Wills, Trusts, Probate and Estate Planning

It can be difficult to think about estate planning and particularly to think about a time when you will not be around to help and protect your loved ones. It’s easy to put it off to another day. By ensuring that your affairs are in order, you can reduce the risk of additional stress on those closest to you at an already difficult time. You will receive expert and professional advice and perhaps peace of mind

Wills

A Will is a legal document which sets out who you want to inherit your estate and in what proportion. It also allows you to name who you want to be responsible for managing the administration of your estate.  If you do not make a Will then the distribution of your estate is set out in law by what is known as the ‘Intestacy Rules’. These rules are rarely suitable to fully meet a person’s needs.

Trusts

Trusts can be created during your lifetime or when you pass away by your Will. There are various reasons why people place assets in Trust and this may involve asset protection. However, Trusts are often used to look after family members in what can be increasingly complex modern family dynamics.

Inheritance Tax Planning

Inheritance Tax can become due when you make gifts in your lifetime or when you make gifts on death or through the application of the Intestacy Rules.

This is an ever changing area and we can offer you detailed Inheritance Tax advice.

Probate

It can be very difficult to deal with the practicalities of finalising a person’s estate whilst trying to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. We can guide you through this process.

We can help you with:-

  • Obtaining Grant of Probate/Letters of Administration
  • Calculating Inheritance Tax Liability and arranging for assets to be valued
  • Advice on the terms of the Will and any tax planning issues such as the use of Deeds of Variation or Disclaimers
  • Settlement of outstanding liabilities including final income tax returns
  • Sale/Transfer of Property and other assets
  • Preparing Estate Accounts

We find that, in these difficult times, the best way to provide you with details of our services, costs and disbursements is for you to have a chat with a member of our team. We can then talk to you about what it is you want us to do and what matters you feel able to deal with yourself, if any. Once we have understood your needs we can then provide you with a fixed or detailed quotation of your likely fees and disbursements. We are able to offer a free half hour consultation to help you reach a decision.

CLIENT QUOTE

We had never been in this position before ever but you explained everything to us in a way which we could understand so that we knew what was happening

Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA No. 657513
This firm maintains professional indemnity insurance in accordance with the rules of the Solicitors Regulation Authority