| Wills and Probate |
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Why make a Will? It is always advisable to make provision for your loved ones now and in the future. Obtaining good legal advice will provide a peace of mind solution, so that you know that your hard earned money is distributed to your children or next of kin, as you would like. This is crucial in helping to minimise or avoid arguments and disputes in the future. Many people assume that if someone dies without making a Will, all their goods will automatically go to their next of kin. However, this is not necessarily so. In most cases, the courts will handle the estate and even if whatever you leave does end up in the right hands, the process will have taken much longer and caused a lot more work and distress for those you have left behind. We can advise on making a will, setting up trusts and Powers of Attorney. When the time does come to deal with the death of a loved one we can help you to obtain a grant of probate and administer the will efficiently and effectively. We will listen carefully to your needs and offer solutions that are best for you and take pride in providing a full explanation of our work and giving accurate estimates of cost at the start. What do I need to do?Simply make an appointment with one of our legal specialists experienced in drawing up Wills. It may help if you bring an address book with you to provide executors' and beneficiaries' addresses, and also any personal papers such as life assurances and personal financial details, including mortgages and bank papers. You should also draw up a list of what you own and start to think about the people you wish to benefit from your Will. Even if you prepared a Will many years ago, changes in your circumstances and changes in the inheritance tax provisions mean that you should review your Will. We offer a no cost discussion to help you identify whether or not any changes would be beneficial to you. With rising property prices an increasing proportion of the population will be potentially liable for inheritance tax upon their death. We can advise you how you and your family can minimise your exposure to tax thus protecting the amount that you can hand on to future generations. In the case of very large estates we have the expertise to draft appropriate trust documents to protect your family assets. Contact We are panel members of: The Law Society's Probate Section, Cancer Research UK, and Macmillan Homes. |
