The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is a government body that pays compensation to innocent victims of violent crime in England, Scotland, and Wales. You can apply directly, or our solicitors can help manage the process for you.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) are a Government funded organisation set up to compensate innocent victims of violent crime. The intention of their payments is to act as a gesture of public sympathy for people suffering as a result of being an innocent victim of crime.

You usually have two years from the date of the incident to apply. The CICA count this as 1 year and 364 days. Applying on the exact 2-year mark may be rejected as being out of time.

Stay calm, listen carefully, and believe them. Don’t press for details - simply reassure them they’re safe and you’ll help. Then report it to the police or local safeguarding team immediately.

A person who sustains injury as a result of a crime of violence where their own conduct has not in any way contributed to the injury; sustained injury whilst taking an exceptional and justified risk for the purpose of preventing a crime.

Many claims are delayed because of backlogs, missing evidence, or police checks. The CICA won’t usually update you unless they need information. Our team can chase progress, escalate delays, and make sure nothing is holding your claim back.

Absolutely.

Your details and your story are treated with complete confidentiality.

Only your legal team and the CICA will see your information, and nothing is shared without your consent.

If you need to go into a care home, the local authority will financially assess you to see if you need to pay for your own fees. An effective way to protect your home from being included in the financial assessment is via life interest trusts (LITs). You can do LITs in your Wills if you own a property in joint names with someone (e.g., your spouse) as tenants in common. The effect of the LIT is that when the first of you dies, the survivor can continue living in the property for life but if they go into a care home, only their half of the property is included in their financial assessment. This is because the deceased’s half of the property is left to the ultimate beneficiaries in the LIT (e.g., your children). Therefore, at least half of the property value is ringfenced for the ultimate beneficiaries.

Sometimes. If there’s family tension, complex assets or no suitable executor, a professional appointment can still help.

Care fees:
If you transfer your home into someone else’s name and the sole intention is to avoid the payment of care home fees, the council will deem the transfer to be a “deliberate deprivation of assets”. If the local authority believes a transfer has occurred for this reason, it can place a charge against the property so that care fees are repaid when the property is sold. There is no time limit on this after which it is OK to transfer a property – the local authority can go back as far as they like.

Tax implications:
A transfer of property, in which you are living, to your children can be regarded by HMRC as a “gift with reservation of benefit”. This means that even after seven years have elapsed, it can be treated as part of your estate for inheritance tax purposes. Some people think that they can avoid this if they pay a nominal rent to their children. However, the rules are extremely strict and it is necessary to ensure that the rent paid it a full market rent and that there are regular rent reviews. This is not a comprehensive list of the rules which would apply.

Other consequences:
There can be other unforeseen consequences. For instance, should your child subsequently get into financial difficulty and be made bankrupt, this could result in the trustee in bankruptcy calling for your home to be sold. In addition, if your home is transferred into a child’s name and then that child divorces, their share of the home may form part of their divorce settlement.

Yes, if there’s evidence of pressure, fraud, or misunderstanding. Working with an experienced solicitor ensures the process is fair, transparent, and legally compliant.

A deed of variation (DOV) can be used to vary a Will or the intestacy rules after someone dies, within two years of the date of death. DOVs are often used to change the beneficiaries of an estate or the gifts themselves. A DOV cannot help someone to avoid paying care fees as such, and the effect on inheritance tax (IHT) must also be considered.

Yes, sometimes. This usually requires agreement between the life tenant and the beneficiaries. Ending a trust early can have tax consequences, so always seek legal advice first.

Yes. If you don’t have someone you trust to manage your finances, a solicitor can act as your professional attorney.

Yes. Many people appoint a solicitor as a professional trustee to manage funds safely, handle tax requirements and support long-term planning.

Yes. It is perfectly normal and perfectly legal to name the same person or people as both an executor and a beneficiary in your will.

Yes. It’s perfectly normal and legal for someone to be both an executor and a beneficiary in your Will.

Yes, as long as you still have mental capacity, you can revoke or update your LPA at any time. Our Leeds solicitors can help you make changes or create a new version that reflects your current wishes.

Yes. But you’ll need to value assets, calculate inheritance tax, complete forms, and settle debts correctly. Many executors prefer a solicitor’s help to reduce risk.

Yes. Many people choose joint executors, so family stays involved while a solicitor handles the legal work.

You can speak to a funeral director, but the death must be registered before the funeral takes place.

Yes, with proper planning. Using your full allowances, making tax-free gifts, leaving money to charity, and using business or property reliefs can help reduce or even avoid IHT altogether. Speak to a solicitor to plan effectively.

Yes, if the first part of the couple has passed away, the surviving spouse can move to another property of their choice. If there are any access funds left over, there is then a choice as to what happens with these funds. These monies can either be paid out. These monies would be split as follows - half to the survivor out of the couple and the other half to the ultimate beneficiaries. The ultimate beneficiaries would be those named in the Will who are to receive the half of the property belonging to the part of the couple who has passed away first. A common example would be children. The other option is that the monies are invested into a Trust account. The latter is a better option for inheritance tax purposes.

Yes, you can appoint multiple attorneys. You can also specify if you want them to make decisions jointly or if they can act independently.