Planning for the future is one of the most important steps you can take. It ensures your loved ones are provided for, your assets are protected, and your wishes are legally binding. Our specialist solicitors provide sensitive, clear, and comprehensive advice, guiding you through every stage—from proactive lifetime planning to the compassionate administration of an estate after a loved one has passed. Protect your estate and reduce stress for your family.
Non-Contentious Probate
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs)
Testamentary Trust Wills
Inheritance Tax (IHT) Planning
Full Estate Administration
Trust Creation and Management
Single Wills
Mirror Wills
Deeds of Variation
Court of Protection Services
We help you establish the foundational legal documents needed to secure your assets and health decisions during your lifetime. Following a bereavement, our compassionate team manages the entire legal and financial process of settling the deceased’s affairs.
We conduct an in-depth consultation to analyse the client’s global assets, family structure, and potential Inheritance Tax (IHT) exposure. We then draft a Will that specifies the distribution of assets, appoints Executors to manage the estate, and names Guardians for any minor children. We supervise the formal execution (signing and witnessing) to ensure legal validity under the Wills Act 1837.
Guaranteed Control and Certainty: Our actions ensure the client’s exact wishes are legally binding, overriding the rigid Rules of Intestacy which would otherwise dictate asset distribution. A valid Will is also the primary defence against future claims and disputes.
We advise on and draft sophisticated Testamentary Trusts (within the Will) or standalone lifetime trusts, such as Life Interest Trusts for blended families or Discretionary Trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries. We analyse the estate to maximise the use of the Nil-Rate Band and Residence Nil-Rate Band.
Asset Protection and Tax Mitigation: Trusts ring-fence capital from risks like a beneficiary’s future divorce or bankruptcy. Strategically, this action legally minimises the 40% Inheritance Tax liability, preserving more wealth for the next generation.
We draft both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare LPAs, clearly defining the powers of the chosen Attorneys. Crucially, we handle the mandatory registration process with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), ensuring the documents are legally effective when needed.
Protection of Capacity and Autonomy: We ensure that if you lose mental capacity, a trusted person (your Attorney) can manage your bank accounts, property, and make critical healthcare decisions without the need for the lengthy and costly Court of Protection process. We shield the client and their family from the stressful, costly, and time-consuming Court of Protection process required if capacity is lost without an LPA. It guarantees that trusted individuals, not the state, make critical decisions.
Completing complex valuations of the estate (including property, shares, and savings) and preparing the required IHT forms (even if no tax is due) to obtain the legal authority (Grant).
We prepare the necessary court applications and submit them to the Probate Registry to obtain the Grant of Probate (if there is a Will) or Letters of Administration (if there is no Will).
Relieving Executors of heavy administrative and legal responsibility during a difficult time. Securing the Grant is essential for Executors to gain the legal authority needed to access accounts, sell property, and distribute assets. Our experience expedites this process, avoiding common delays.
Our firm undertakes the entire process: valuing all assets (property, investments, bank accounts), identifying all debts, meticulously preparing the complex Inheritance Tax (IHT) forms (e.g., IHT400), even if no tax is payable, and preparing comprehensive Estate Accounts. We handle all liaison with HMRC.
Relief from Administrative Burden and Tax Safety: This removes the overwhelming task of estate accounting and tax compliance from the Executors. Our expertise ensures accuracy, protecting the estate from future HMRC fines or investigations. Ensuring the estate is managed correctly and executors fulfil their strict legal duties to the beneficiaries.
Distributing the residual estate and specific legacies to the beneficiaries in accordance with the Will or the Rules of Intestacy.
Guaranteeing a swift, correct, and final transfer of wealth to the rightful inheritors.
Advising beneficiaries on legally changing the terms of a Will (or Intestacy Rules) after death to achieve more tax-efficient results.
Providing post-death flexibility, particularly for IHT planning purposes.
Our firm works with the Settlor (the person creating the trust) to:
Determine the right trust structure (e.g., Discretionary, Bare, or Life Interest) based on their goals (e.g., tax planning, asset protection, or providing for a vulnerable person).
Draft the legally sound Trust Deed, defining the powers and duties of the chosen Trustees.
We ensure the Trustees (the managers of the trust) meet their stringent legal and financial obligations. We remove the emotional and administrative burden of legal challenges from our clients, providing sensitive, professional support.
Providing ongoing guidance on their fiduciary duties (e.g., investing properly and acting impartially).
Handling mandatory HMRC compliance, including registration with the Trust Registration Service (TRS) and managing the trust’s tax liabilities (Income Tax, CGT).
Offering counsel on distribution decisions and managing the legal process of winding up the trust when its purpose is fulfilled.
We strictly adhere to all statutory requirements throughout the administration process, ensuring proper notice is given to creditors and all debts and taxes are settled before any distribution is made to beneficiaries. We prepare final, formal Estate Accounts.
Protection from Personal Risk: This action protects Executors from personal financial liability that can arise from errors in distribution or failure to settle debts correctly, giving them confidence the estate has been managed lawfully.
Whether you need to draft a simple Will or require expert assistance with a complex, high-value, or contentious estate, we provide the clear advice and compassionate support necessary to secure your financial legacy.
Our Wills & Probate service is designed to offer comprehensive legal support across your lifetime and beyond, providing definitive security, financial advantage, and profound peace of mind for you and your beneficiaries. Our services support the family after bereavement, providing efficiency and legal security.
We guarantee your Will is correctly drafted and executed (signed and witnessed) according to the strict UK legal requirements, making it robust against future challenges or claims of invalidity.
By drafting and registering Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs), we ensure that if you lose mental capacity, trusted family members can immediately manage your finances and healthcare. This allows you to avoid the lengthy, costly, and intrusive process of applying to the Court of Protection.
The Health and Welfare LPA ensures your wishes regarding medical treatment and care are legally respected by people you trust.
We expertly structure your estate and employ legal reliefs (like the Residence Nil-Rate Band and strategic gifting) to legally minimise the 40% Inheritance Tax liability, ensuring more of your wealth passes to your loved ones.
We provide clear legal instructions for your appointed Executors, saving them immense time, stress, and expense, and protecting them from personal liability during the complex Estate Administration process.
Through the strategic use of Trusts within your Will, we ensure assets, particularly property, are protected from being diluted by future remarriage, divorce, or bankruptcy of a beneficiary.
The Health and Welfare LPA ensures your wishes regarding medical treatment and care are legally respected by people you trust.
For Probate and Estate Administration, we handle all communication with HMRC, banks, and the Probate Registry, relieving the administrative burden from bereaved families, allowing them time to grieve.
A Will is a legal document that sets out how you want your estate (your property, money, and possessions) to be distributed after your death. It’s essential because it ensures your chosen loved ones inherit and allows you to appoint guardians for minor children and executors to manage your affairs.
Probate is the legal process of settling a deceased person’s financial and legal affairs. It is usually required when the deceased owned assets solely in their name, such as property, significant bank balances, or shares. The official document issued is the Grant of Probate (if there is a Will) or Letters of Administration (if there is no Will).
A Deed of Variation is a legal document created after someone has died, allowing beneficiaries to redirect their inheritance to someone else (who may or may not be a beneficiary under the original Will). This is often done for Inheritance Tax planning or to correct minor oversights in the Will.
IHT is a tax on the estate of someone who has died, currently charged at 40% on the value of the estate that exceeds the tax-free allowance (the Nil-Rate Band, currently £325,000). Transfers between spouses/civil partners are usually exempt.
An LPA is a legal document that allows you to appoint trusted people (Attorneys) to make decisions for you if you lose the mental capacity to do so yourself. There are two types: one for Property and Financial Affairs and one for Health and Welfare.
If you die without a Will (known as dying intestate), your estate is distributed automatically according to the rigid Rules of Intestacy. These rules may exclude unmarried partners, step-children, or fail to provide adequate funds for your spouse, leading to unintended and potentially unfair results.
An unmarried partner (cohabitee) has no automatic right to inherit under the Rules of Intestacy, regardless of how long the relationship lasted. They would need to make a claim, but the only way to guarantee they inherit is to name them specifically in a valid Will.
An Executor is the person or people you name in your Will to carry out your wishes, collect assets, pay debts, and administer the estate. A Beneficiary is a person or charity who receives an asset or portion of your estate.
Without an LPA, banks may freeze joint accounts upon confirmation of loss of capacity. Your spouse or family would have to apply to the Court of Protection to become a Deputy, a process that is lengthy, expensive, and stressful. An LPA ensures immediate, smooth decision-making.
You should review your Will every three to five years, or immediately after any significant life event. This includes marriage (which usually revokes a previous Will), divorce, birth of children or grandchildren, moving house, or if an Executor or beneficiary dies.
The Executor’s main responsibility is to administer the estate—meaning they must collect all assets, pay all debts and taxes (including Inheritance Tax), and then distribute the net estate to the beneficiaries according to the Will or Intestacy Rules.
Yes. We can advise on legal IHT planning strategies, such as maximising the Residence Nil-Rate Band £175,000 allowance for passing a home to direct descendants and using lifetime gifts (subject to the seven-year rule).
Even if no IHT is payable, Executors must still: value all assets and debts, complete specific HMRC forms to confirm the estate’s status, apply for the Grant of Representation, pay debts, and distribute the remaining estate. The legal compliance remains mandatory.
Yes. If an Executor fails to follow the law correctly (e.g., distributing the estate to beneficiaries before paying a creditor or tax), they can be held personally liable for the unpaid debts. Our solicitor-led administration protects Executors from this risk.
The minimum time is usually 4 to 6 months for a straightforward estate, but it often takes 9 to 12 months or longer if there is property to sell, complex tax issues, or delays in gathering asset valuations from multiple institutions.
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