EXPERT LEGAL ADVICE from normal people
Wills, Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney & Estate Planning
Many people haven’t made a legally valid Will. Yet, it’s the most vital document you’ll need to ensure that when you die, your wishes are kept.
If you die without a Will, the law sets out what happens to your estate. If you own a property, or have a child, having a Will is fundamental. A Will allows you to plan for the future, whether it is to reduce Inheritance Tax or Care Home Fees by leaving your estate in the most tax efficient way possible, or to appoint guardians for any children. A Will can also help to avoid your Estate being contested in the Courts. This often happens when a family member feels they were 'owed' from your Will. Also, it helps with a married couple who have children with previous partners and want to ensure their child has what you feel is right for them.
As well as having an up to date Will, Lasting Powers of Attorneys can be invaluable. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) can be made for both Property and Finances as well as Health and Welfare. LPAs allow people chosen by you to make decisions on your behalf if you no longer have the capacity to make such decisions, for instance if you were to suffer a stroke, or dementia. Each LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.
If you or a member of your family were to lose capacity without making a Lasting Power of Attorney, in most cases, the Court of Protection would decide who should make financial or health decisions for you. In such cases we are able to assist in the Court of Protection proceedings to make the process as smooth as possible.
The administration of estates if often referred to as 'Probate', this is because to deal with a person's estate after they have died you will usually need to obtain a 'Grant of Probate'. This process involves valuing the deceased's estate and paying any Inheritance Tax and once a Grant has been obtained from the Probate Court, en-cashing or transferring the assets in the estate to the named beneficiaries in the deceased's Will (or intestacy rules if there is no Will). Acting as an executor can be a burden and therefore we will be able to assist you as much as is required during this process. We are able to obtain the Grant of Probate on your behalf for a fixed fee service, or if preferred, we can handle the whole of the administration on your behalf. Please contact us for further details and probate advice.
We help you to fully understand what is involved with writing your Will, what circumstances may arise, no matter how complicated, how much the fee will be and ensure your affairs are in order.
“A Will is often the last thing on people’s minds and we understand that this can be a difficult topic for people to discuss but we do all we can to make it simpler and easier for you.”
Katherine Millman
Partner
Your Questions Answered
Q
What is Estate Planning?
A
Making a Will is important, especially if you own a house or have minor child. If you don't have one the law sets out what happens to your estate and you might not like the results of this. Make a Will and YOU decide where your money goes.
Also a Will can:
- reduce Inheritance Tax
- shield your home from care fees
Other things you need to consider:
- Power of Attorney
We also specialise in this work and also:
- administration of estates (probate)
- trust work
- tax advice
- probate litigation
Q
What does it cost?
A
Our fees are fair and realistic. You will know upfront what the cost will be with no nasty surprises later as we can provide you with a fixed fee from the outset.
Our fixed fee to obtain a Grant of Probate on the basis of the information being provided to us and the estate not being subject to Inheritance Tax (no IHT being required) is £950+VAT and Probate Court fee (£273 plus £1.50 per copy of the Grant).
Q
What next?
A
We are ready to deal with any matters of this kind for you and guide you through the whole process.
Get a Wills Quote
If you would like to get a guide on how much we charge for preparing a Will for you and your family, please click here.
To find out more contact one of our lawyers
What our Clients have said about our service:
"I feel it would be difficult to improve upon your service."
"Service was great, professional and friendly. Superior to other legal offices."
"Very friendly staff and very relaxing atmosphere, something I consider important during meetings of this nature."
"My late husband and I have been with Howard and Over since 1972. They saw to everything when my husband died, I received peace of mind and continue to today. Nothing can improve the service, they are very friendly caring people and it is a credit to visit the branch."
"Katherine was very efficient and business-like; she and her team worked well together. They were friendly, and explained the jargon in simple language very well. Katherine allayed my initial anxiety very quickly at our first meeting by her friendly attitude and ready explanations."
"How could you improve? No comment. It was perfect. I did my Will on make a Will week for St Luke’s Hospice. I received the utmost attention and the staff were more than helpful. Many thanks"
When asked how we could improve our service, a client answered "You can't improve upon perfection."
Our Commitment to you
We aim to provide a dedicated first class service to give you peace of mind for the future. We pride ourselves on the personal service we offer our clients. As a small firm, we have a closer relationship with our clients than many of the huge law firms and in many cases we have acted for several generations in families because of this approach.
In the unfortunate event of a contested probate we are able to refer matters to our Dispute Resolution team
