• Wills
• Codicils
• Probate and Administration of Estates
  
• Trusts 
  
  Lifetime Trusts
  Will Trusts
  Discretionary Trusts
• Tax issues

Wills

• Making a Will is something everyone tends to put off.
• If you do not make a Will, then the Intestacy laws will apply, and these may create a very different outcome to what you wanted to happen to your personal assets.  The law provides who is entitled to apply for the Grant of Letters of Administration and who is entitled to which of your assets.
• By making a Will, you can ensure your personal wishes take legal effect.  You can decide who to appoint your executor, and you can decide who gets which of your assets.
• A Will, which is easy and straightforward, is not expensive and could well prevent later difficulties.

  Points to consider:-

  • Who do I appoint as my Executors?
  • How do I leave legacies to my family and friends?
  • Who will care for my children if something happens to me?

• Making a Will is both a personal and financial issue and you can be assured that our specialist staff work in a considerate and professional manner.
• If you are elderly, or have an illness that makes it difficult to call at our office, then we will gladly come out to your home to take instructions for a Will.
• Once your Will has been signed and witnessed, it can be placed in our Strongroom for safe keeping at no extra cost to you.

Probate and Administration of Estates

• When a person dies, the Will they have made takes effect from the moment of death; the Grant of Probate confirms the authority of the executors derived from the Will.
• If a person dies without a Will, then the law provides who is entitled to obtain a Grant of Letters of Administration to their estate and also to whom the assets will pass.  In this case no one has any authority to deal with the deceased person’s assets until the Grant of Letters of Administration has been issued by the Probate Court.
• Our Probate department deals with everything required to wind up the Estate of the deceased including ascertaining and then collecting in the assets, settling all debts, taxation issues and transferring the assets to the beneficiaries.
• We update the executors and family members regularly as the matter progresses.

Trusts

• We also set up lifetime Trusts and manage these, including dealing with beneficiaries and the Inland Revenue from time to time and preparing accounts for inspection as required.
• Discretionary Trusts, included in wills, are also very popular as a means of maximising the assets passing to other members of a family.