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Poole Alcock Wills & Probate solicitors understand that you need to plan ahead to help protect your assets. You need to have peace of mind that your wishes are respected and all measures are in place to avoid the government taking a substantial proportion of your hard-earned assets.
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Making a will protects your interests when you pass away, and ensures that your loved ones receive what you want them to. If you pass away without a will (sometimes referred to as intestate) your spouse, unmarried partner, children and other significant relations may not be guaranteed or entitled to their inheritance. Don’t have a will in place? Our probate specialists can help with making a will.
Probate is the legal term used to describe the process of dealing with the affairs of someone who has passed away. It can also be referred to as administering the estate of the deceased. If you are appointed as the executor of somebody’s will or as an administrator for the estate of someone who has died intestate (without a will) you will be responsible for dealing with probate. This can be a complicated procedure at the best of times and particularly difficult whilst you are mourning the loss of a loved one. We are able to advise you on all aspects of probate, including lasting power of attorney, and, if required, can carry out the full administration on your behalf ensuring that you are not personally liable for any costs that may be incurred. Our probate and estate administration services are charged on a fixed fee basis, giving you peace of mind and certainty in relation to our fees. A full breakdown of pricing can be found here.
Under intestacy rules, if you are the surviving spouse or civil partner, you primarily have priority, but entitlement can be uncertain and dependant on other factors. The rules detail a hierarchy of who should inherit in the first instance, and if that person should not survive the next relative down will inherit. We can help you to navigate through the appropriate rules and discover who is entitled in the first instance, and exactly what they are entitled to. We can manage essential tasks such as obtaining a grant from the court and ensuring any liabilities to the estate are paid. This situation can, however, be easily avoided by making a will. If you are considering making a will, you have the opportunity to dictate to a certain extent whom you would like, or wish not, to benefit from your estate. The executors of such will are bound to give effect to it in so far as possible. To discuss your options further, get in touch with our team for an initial consultation.
If you’re ready to take care of your assets, start now by using our free Online Will Builder. By providing a few details, you can have peace of mind that your wishes will be protected and that everything is in place for when the time comes. Please be reassured, all your information is stored securely in compliance with GDPR and is not passed onto any third parties. Once you have made your request, one of our specialists will process your details and be in touch to finalise your Will.
Please see below for our Wills and Probate services.
Our team of experts will help make sure any will you set contains all the necessary inclusions, such as:
You can ensure that certain people receive gifts of property or cash before the rest of your estate is divided out.
The remainder of your estate will be passed to or divided between people that you specify in your will. You can even direct what should happen if these people pass away before you.
Your will can make clear your wishes as to who should take care of any children if you pass away whilst they are still young.
Whether you wish to be cremated or buried, where you would like the funeral to be held and even how you would like the service to be conducted can all be made clear in your will.
There are many situations which require more complex arrangements to be put in place. For example, if you need to make arrangements for a disabled family member, or if you want to ensure that children from a previous relationship are provided for. Complex arrangements such as these often require a trust to be created. Poole Alcock Solicitors can provide you with the expert advice that you need.
When writing a will it is also important to consider the inheritance tax implications. Our experienced solicitors are able to assess any inheritance tax liability and advise on any possible tax allowances or reliefs that may be appropriate for your circumstances. This will allow you plan the distribution of your assets in the most tax efficient way for both you and your beneficiaries. Rising levels of home ownership and the value of homes mean more and more people are likely to be caught in the net of inheritance tax. But it is possible to take action now that will minimise the amount of inheritance tax you would have to pay. At Poole Alcock, we will work with you to identify all of your assets, discuss your wishes and advise you on the best steps to minimise a potential inheritance tax bill.
Losing someone close to you can be difficult enough without the added burden of having to deal with all the administrative issues involved. We will ensure that you and your family are dealt with compassionately and that you receive both the expert advice and practical support that are needed at such difficult times. We are committed to helping make the process as simple as possible for you whilst ensuring that your loved one’s final wishes are carried out. We guarantee a fixed price for our work in this matter, a fee that will not change irrespective of how often you need to contact us or how complicated the administration becomes. Our fees will be met from the estate as assets are collected in, either by us presenting interim accounts up to the fixed price, or a single invoice for the fixed fees agreed.
You may wish to arrange the administration of your loved one’s estate yourself. In these circumstances we offer a “Grant Only” service where we will carry out all of the necessary legal steps which allow you to deal with the estate. Grant Only services start at a fixed fee of £1,500 plus £300 VAT for simple estates. In addition Disbursements (third party payments) will apply.
For those people who want the burden of administering their loved one’s estate to be taken over, Poole Alcock is a specialist in estate administration. We will ensure that all tax and death duties are paid and that all estate assets are distributed in accordance with your loved one’s wishes. Our fixed fee is calculated with reference to the gross estate value. Please note that for small estates where the gross value is below £100,000.00, the fixed fee will be based on a 5% charge. In addition, 20% VAT and Disbursements (third party payments) will apply.
At Poole Alcock, our solicitors are highly experienced at helping clients preserve their assets. We will assess the best way to manage the risks of what you or your family have worked hard to achieve and limit your exposure. As well as considering the benefits of asset protection trusts, we will also advise you about alternative tools for inheritance tax planning, such as transferring some of your assets to those you wish to benefit now.
If you believe you should have been included in a will, or received more under a will than you did, then you may be entitled to make a dependency claim. Our litigation team can help bringing forward a claim to challenge a will and make a claim for maintenance under the Inheritance Act.
Contact us today to arrange an appointment with one of specialist Wills and Probate solicitors. We will take you through everything that you need to consider to ensure that your loved ones are provided for in the most tax efficient way possible
We will provide you with a draft Will to consider and to let us know whether there are any amendments that you wish to be made. Once you are happy with the draft Will, we will arrange an appointment with you to sign your Will in the presence of a witness.
Once your will is completed and signed by a witness we will store it completely free of charge. Then all you have to do is let your executors know that we have it securely stored and you can relax, safe in the knowledge that you have done all you can to protect your loved ones in the event of your death.
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Please submit your information and a member of the Poole Alcock team will respond to you as soon as possible. If you have a quick question, please feel free to call 0800 470 0334.
Claire and the team were extremely helpful, polite & professional at all times but still managed to be approachable and friendly. I would not hesitate to recommend them.
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