Wills and Will Writing in Edgware - National Legal Services

We will take time to fully understand your particular circumstances and advise with sympathy and understanding.

To plan properly for the future we always advise to plan early.

Wills
Estate Planning
Client Welfare and Lasting Powers of Attorney
Probate

WILLS

All too often clients present us with an invalid homemade will or have no will at all. A will of course is not just for the elderly and means you can determine exactly who gets what after your death and who would look after any minor children.

Making a will allows you to ensure your property passes to those who you wish to benefit and enables you to plan your estate to maximise tax
saving provisions.

If you die without a will the State then decides how your estate will be distributed in accordance with the rules on intestacy. This can be a costly procedure and will reduce the value of your estate. It can also be emotionally difficult for those you would want to benefit from the estate.

With a carefully drafted will you can also save on Inheritance Tax and make full use of the nil band rate.

We also act as executors and administrators for many estates.

National Legal Services can advise you on how you can

ESTATE PLANNING

There may be ways for you to save tax for yourself and your family. We will advise you on the most straightforward and efficient way to go about planning your lifetime estate.

You may also be considering living with other family members within the household and may be thinking to make a joint purchase or contribute capital towards a purchase. There may, however, be-legal and tax implications that you have not considered and before.

We will advise you on:

Lifetime capital tax planning
Life time tax planning through the use of trusts
Making regular gifts out of income
Utilising annual allowances
Shared accommodation

CLIENT WELFARE

As we progress in life there are often imPortant life decisions that need to be taken. We advise our clients to make a Lasting Power of Attorney
(which replaced Enduring Powers of Attorney in October 2007) so that a client will have the security of knowing who will look after their affairs including decision making should they not be able. These can be prepared in relatIon to personal welfare including medical decisions and property and finance

We also advise on long term residential care; how it is to be paid for and the impact that may have on a family.

Mental capacity/substituted decision making

Enduring / Lasting Powers of Attorney
Court of Protection receivership
Statutory wills

PROBATE

If a loved one has died with assets of more than £5,000 then, if there is a Will, the executors must apply for a Grant of Probate or, if there is no Will, the next of kin must apply to the Courts for 'letters of administration'.

Thereafter, the form fining, letter writing, phone calls and general sorting out of someone's estate can be quite stressful and very time consuming, especially if there's a property to sell. However, everyone agrees that banks and solicitors charge far too much for probate work.

Often they quote a percentage of the estate varying between 3% and 5%, plus an hourly charge which is higher than some people earn in a week (usually between £200 to £300 per hour) - without committing themselves to how many hours, plus disbursements - whatever they are.

We also provide an excellent Probate Service for Executors and Administrators, obtaining a grant and subsequently administering an Estate. We can remove the stress and worry of such an important responsibility.