“The service is much more than the signed Will document. We listen to your wishes and concerns and then advise on your options and the various implications ….including the ones you may not have thought about!
Helen Starkie, Partner & Head of Wealth Management

Statistics suggest that many people still die without making a Will. Worse still, many people die leaving behind them a Wills that is woefully out of date, either because the law has moved on or personal circumstances have changed. Making a Will and subsequently reviewing it from time to time is the only way you can guarantee on your death that your estate will go those people or organisations you chose.”

Whether this is your first Will and your wishes are straightforward, or you need a Will to mitigate inheritance tax or preserve assets for your immediate beneficiaries and beyond, this team will provide a plain English solution to your needs.

The team, which is made up of solicitors, tax advisers and members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, sees the Will as the by-product of the advice service we give in connection with the issues surrounding the succession of your estate. We will always ensure that the instructions we follow are yours, and are being given freely without pressure from others.

In addition to the preparation of the Will itself we can offer advice on:

• giving effect to your funeral wishes
• appointing executors and guardians
• how best to deal with gifts of specific assets or cash amounts
• how to provide for minor children
• assets preservation trust structures to ensure that your intended beneficiaries are protected “from themselves” or others
• inheritance tax efficient nil rate band trust structures
• business property and agricultural property relief for inheritance tax purposes
• life interest trusts and discretionary trusts
• the extent of your inheritance tax liabilities
• the apparently competing interests of the new spouse and your children
• identifying potential claimants against your estate and how best to avoid those issues arising

Writing a Will is not the end of the matter. We always advise that Wills should be reviewed every three to five years, and certainly when your circumstances change. The passing of the Finance Act 2006 shows the need to have competent advisers who can advise whether your existing arrangements still work or need to be updated in light of the new laws.