Probate and Wills Solicitors

Making a Will

Everybody should have a will yet every year in the UK many thousands of people die without having made wills and thereby making adequate provision for the disposal of their estate. This leaves family and friends with problems that could have been avoided. It also often gives the Treasury millions of pounds from estates which could have been donated to charities and other good causes.For advice on will making contact Deborah Ward by email or freephone: 0800 387967

In situations where you die without a Will - intestate - you would have no say in where your money and property goes. Consider also that if you are married your death does not necessarily mean that your spouse will receive all of your estate. Furthermore when you are not married but living with somebody your partner can receive no part of the estate at all unless you make a will.

We will be able to advise and guide you through making a Will. In addition, we are able to offer the following services:

• Safe and secure storage for Wills
• Will review every three years
• Home visits
• Enduring Powers of Attorney
• Advice for the elderly
• Advice on living together
• Executorship and Trustee Services

A Will needs to be reviewed from time to time. Your circumstances may change or you may wish to change beneficiaries and increase or reduce a gift. There are several events listed below where you will need to consider a change to your will.

• Marriage
• A birth in the family
• Domicile abroad
• Family changes
• A death in the family
• A minor becomes an adult
• Divorce or Separation
• Changes in financial or taxation circumstances
• A relative loosing mental/physical capacity

Probate

Probate is a legal certification (by the Probate registry in the High Court) of a Will authorising executors to handle the affairs of the deceased. Debts have to be settled and what is left distributed to those entitled or invested for infant or incapable beneficiaries. We can deal with the following matters for you:

• Funeral arrangements
• Contact Financial Institutions, Insurance Companies, government departments and creditors
• Inheritance Tax, Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax
• Value and sell property and shares
• Clear debts
• Obtain probate

We can assist in all aspects of the administration of a person’s affairs following their death, including valuing the estate, completing the Inland Revenue account and dealing with any inheritance tax issues that arise, obtaining the Grant of Probate or Representation, the sale of land or property, collecting in and distributing assets to beneficiaries and dealing with income and capital gains tax issues. It is still possible to vary a person’s will after their death, if all beneficiaries agree, to make it more efficient for tax purposes, and we provide full advise and assistance about this.

Executors

You can appoint anybody to be your Executor. However it makes sense to appoint someone on whom you can rely and who will be competent and trustworthy. You might like to consider appointing O’Neill Morgan. We know what is required and when it has to be done and it can take the pressure of your friends or relatives.

Avoiding death duties

There are ways to minimise or even avoid inheritance tax. This is a complicated area where you need professional advice.

What should I do now?

If you have not yet made a Will in the UK, you should do so now. If you have, you may need to review it. We can offer online wills whereby we deal with all communication by phone and email.