfer of a site from parent to a child
 
If a person transfers land to their child to build a house which is to be the child’s only or main residence, the transferor will not have to pay CGT on the transfer.  
 
In order to qualify for this exemption, the site must be:
  • an area of no more than one acre
  • with a value of no more than €500,000

​ In addition, the child is required to build a house on the land and occupy that house as their only or main residence for a period of three years.  
 
Clawback of the relief
 
The exemption will be clawed back in circumstances where the child does not comply with the requirements.
 
So, if the child disposes of the site either
  • without having built a house on the site
            or
  • having built a house on the land, but without having occupied that house as their only or main residence for the full period of at least three years,
then, in such circumstances, the CGT that the transferor parent would have been liable to pay on the transfer to the child if the exemption had not been availed of becomes payable by the child.
 
This clawback does not apply in a situation where the child disposes of the land to a spouse or civil partner.

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Applying for the New Local Authority Mortgage Scheme? What You Need to Know

22/1/2018

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The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme

The government has just launched another initiative to help people  – who, up to now, had been excluded from the housing market  – purchase their first home.
 
The scheme, called the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, is due to commence on 1 February 2018 and is aimed at first time buyers with annual salaries of less than €50,000 for a single applicant or less than €75,000 for joint applicants.
 
The main benefits of the scheme will be, firstly, the relatively cheap lending rates –  starting at 2% over 25 years – and, secondly, the fact that it will offer potential buyers a way around the Central Bank’s income multiple rule which limits mortgage borrowings to 3.5 times the borrower(s)' salary.
 
The scheme will apply to first time buyers of new and second-hand (and self-build) homes.

Applicants will be able to borrow up to 90% of the purchase price up to a maximum purchase price of €320,000 in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow, and €250,000 in the rest of the country. The effect of this is that the maximum loan (90% of the purchase price) will be €288,000 in the seven above mentioned counties and €225,000 everywhere else.
 
The loan term will extend over a maximum term of 30 years. 

The Basic Terms and Conditions

  1. The scheme applies only to first time buyers. In other words, an applicant cannot be the current owner of a property. There may be some exceptions to this rule, for example, in the case of legally separated or divorced applicants, although this is not explicitly provided for in the details published to date.
  2. A single applicant's income must be less than €50,000 (gross).
  3. Joint applicants’ combined income must be less than €75,000 (gross).
  4. The primary earner must be in continuous employment for at least two years; the second applicant must have at least one year's continuous employment. A  self-employed applicant must submit two years certified accounts.
  5. The applicant(s) must be aged between 18 and 70 years and the loan term must end on or before a borrower reaches 70 years of age.
  6. The applicant(s) will have to prove that they have sought a mortgage from two lenders (banks or building societies) and have received inadequate offers or refusals from each before making an application for a House Purchase Loan to the local authority.
  7. If the applicant(s) are renting, they must have a clear rent account for 6 months prior to the application.
  8. The applicant(s) must be buying or building a house whose market value does not exceed the limits for the county in which it is located.
  9. The applicant(s) must occupy the house as their normal place of residence.
  10. The property must have a gross internal floor area of 175 square metres or less, be in good condition (on completion) and have good marketable title.
  11. The applicant(s) must be of good credit standing with a satisfactory credit record. The local authority will run credit checks with the Irish Credit Bureau.

Interest Rates

The scheme offers three different rates, as follows: 
  • 2%* fixed for up to 25 years (APR 2.02%*).
  • 2.25%* fixed for up to 30 years (APR 2.27%*).
  • 2.30%* variable (subject to fluctuation) for up to 30 years (APR 2.32%*).
* These are current rates and are subject to change.
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Important Changes to European Union (Basic Payment Scheme Inheritance) Regulations 2017

22/1/2018

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"Hmm, I wonder when am I going to get that cheque in the post?"

​​The new default position is that Basic Payment Scheme entitlements will now stay with the land.

The Minister for Agriculture has, by way of Statutory Instrument No. 639 of 2017, given effect in Irish law to EU Regulation 1307/2013.
                                 
The Statutory Instrument provides:
 
Where a deceased person bequeaths land in a will and –
  • At the time of his or her death held an allocation of payment entitlements under Regulation 1307/2013, and
  • made no provision for those payment entitlements in his or her will
such payment entitlements (or share thereof) shall transfer with the eligible land unless there is a legal impediment preventing the transfer.
 
The Explanatory Note to the instrument states:
 
This Statutory Instrument provides legal basis to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the inheritance of Basic Payment Scheme entitlements where the will of a deceased farmer is silent in relation to these entitlements. The SI provides for the entitlements to transfer with the land in such circumstances.
 
Thus, the position in regard to an inheritance of entitlements is different under the Basic Payment Scheme than it was under the Single Farm Payment Scheme.
 
The position is that entitlements now transfer with the land unless otherwise specified in the will or unless there is some other legal impediment preventing such a transfer.
 
The Statutory Instrument was executed on 21 November 2017 and published in Iris Oifigiúil on 19 January 2018
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A Blame Game or a Waiting Game – Comparing Divorce Regimes in England and Ireland

31/12/2017

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“Judge Mulkis held that Mr Redknapp had behaved in such a way that Mrs Redknapp could not "reasonably be expected" to live with him.” 

"The Quickie"

This week Jamie and Louise Redknapps'  19 year marriage came to an end when a judge in London granted the pair a decree nisi. Court documents say Louise, 43, blamed 44-year-old Jamie's "unreasonable behaviour" - The Sun

One of the main differences between divorce law in England and Ireland is the availability in the former jurisdiction of an immediate – or “quickie” – divorce. However, to obtain such a divorce, one is required to demonstrate adultery, desertion or “unreasonable behaviour” on the part of one’s spouse. In other words, in order to get a divorce in England and Wales – in the absence of separation or desertion for certain defined periods – someone must be shown to have been at fault. A divorcing couple, whether they like it or not, has to play the blame game.
 
In cases like that of the Redknapps in which “unreasonable behaviour” is alleged, the Petitioner (the person who brings the application) must demonstrate that the Respondent (their spouse) has behaved in such a way that the Petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with them.
 
The Petitioner is required to give examples of this “unreasonable behaviour”. The result of this is that often, in the absence of immediate and serious issues where one party is clearly at fault but where the Petitioner nevertheless wants a divorce without delay, certain problems that might be expected within the normal range of ups and downs of any marriage – from genuine differences about money or domestic arrangements or the rearing of children, to bad manners, to lack of consideration, and so on – are burnished up or improved upon to better fit within the category of “unreasonable behaviour”.
 
Not only that, it seems that the obligation to attribute “fault” under English law often involves a husband and wife colluding in the creation of various fictional or quasi-fictional misdemeanors – with one of them making a series of allegations and the other tacitly accepting blame – in order to secure the immediate divorce that, in most cases, both of them want.
 
The process goes so far as to involve the parties’ lawyers exchanging drafts of proposed catalogues of transgressions with the intention of producing a list of offences sufficiently serious to convince a court of unreasonable behaviour but not so egregious that it makes it too difficult for the “guilty” party to acquiesce in the tarnishing of their own reputation. 
 
In the recent English case of Owens v Owens, Sir James Munby in the Court of Appeal expressed the view that this situation, a consequence of the legal requirement to attribute blame, was based on “hypocrisy and lack of intellectual honesty”. Sir James indicated his support for a change in the law and the introduction of a no-fault system, adding his voice to a growing campaign which may see legislation introduced in the UK parliament in due course.

The Redknapps

Naturally, in the case of the Redknapps’ divorce, the media have focused on Louise’s allegation that Jamie has behaved unreasonably and that, as a result of this behaviour, she “cannot reasonably be expected to live with him”. Some, perhaps dubious, sources apparently consulted by The Sun – so-called “pals” of Jamies – have said that he was “furious” at being blamed in the petition but decided nevertheless not to dispute the terms as he wanted the matter finished without undue delay. Whatever the provenance of The Sun’s sources, all this would seem par for the course in terms of divorce proceedings in England and Wales. One party makes the petition alleging unreasonable behaviour and cites various examples. The responding party, though unlikely to be overjoyed at being the subject of such accusations – and not necessarily accepting the truth of them – does not contest the divorce in order to have the process concluded as quickly as possible. It is likely that Jamie, on legal advice, decided to take a pragmatic approach and avoid a contested divorce involving extended adverse publicity and, of course, increased legal costs. He chose, it would seem, the lesser of two evils.

The grounds for divorce in Ireland

In contrast to the situation in England and Wales, Ireland has a “no-fault divorce” regime.* Nevertheless, from the point of view of couples who no longer wish to be married to each other and want to obtain a quick clean break, the position in this jurisdiction is hardly much better. There is no provision at all in Irish legislation for a couple to be granted a divorce – notwithstanding their mutual consent and the fact that their marriage has irretrievably broken down – unless they can show that they have been living separate and apart for four of the last five years.
 
So, from the point of view of couples who have decided they want to divorce and want to do it quickly, the legal position in both England and Ireland is far from satisfactory. In one jurisdiction a couple is often forced into an undignified charade of accusation and blame-taking; in the other they must simply wait and deal with all the unhappy consequences of artificially extending a marriage long past the time it has, to all intents and purposes, come to an end.
 
On a positive note, it looks like Ireland will have the chance to resolve the problem for couples such as these in 2018. The government has decided to proceed with a referendum (as required by the Constitution) to reduce the time a couple must have spent living apart to two out of the last three years, rather than four out of the last five.  So far, no specific date has been set for the referendum.

We will await developments.

*It should be noted that the grounds for Judicial Separation in Ireland are different to those for divorce and are in some respects analogous to the legal requirements for divorce in England and Wales, in that they include adultery and unreasonable behaviour as well as periods of living apart and desertion. ​​​
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Switching Your Mortgage?

1/11/2017

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Even a small monthly saving can pay big dividends over the term of a mortgage

​What are the legal fees on switching your mortgage?

The good news is that the new mortgage provider will be eager for you to make the switch so many banks are offering cashback deals to cover the legal and other fees associated with the switch. These costs would include your solicitor's professional fee (plus VAT at 23%) together with any outlay that would need to be paid on your behalf, details of which are set out in the table below. 

If you have decided to switch mortgage providers in order to save money, Thomas W Enright Solicitors can carry out the legal work on your behalf.


The new bank will also require a valuation of your property to be carried out by a surveyor. Again, depending on the terms and conditions, surveying fees will often also be covered by the new lender.
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Weighing up your options? The good news is that, with cashback offers, the new lender will usually pay the costs of switching.
Type of charge
Cost
Land Registry fee on discharge of previous mortgage
€40
Land Registry fee on registration of new mortgage
€175
Search fee payable to legal search company
€67
Total outlay
€282

​Switching your mortgage - the legal work we do on your behalf

  • Usually, the first thing we do is arrange for you to sign the necessary authorities for us to take up your deeds from your old bank. 
  • When we receive the loan pack from the new lender and the title deeds from your previous lender, we will arrange to meet you to go through all the paperwork
  • We will examine the title to the property to make sure that it is in order and can provide sufficient security to your new lender. Just because your property has been used as security for a previous loan, it does not mean that it will be adequate to cover a new loan. If it turns out that there are problems with your title, issues in regard to incomplete documentation, inadequate proof of compliance with planning permission or building regulations, boundary or access difficulties, issues in regard to roads and services, and so on, then the new lender will require us to carry out additional work so that we can resolve all the issues and "certify title". 
  • At the same time, we will go through the new loan documentation with you and answer any questions you may have. If everything is in order, you can sign the new loan documentation.
  • We will then provide the necessary undertakings and certificates required by the bank.  You will need to ensure at this stage that you have satisfied the new bank in regard to any non-legal requirements they might have, matters such as home insurance, life assurance, the setting up of direct debit mandates (to pay the instalments on the new mortgage) and so on.
  • We will then liaise between the old bank and the new one and make arrangements to draw down the new loan. 
  • The new bank will require us to give an undertaking - a binding professional promise made by a solicitor - that we will use the new loan to pay off the old one. We will also be required to make arrangements for a formal discharge of the old loan to be lodged in the Land Registry and the new loan to be registered in its place.​​​​
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