Wills

Many people mistakenly believe that that their assets will automatically pass to their loved ones when they die, but that is not always the case. Unfortunately such assumptions can be costly and cause much heartache to your loved ones after you have died. Other people think they might not need a Will because they are not particularly wealthy but that might not be the case – especially if you own a property.

Putting a Will in place enables you to choose who you want to benefit from your estate. It also provides clarity to your loved ones at an emotionally difficult time.

Getting a professionally drawn up Will is straightforward and inexpensive. At Autumn Years Law you will get the benefit of experienced legal advice from a solicitor who is both regulated and insured. We provide a sympathetic and patient approach to ensure that your Will properly reflects your personal circumstances and wishes. Our solicitor Elizabeth Foggin can even help you identify and consider things that you had not considered or thought possible and provide practical legal options as solutions.

Get in touch to find out how easy it is to have your wishes properly reflected in your Will.

A word of warning…

While it is possible to make a Do-It-Yourself Will, or use an online service provided by unqualified and unregulated businesses, getting it wrong can be costly and cause irreparable divisions amongst loved ones after you’ve gone. Even the smallest of errors can cause huge problems and might result in your wishes not being met. If the legal formalities of making a Will are not completed correctly it is possible that your Will might be deemed invalid. Why take the risk?

Will Review Service

As circumstances change over the years it is important to review your Will from time-to-time to ensure that it still reflects your wishes. If you have experienced any of the following since you last drew up your Will it is possible that your Will might require updating:-

The arrival of new children or grandchildren
Relationship changes such as marriage or co-habitation, separation or divorce
A change of financial circumstances
A family member has moved into a care home – or has received a diagnosis which mean such a move is inevitable
Financially impecunious beneficiaries or children in unstable relationships

If it has been a number of years since you did your last Will there may also have been changes in the law, for example Inheritance Tax provisions which might have an impact on your estate. This is particularly important if you wish to take advantage of the up and coming Residential Nil Rate Band (applicable to deaths after 6^th April 2017) where, in order to take advantage of the new legislation it may be necessary to unravel a trust that is due to be created under your existing Will.

Our services are not just for people in their later life stages:-

Becoming a parent is often a trigger point for people considering their future. We can help you appoint legal guardians and structure your estate for your little treasures in the event that you have an untimely death whilst your children are still minors.
If you are a business owner we can assist you in making sure that there is legal provision to ensure that there is a continuity of your business in the event you become incapacitated or die unexpectedly.

Our fees for taking instructions, providing advice regarding the nature of your estate and testamentary intentions; the preparation of a basic Will and arranging the completion of it start from:-

Basic Will for an individual £275
Basic mirror Wills for a couple £450
A single Life Interest Will from £350
A pair of Wills protecting the family home or other Life Interest £620
A single Discretionary Trust Will from £550
A pair of Discretionary Trust Wills from £850
Severance of joint tenancy £200
Letter of Wishes / Covering Note per document £100 per document
Client due diligence check (identity check) £12.50 per client
Obtaining up-to-date records from HM Land Registry £3 per document

Autumn Years Law Ltd is not currently registered for VAT and therefore the fees are not subject to VAT.

Many people’s circumstances will fit into the basic Will approach. However, if your estate has dynamic considerations (beneficiaries with disabilities, second marriage, estranged children, liability to Inheritance Tax, care home considerations) this will be discussed fully with you so that you can consider your options and the most appropriate way forward. In addition, we may recommend a separate statement to sit alongside your Will (this is because a Will becomes a public document after death) to provide details of your thinking behind your Will if there is a risk that a disgruntled or omitted beneficiary seeks to challenge your Will. Our fees for drawing up such a statement to sit alongside your Will are £80 in addition to the Will costs.