Skip Navigation.

Look Up!

May 28th, 2008

“We will always tend to fulfill our own expectation of ourselves” - Brian Tracy

As we know, UP is a direction. More importantly, it is a direction that we want to go. The first step in moving UP is to set our sights beyond our current circumstances. Inherent in the definition of UP is that it never stops. There is always one more rung on the ladder, one more battle to fight, one more person to help, and one more analogy to make. So, wherever we are today, we have room to improve.

What’s holding us back? One of the main things keeping us from achieving more is that our expectations are set too low. When an expectation is set, our minds are so powerful and complex that our actions immediately begin to line up with that expectation. Robert K. Merton coined the phrase “self-fulfilling prophecy” to describe this phenomenon in his 1957 book Social Theory and Social Structure. Wikipedia defines a self-fulfilling prophecy as “a prediction that, in being made, actually causes itself to become true”.

In George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, Eliza Doolittle is transformed from a Cockney flower girl to a lady. What made the difference? The image that she had of herself changed when others treated her differently. Colonel Pickering called her “Miss Doolittle,” which Liza says began to teach her self-respect. She explained to Colonel Pickering, “The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she’s treated. I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treated me as a flower girl, and always will, but I know I can be a lady to you because you always treat me as a lady, and always will.”

Most of us have observed the power of expectations with a familiar example. A co-worker mentions to us late in the day that they think that they’re coming down with a cold. We may respond with something like, “I’ve heard there’s something going around”. We could even say, “You look all right to me”. It really doesn’t matter what we say at that point as the person really expects to get sick. Sure enough, the next day, they call into work sounding just awful announcing that there is no possible way they could work today.

By now, it’s clear to me that we get what we expect. In the next part, we’ll look into who sets our expectations and how we can change them.

Bubble UP! is dedicated to helping us make better choices. Choices are the currency that converts the present to the future. We no longer have the luxury of managing our time as there will always be more things to do than time available. Instead, the information age is about managing our focus.

Visit us on the web at http://www.BubblePlanner.com - Organize at the Speed of Thought!

Best mortgage deal UK - put your best foot forward!

May 27th, 2008

As a borrower for mortgage in UK it is your right to find the best finance deal available. Is that a challenge? Not if you know where to look and what to look at while contemplating mortgage. You have to follow a strategy in order to get best mortgage deal in UK.

The constant lowering of the mortgage interest rates may prompt you to apply for mortgage but best deal may not be the one that is advertised.
Get an idea of your financial situation - this will show the path to best mortgage deal in UK. You will be able to make better use of low interest rate period if you know where you stand. Even if you see a slight increase in interest rates the chances are the change would not be very drastic. But if you don’t take advantage of this all time low mortgage rate period - then chances are you would be telling to future generations what you missed. That indeed would not be a very good story.

Any UK homeowner can see that getting Best mortgage deal can save thousands of pounds as interest and make a whole lot of difference in your financial condition. Mortgages have the most diverse assortment of kinds. Comprehending the nuances of each will provide you with ability to spot which one to choose or not. There are specialist products like first time buyers, buy to let, right to buy, self cert mortgages, reverse mortgages, self employed mortgages, interest only mortgages…….one of them is surely capable of being the best deal for you.

Choose between fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgages. Fixed rate means fixed interest rates and fixed monthly payments for loan term. With adjustable rate mortgages interest rate fluctuates in line with the Bank of England’s base rate in the UK. Think which mortgage you are comfortable with - interest only or you want monthly repayments to be divided into capital and interest. Make use of online tools like calculators and informative sites in order to come to the right decision.

For the best deal search all information on all the lenders, commercial banks, mortgage companies and credit unions. Different lenders quote different prices and different terms. Consequently, you would need to compare different lenders to get the best deal.

Some people are confused whether to go to a lending organization or broker for best deal on mortgage. There is not much disparity whether you go for lender or broker. The best deal depends on the rates rather than mortgage provider. A mortgage broker will shop for various deals on the behalf of the UK borrower. Similarly a loan officer at any of the lending organization will do the same for your. Take free quotes from various loan lenders and compare. For best mortgage deals, be prepared to negotiate with mortgage lenders and brokers.

For best mortgage deal find out the various cost for mortgage in UK. Interest rate and monthly payments would just not be enough for finding best mortgage deals. Ask for things like points, closing costs, additional fee, closing costs, redemption fee etc which will add to mortgage interest rates. Points should not be in numbers this makes clearer for you the cost as you have to pay i.e. in pounds. Ask for latest list of mortgage rates. If the rate cited is for adjustable-rate, ask how your rate and loan payment will vary, including whether your loan payment will be reduced when rates go down. And ask for APR (annual percentage rate). Ask! Ask! Ask! Don’t be shy while asking questions. It is what will make you understand that the deal you are applying for is best mortgage deal for you in UK.

Down payments can be integral to some mortgage forms. The more the down payments better the deals you get on mortgage. Usually 15-20% is the mortgage for rates for UK residents. Private mortgage insurance can be the additional cost for the UK borrower in case 20% down payment is not affordable.

No one mortgage will indicate the best deal for borrowers in UK. Mortgage is for your circumstances. Therefore, only one mortgage will fit the bill for you. Getting best mortgage deal is not a probability but a possibility. A possibility made possible with research, determination and sincere effort. With mortgage it is possible - they will come in all flavours to suit your taste.

Loan borrowing is a highly voluntary act. It is such a significant decision that without proper knowledge and understanding it would not be of much help. Sandra smith is making an honest effort in such a direction so that loan borrowing is comprehensible to lay man and thereby he can make a favourable decision that substantiates his financial status.To find Mortgage,first time buyer mortgage,buy to let mortgage that best suits your needs visit www.easymortgageuk.co.uk“> www.easymortgageuk.co.uk

Barbecue Tandoori Chicken

May 27th, 2008

One of my favourite types of food is Indian cuisine. So being able to make Indian style food on the barbecue appeals greatly to me.

Tandoori food is traditionally made in a clay oven called a tandoor in which meat is placed on long oversized metal skewers and placed through the top of the tandoor, with the tip of the skewer touching the bottom where the charcoal is smouldering. The heat inside the tandoor sears the surface of the meat, while the metal skewers conduct the heat through the inside of the food. Cooking the meat simultaneously on both the inside and the outside.

Naan bread is cooked by slapping the dough mixture onto the inside of the tandoor. It cooks has it hangs down from the inside of the tandoor, forming into a teardrop shape.

Tandoori food can easily be cooked on a barbecue grill and you’ll achieve very similar results as obtained using a tandoor.

It’s normal for tandoori food to be slightly seared black on some of its edges. Which is caused from the intense heat created inside the tandoor.

The Barbecue tandoori chicken recipe below makes a good start to cooking tandoori style on your barbecue.

Practically every Indian restaurant offers tandoori chicken. The secret behind this succulent tandoori chicken dish lies in the long marinade in yogurt with spices. The coloring used to achieve the distinctive tandoori color is created using alkanet root. This is not readily available so food coloring powder can be used to achieve a similar result. Use either red, orange or yellow.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 24 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
6 large chicken legs
4 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt

Marinade
9 fl oz (265ml) of yoghurt
3 tablespoons of mustard oil
9 cloves of garlic, crushed
1.5 teaspoons of salt
2.5 teaspoons of paprika
2.5 teaspoons of ground coriander
2.5 teaspoons of ground cumin
1.5 teaspoons of ground ginger
0.5 teaspoons of food coloring powder (red, orange or yellow)

1. Skin the chicken and slash the flesh with short gashes. Place in a shallow dish and rub the lemon or lime juice, and salt, into the flesh. Leave for about half an hour.

2. Mix all of the other ingredients together and rub thoroughly into the chicken. Cover and leave to stand overnight in refrigerator.

3. Place the marinated chicken over medium hot coals and grill for about 25 to 30 minutes until cooked. Turning occasionally and basting with any remaining marinade.

4. Serve on a bed of lettuce and onion rings with a wedge of lemon. Accompanied with naan bread and tandoori chutney.

For naan bread and tandoori chutney recipes, and other tandoori recipes, visit www.barbecuehut.com/barbecuerecipes.html

About the Author

Les runs The Barbecue Hut website that provides useful information about barbecue grills and smokers, and also includes a wide selection of recipes.
He is also author of The Char Grill Chat newsletter.
Website:
http://www.barbecuehut.com

Newsletter:
http://www.barbecuehut.com/chargrill_chat

Affiliate Fraud - Avoiding Fraud in Lead Programs

May 27th, 2008

Lead fraud is possibly the largest obstacle to successful lead gathering via Affiliate marketing on the internet. Finding pre-qualified leads online can be either very successful or very frustrating depending on how you set up your program to deal with fraud.

Gathering leads through an Affiliate program can be a very successful venture if you find the right Affiliates. Names and contact details of people who have an active interest in your product increases conversion rates for offline sales and hopefully increases your bottom line. That benefit may, however, be adversely affected if the time you spend sifting through rubbish leads becomes too great. But there are a few things you can do.

Choosing Affiliates

As with all Affiliate programs, you will need to choose your Affiliates wisely at the beginning to have a fraud-free campaign. This means manually vetting Affiliate applications to join your program. Look at other sites your Affiliates have gathered leads for and ask for references if you think it is warranted. Remember also that seeking legal redress against fraudulant Affiliates is much easier to do in your home country, or countries with a similar, enforceable legal systems. Be sure that you know all of the contact details of your Affiliates so if something goes wrong you can contact them quickly.

Monitoring Your Lead Campaign

You will need to monitor your campaign manually, especially at the beginning to ensure you are receiving quality leads. Look at the leads you are receiving - if they all exhibit similar properties then you could have a problem. Things to watch out for include similar spelling mistakes on each lead (which would indicate one person is filling out the lead many times) and identical IP addresses (which could also indicate that one person is filling out the lead form several times or getting friends and relatives to do it). You will need to keep doing this manually until you are happy with your Affiliates and the quality of leads they are sending through.

With just a few hours of diligence at the beginning when you are setting up your lead campaign you can avoid days of frustration. The bulk of lead fraud is preventable - it just takes a little planning.

Rob Wood is a professional Affiliate fraud investigator. He runs a site over at eFraudster on click fraud and general affiliate fraud prevention.

http://eFraudster.com

Adsense Priorities - High Paying Keywords vs. High Converting Keywords

May 27th, 2008

Mesothelioma…

The majority of webmasters and internet marketers who see this
word can’t help but think about the supposed ‘top-paying
keywords’ lists which have been circulating for some time now.
You may have experimented with a few yourself just to see if the
rumours were true. By the way, anyone who knows how to find the
real value of Adsense keywords knows that Mesothelioma is not
the highest paying keyword on the market today.

I have mixed feelings on the top-paying keywords issue. On one
hand, I believe that if you do choose top-paying keyword driven
topics and write good, original content about those topics, then
you deserve every dime or dollar you get from Adsense. I also
feel that using the right keywords on your page for both search
engine optimization and boosting Adsense values is ok when used
in moderation. For example, if ‘webpage templates’ isn’t as
profitable and traffic-pulling as ‘web site templates’, then I’m
going to use the latter terms within my content of course.

What I don’t agree with is using top-paying keywords simply to
slop a pile of feeds & links together and calling it a “page”. I
wouldn’t even call them pages, a better term is ‘corrupt files’.

There is much debate over the implementation and value of
top-paying keywords and some don’t believe they exist at all.

Some say focusing on high converting keywords and topics is more
effective than chasing the illusion of top-paying keywords and
topics. Just as many will say the opposite.

The question is: Which is more important? What should webmasters
be focusing on? High paying keywords or high converting
keywords? Should we be bothering at all?

Share Your Opinion In ‘The War Room’ - Click
Here

What Is Heel Pain?

May 26th, 2008

A common cause of heel pain is the heel spur, a bony growth on the underside of the heel bone. Heel spur syndrome is the best known heel problem, but plantar fasciitis is the most frequently encountered cause of heel pain.

Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the heel and bottom of the foot, especially noted upon first arising in the morning. If the pain persists, we recommend soft-soled shoes or heel pads or prescribe foot orthotics. There are many other causes of heel pain, which has become one of the most common foot problems reported by patients of podiatric physicians. If symptoms of heel pain develop, icing the foot should begin immediately.

Do not delay in seeking health professional advice for heel pain or any other foot problem because of something seen on ePodiatry. The heel bone is designed to be the first contact the foot has with the ground. Their pain referral is to the bottom of the foot, particularly to the heel. Therefore it is advisable for you to get a soft gel pad for your heels!

Usually, heel spur pain can be diagnosed during a physical examination. The pain from plantar fasciitis is not usually from the heel spur. The presence of a heel spur is no indication of the amount of pain that exists. The heel spur is caused by the same process as the heel pain, but the spur is not itself the cause of the pain. Indisputable evidence of the harmlessness of a heel spur is when trigger point therapy stops the pain.

Pressing on the bottom of the heel where the arch begins usually causes pain. That, in turn, can cause heel or arch pain as tissues in your feet are unduly stretched to make up for tight calves. A rupture can sometimes occur at the origin of the arch ligament and result in inflammation and heel pain. The pain is usually centered at a location just in front of the heel toward the arch.

Check the shoes that you most often wear, if a shoe can be bent in the middle (arch area) when flexed, it won’t help your heel pain because it gives too little support. Ask yourself if the pain around your heel is centered in front of the heel, towards the arch. Therefore, it is very important to invest in good quality shoes.

Many things can slow down your active lifestyle, but heel pain can definitely bring it to a stop. Come Find out More about Heel Pain at HeelPain.eabout.info

Three C’s - What Startups Need to Get a Business Loan, Part 1

May 26th, 2008

You want to get a good, solid overview of what it takes to acquire that business loan you need, especially if you are a startup. The essential element of what the lenders out there require of you can be wrapped up in the acronym, C. C. C. These are…

Cash - Decide how much money you want to borrow, what it will be used for specifically, and how much you personally will put down on the loan. The more cash you can come up with the better, period.

Credit - Your personal credit score really should be 700 or better. Unless you’ve got tons of cash and collateral, don’t even attempt a loan request until it is. Personal credit reports can often be obtained free and securely over the internet.

Collateral - The more collateral the better. The lender will establish a loan-to-value on all of it. Having a house to pledge is a huge plus. Keep in mind, though, that little or no cash and lousy credit will not be made up for by an excess of collateral.

You must decide how much money you need and how much you can raise for a down payment. You must get working to make that credit score of yours better. You know how many assets you have, and should find out what their liquidation value is. You need to discover how to get your hands on additional cash and collateral should the need arise…

Still with me? Good. If you are serious about starting or enhancing your business through a loan, you need to understand that lenders will want to know how much skin you have in the game. After looking into a loan possibility, many aspiring and existing entrepreneurs conclude that the money lending industry is too demanding and complex, and the sheer volume of information required by them is overwhelming. Then, discouragement sets in and drains all the excitement and enthusiasm out of them.

But perhaps it’s prudent to think from the lender’s perspective for a moment. Imagine a stranger approaches you, nicely dressed and polite, and proceeds to enlighten you on his idea to build a lovely espresso stand just down the street from your house. His vision of the success of this venture is optomistic, he apparently has a little experience at running coffee joints, and is now inquiring if you would like to fund the construction and initial operation of this hopeful enterprise.

So, naturally you begin to be a little inquisitive…

You: “How much cash will you have on the line for this project?”

Him: “Cash?”

You: “Yeah, you know…, money? And, since I’m asking, how’s your credit? Have you been making all of the payments to your creditors on time?”

He begins to squirm.

Him: “Well…, about the money thing, I wouldn’t be coming to you if I had any of my own. And, as far as my credit is concerned, it’s happens to be pretty good…I think.”

You: “Do you have any assets that can be pledged against this loan in case of a default?”

Him: “Default?! Good grief, man. Can’t you tell by looking at me that I’m a man of my word?!”

You: No.

At this point, he leaves your presence discouraged, fuming, or both. No one in his right mind would fund such a proposal at face value. On the other hand, if that same man came to you (and you were in the business of lending money), laid out a sensible business idea, put up 20% of the loan amount in cash, had good credit, had experience either at running a business or in the industry he was proposing, and had a sufficient amount of collateral to cover losses due to unforeseen circumstances, you might consider him a “good risk”, wouldn’t you?

All lenders have the difficult task of making future decisions based on historical information. Commercial or private lenders such as commercial finance companies, leasing companies and mortgage banks, though not directly regulated by the government, still must adhere to certain credit granting criteria. Institutional lenders such as banks, credit unions, savings and loans, etc., lend money obtained by borrowing from their depositors. Thus, they are both regulated by the government and more critical in their policies regarding lending. Regardless of whether you approach one or the other, neither one of them are in the business to lose money. Give them reasons to lend to you. Did you know that lenders want to provide money to you? Let them!

By preparing your personal three C’s properly for the scrutiny they will endure, you’ll give the funder a good opportunity to fulfill your request for business startup capital. There are many other details involved in the process, such as the sizeable amount of paperwork you need to prepare and gather. But, if you’re serious and confident about your venture, pony up and be willing to hurdle the necessary fences to satisfy the lender’s requirements. At that point, an independent loan broker will be one of your most valuable allies. Contact a professional who can walk with you through the process and explain the details of the transaction. Your chances for approval will become greater and your lender will thank you.

In part 2 of this article, we will examine the types of paperwork necessary to package a startup loan request to the lender.

Mark Uptain is the owner of Regent Business Capital, a loan and lease brokerage that works with lenders nationwide to help small and medium-sized businesses get financing. His website http://www.EquipmentLeasingSource.com, offers free equipment leasing information and competitive quotes to businesses throughout the United States.

7 Tips for Successful Article Writing

May 26th, 2008

Just imagine if you could perpetually entice thousands of
internet surfers to visit your website and make purchases on a
regular basis!

That’s what writing articles can do for you if you do it right.
If you do it wrong, forget it. Don’t even bother.

To help you become more successful in directing traffic to your
websites through effective articles, I’ve compiled a list of
positive elements for you to include.

Here are 7 article writing tips:

1. Open with a hook that will entice your readers to keep
reading.

Your first four words better be compelling or your readers won’t
stick around to read the rest. So start with an
attention-grabbing headline plus intriguing opening paragraph.

Get to the point quickly and remain on target. It’s easier to
stay focused if you stick to an outline, so be sure to create
one before you start writing.

2. Write lots of how-to articles.

They have great attraction for readers. In this type of article
your goal is to teach people how to do something they are
interested in doing by offering practical tips and solutions.
The best type of articles help readers solve problems or inform
them of the latest breakthroughs in their fields of expertise.

Research your subject well and check your facts. Give concrete
examples and personal experiences to back up your points. Tell
how you faced a problem and solved it.

Your article should inspire action and not just be an
intellectual exercise. Think of it this way: knowledge plus
action leads to growth. Insight alone may not accomplish
anything.

If you’re going to give a list of tips, it’s a good idea to
serve them up in groups of 3, 5, 7 or 10 rather than a larger
number like 17.

3. Be sure to include plenty of original content.

Visitors will remain longer at your website if you offer them
unique material.

Write as if you were speaking to your best friend about a topic
that’s compelling for both of you. For example, imagine that
your friend is just starting out in your field of expertise.What
tips would you share? Use “you” a lot to make your writing more
personal. Concentrate on helping your reader instead of
concentrating on yourself.

You’ll sound like a real person if you write from your heart.
However, beware of being overly casual and avoid too many
personal references.

Here are some winning ideas for you to include in your writing:

* Tell a funny story or insert dashes of humor. * Give
unexpected information. * Share an amazing fact or figure. *
Throw in a surprise element. * Provide information with impact.
* Give a unique spin to a popular subject. * Quote a respected
authority.

5. Use numbered lists and bullets whenever possible when you’re
writing to make skimming easier.

Skimming is the way people read articles on the internet.
Internet articles are different from articles in magazines
because it’s hard to read type on computer monitors.

Use bold headings and subheadings to divide the material and
make it easier to skim. Keep paragraphs short with about three
sentences each and use lots of white space.

6. Your article should be between 500 and 800 words.

Write too few words and you lose credibility. Write too many
words and the reader will be off somewhere else.

7. Be sure to include your author resource box with a live
clickable link.

This is your chance to tell people about what you have to offer.

Become a more skillful writer using these suggestions.

If you do, you’ll soon start writing unique articles with impact
that are a cut above the rest.

How to choose the foundation for your log cabin

May 25th, 2008

How to choose the foundation for your log cabin

Full foundation sounds easier to build than a slab. The only
catch is that you’ll probably have to do a lot more digging.
This is especially true if you live in the northern part of our
country. A little north of New York City we usually extend our
foundations down 4 feet. You’ll want to find out how far down
the wall and footings should go; the local building inspector or
mason can tell you.

With this information in mind, lay out the outlines of the
building as described above and start digging. The walls that
form your foundation will probably be built of 8-inch concrete
block. This wall should rest on a footing. The illustration at
the side shows one way such a footing can be made.

Like the beam described above, the dirt may be cut square and be
used as the form. The footing should be at least 6 inches thick
and project 2 or not more than 3 inches beyond the thickness of
the wall. This concrete footing is made of I part portland
cement, 3 parts sand, 5 parts coarse aggregate, or a transit mix
that will have a minimum compressive strength of 1,500 pounds
per square inch in 28 days.

If you are making the walls of block, the mortar you should use
is composed of I part portland cement, 3 parts sand by volume,
and lime not exceeding 25 per cent of the cement by volume.
Stagger the blocks so that the joints of the second row of
blocks fall over the mid-sections of the blocks below. Use
closed-end blocks for corners.

Moistening the blocks before laying them will help hold the
mortar. Pour concrete into the top row of blocks and insert
6-inch bolts, 8 feet on center, for the sill.

Piers are the type of construction you will probably use. It is
the quickest way to get your summer home under way. Most cottage
plans have a pier plan which you should follow. There are
several rules to remember about piers. They can be built of
block (8 by 8 by 16 inches) or of solid concrete. Piers require
foundation footings just as walls do.

Take the advice of the local building inspector on the depth
they should extend below grade. You’ll want to have the footing
below the local frost line. The illustration at the side shows
the usual arrangement for the footings. Poured concrete piers
should be 10 by 10 inches if square or 12 inches in diameter if
round.

I have seen a posthole digger used to make the hole for a round
pier. It worked. The only trouble is that the center of the pier
is the used part and some portion of the pier will project
beyond the building line. The proper mix is the same as for
footings mentioned above. The maximum height above grade that
you should build a pier is four times its least dimension.

If the pier on the low side of your camp is 6 feet, the pier
size should be increased to 18 inches square. The forms for
solid concrete piers may be made from any old lumber. The
illustrations at the side should show you how.

Take your choice of these three ways to build your foundation.
Some may ask why I haven’t mentioned wood post construction. I’m
not convinced that they are worth using except above grade. If
you must use wood, be sure that you get pressure-treated posts.
Dipped or painted ends are little protection.

About the Author

About the Author: Jack Hudson is a writer for
http://www.log-cabin-plans-n-kits.com and
http://www.best-house-n-home-plans.com/. These two sites work
collectively as a resouce for the planning and building of log
cabins as well as choosing from different house plans. Visit one
of these sites for informative articles as well as free TIPS for
building a log home or choosing a house plan.

Civil Partnerships

May 25th, 2008

Civil Partnership Act 2004

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force on the 5 December
2005 providing a long overdue legal recognition of same sex
couples’ rights. Same sex couples now finally have largely the
same legal rights as that of heterosexual married couples.
However, there does appear to be 2 areas where the legal rights
of civil partners and married couples differ.

Dissolution
The grounds for dissolving a civil
partnership are the same as those for dissolving a marriage with
one exception - adultery is not a ground for dissolution in a
civil partnership unlike in marriage cases.

Pre-Partnership Agreements
Pre-nuptial agreements
have been available for many years but it would seem that only
the most wealthily couples who intend to marry avail themselves
of this agreement, and it there appears to be little
encouragement from legal forums to use them.

Conversely, with the introduction of Civil Partnerships, much
emphasis has been placed on entering into a Pre-Partnership
Agreement. The Pre-Partnership agreement has been extant for
many years now. Previously referred to as ‘Cohabitation
agreements’ it was considered a useful document to have where
couples - both same sex and heterosexual - decided to live
together. More often than not however, people never knew of the
existence of such a document, as is probably the case today.
With the introduction of civil partnership rights, much emphasis
has been placed on having such an agreement. The document should
be entered into prior to registering the partnership, and is
designed to deal with how the couple wish to deal with financial
issues in the event that the partnership is dissolved.

The Law Society of England and Wales has argued in its
literature that whilst Pre-Partnership Agreements - like
pre-nuptial agreements - are not legally binding, with the
courts usually deciding to split assets 50/50 on divorce
pre-partnership agreements ought to be considered as the law
will treat civil partnerships in the same manner as divorce.

(Pre-Partnership/Cohabitation Contract and Pre-marital
agreements are available to download from the Legal
Documents section of the DYW site).

Tax & Wills Implications

Civil partners will be treated the same as married couples for
tax purposes. Thus, all the same inheritance tax exemptions
available to married couples will also be available to civil
partners. Such exemptions will include the Nil Rate Band
allowance (currently £275,000) and the ’spouse’ exemption
whereby all transfers between spouses are exempt from
inheritance tax and will also be the case with civil partners.
(For more detailed advice on inheritance tax exemptions see
Inheritance Tax).

The other implication of entering into a Civil Partnership from
a Wills perspective, is that any existing will shall be
invalidated upon registering the partnership. The extant Will
shall automatically be revoked, and a new Will should be
drafted. If you wish to make a Will in expectation or
contemplation of entering into a civil partnership - or marriage
for that matter - specific clauses will need to be drafted into
the Will to ensure that it remains valid after entering the
partnership/marriage.

Thankfully the law relating to Civil Partnerships is on a very
similar footing to that of marriage, thus matters are not too
complicated. As with advice given to married couples, making a
Will is important as you should not assume that your
spouse/partner will inherit your share, and it may well be that
specific clauses will need to be drafted into Wills for civil
partners.

JsByrne

LLB (Hons) LPc.

www.Draft-Your-Will.com