We are an experienced, friendly team of solicitors and support staff with an extensive knowledge of all areas of private client law.
Probate
A bereavement can be one of the most stressful of life’s events. We provide an all-inclusive service and deal with all aspects of the estate administration for you. We are happy to agree a fixed fee in advance so that you know what it is going to cost at the outset. We would only have to review our charges if there was a dispute amongst the parties or it became more complicated that originally quoted for.
We provide a local face-to-face service and your solicitor will deal with the estate administration from beginning to end. This will provide continuity throughout, with your solicitor readily answering any queries and providing regular reports on progress.
We understand that legal fees can be a concern to those seeking legal advice for estate administration and we are able to offer an all-inclusive competitive fixed fee service. The fees are agreed with you at the first meeting and will reflect the actual work required as well as the value of the assets. For an indication or our Probate fees, please click here.
We are happy to handle administrations whether or not there is a will and whether the will has been held with us or elsewhere.
If you have had a fixed fee quote from elsewhere, please talk to us to see if we can offer a more competitive rate.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Lasting Power of Attorney (“LPA”) allows you to appoint someone of your choice to handle your personal and financial decisions in the event you are unable to do so yourself. We recommend all of our clients consider creating LPAs.
The LPA forms are technical documents that need to be completed correctly to avoid the risk of rejection on registration with the court.
There are a number of factors to consider and we would welcome the opportunity to talk these through with you to prepare documents which are appropriate to your circumstances.
Wills
We all know how important it is to make a will, but it is equally important to make it properly so you can be sure it will carry out your wishes. We provide a face-to-face service and prepare your will tailored to your particular circumstances.
If you care about what happens to your property after you die, you should make a will. Without one, the State directs who inherits and so your friends, favourite charities and relatives may not receive anything at all from your estate. A properly-made will will protect your family and friends and ensure that your wishes are followed.
We have an approachable, experienced team of solicitors to guide you through the process of making a will. They will ensure that all legal requirements are complied with. We can also advise whether incorporating a trust in your will would be of greater benefit for your family.
Further, we advise on the possible implications of inheritance tax on your estate.
We also offer free storage in our strongroom: once your will is complete, we will offer to register it at no extra charge on the national wills database called “Certainty”.
Hospital and home visits can also be arranged, should you be unable to attend at our offices.
Elderly clients
We all expect to live longer but this brings with it its own concerns: anything from care home fees to support in decision-making. We can advise on all aspects.
We offer a range of services to help and guide our clients to manage their future. We believe that every adult has the right to manage their own finances and affairs, and we offer various services to help you put your affairs in order and plan for your own future.
We are also aware that the possibility of care home fees is a worry for many and we can discuss the options available to you.
Court of Protection
The Court of Protection exists to protect people who are no longer able to make their own decisions. We can assist with applications to appoint a Deputy to act on their behalf.
If someone close to you is incapable of making their own decisions, and they have not made an LPA or an Enduring Power of Attorney, we can help apply to the Court of Protection for you to to be appointed to act on their behalf as their Deputy.
The Deputy has ongoing responsibilities to the court and we can help you prepare the necessary reports and accounts to be lodged.
In most circumstances, we can act for you for the fixed fee determined by the Court of Protection.
Trusts
We can create trusts to help manage and control your assets, often to achieve security and tax advantages. We can help set up new trusts and manage existing trusts.
Trusts come in all shapes and sizes and may be inexpensive family arrangements or can be more complicated trusts to cater for more difficult situations or larger sums of money.
They are often set up in wills, although they can be set up during a person’s lifetime to assist with inheritance tax planning.
Fees
We like to be upfront about our fees as we appreciate this is often a concern for those looking for legal advice. We are happy to agree a fixed fee at our first meeting to avoid the worry or uncertainty of the traditional open-ended hourly rate charging structure used by most firms of solicitors.
All our fees can be found on the Pricing pages of our website.
