Wills, Trusts and Probate

How do you make a will?

A will is one of the most important legal documents you will ever sign and ensures your wishes are carried out when you die. Your will can make specific gifts of money or possessions and choose who will benefit from the rest of your estate. You can also nominate the person who you’d like to deal with your affairs.

Different types of wills available to suit different needs, including:

Single will – A single will is a basic will for a single person to record their individual wishes.

Mirror wills – Mirror wills are made together, typically for partners or spouses, where the wishes are very similar.

Trust wills – Trust wills are suitable if you want to provide for your partner and have children from a previous relationship. A trust can also help protect your estate against care home fees.

Before starting your will you should consider the following points:

• The type of will you want to make
• Who you what to inherit from your estate
• Who you what to look after you children (if they’re under 18)
• If you’d like to leave anything to charity
• If there are any specific gifts or items that you want to leave
• If you want to create a trust
• If you want to include your funeral wishes
• Who you want to deal with your estate after you die

Your expert will writing lawyer can discuss these decisions with you and answer any questions you have before starting the process of making your will.

What happens if you die without making a will?

In England and Wales, a person who dies without leaving a legal valid will, is called an “intestate person”. What this means is, the Government will decide who gets your estate. If you have children under the age of 18, the law will decide who will take care of them and manage their finances, education and living arrangements. If you don’t have living family members, all your assets will go to the Crown.

Making a legally valid will can avoid this situation and our highly skilled will writing lawyers and on hand to help and assist you.

What is a trust?

A trust can be set-up during your lifetime or in your will and is a way of passing on assets without actually giving ownership of the assets to your chosen beneficiary. You transfer the chosen assets to the trustees, who hold it on behalf of the people who are to benefit – the beneficiaries – in accordance with the trust document.

Our team of experienced trust lawyers can talk you through different trust options and the inheritance tax implications to find the right fit for you. Contact us to find out more.

What is probate?

Probate is the term used for the process of administering a person’s estate after their death.

Managing the estate of someone who has died is a serious responsibility at what can be a difficult and stressful time. Dealing with an estate and liaising with the Probate Registry and HM Revenue and Customs can be a complicated and lengthy process. If there’s a problem distributing the estate, or you don’t interpret the will correctly, you may risk becoming personally liable.

Our specialist probate lawyers can help and deal with some or all of the estate administration duties on your behalf to take away difficulty and worry.

How much does a probate lawyer cost?

It’s difficult to say how much it will cost for a probate lawyer to represent you until we know the circumstances of your case. However, we want to be as transparent as possible when it comes to the legal costs involved, so have set out the fees involved in our Fees Transparency page. For more details about our fees and how we can help, simply contact us today and one of our experts will be happy to discuss this with you.