With the standard cost of a single Will being from only £225 plus VAT or from £350 plus VAT for a couple, why not choose a company distinguished for its top-quality service?

Our Wills, Trusts & Probate department is a dedicated and friendly team committed to providing a great quality service at great value for money. We provide the option of a fixed fee service in relation to every aspect of our work within the department, so that there are no surprises when the bill arrives. We have plenty of experience in dealing with Wills, Trusts and Probate matters and aim to complete all matters as efficiently as possible. From the most straightforward Will to complex and taxable estates, we are always happy to assist.

If you would like to discuss a potential matter or would like any further information, then please contact one of our team using the details shown on this page.

When dealing with someone's estate, there are ultimately three stages:

1. Collecting all relevant information from banks/investment companies to find out the extent of the deceased person's estate.
2. Using that information to fill in the probate application documents for submission to the Probate Registry, so that they can grant Probate to enable the estate to be wound up, i.e. the bank accounts closed, any property sold, etc.
3. Sending the Grant of Probate to the banks, etc., to request that all accounts be closed, before distributing the funds in accordance with the Will / the rules of Intestacy (where there is no Will).

We sometimes find that clients are happy to deal with the first and third stages themselves, but do not know how to deal with the second stage - the application for Probate. With this client feedback in mind, we offer a fixed fee service at just £750 plus VAT and expenses for the application for the Grant of Probate, leaving you to deal with the more straightforward business and therefore making substantial savings to the estate.

A trust once 'up and running' can be a difficult thing to manage, not least because of the onerous obligations placed on trustees. We can give assistance in terms of advising trustees what they can and cannot do, offering them advice on the best way to manage the trust in years to come, and providing them with the necessary precedent material they need to run the trust privately long term.

With discretionary trusts, it is important that the trustees do actually use their discretion on at least a yearly basis, and with this in mind, we can advise on the best way of recording such details.

We can assist with the following:

• Removing, adding or changing trustees
• Deeds of Appointment Out
• Deeds of Termination
• Minutes of trustees
• Registration of Trusts via the Trust Registration Service

When people purchase a new home or an investment property, it is often the case that there are not intended to be completely equal interests in the property, because, for example, one person (or their parents) has provided a deposit. Alternatively, only one party might be on the mortgage to the property for some reason, despite the fact that two people intend to pay all the outgoings and the mortgage equally.

In these kinds of situations, it is important to evidence your agreement at the start of the matter, so that if there is a relationship breakdown, bankruptcy, or death in the future, the Declaration of Trust will evidence your intentions and agreement, and will protect the interests of the person who has contributed more / does not have their details on the mortgage to the property. Without a Declaration of Trust, upon any relationship breakdown, etc., any dispute would need to go to Court, and the party wishing to benefit from the property would have to provide evidence that he/she has an interest in the property, which can be extremely difficult and costly. A Declaration of Trust sets out your intentions from the start, and is a contract between the parties buying the properties, which can be relied on in Court if things break down following the purchase.

If you would like to discuss a potential matter or would like any further information, then please contact one of our team.

If you don't leave a Will, your estate will be distributed in accordance with the Rules of Intestacy. These rules are complicated and seem bizarre to many people, and very often do not give the result that would have been desired.  The cost of making a Will is low and could save much expense down the line in terms of tracing relatives and potential challenges to the distribution of a person's estate. Don't put it off any longer!

If you would like to discuss a potential matter or would like any further information, then please contact one of our team using the details shown on this page.