Will & Probate Solicitors

Putting a will in place with us can be surprisingly quick and could be prepared in a matter of days. For example, should you need to make a will for health reasons, or because you are going abroad on holiday and want to put your affairs in order quickly, we will work with you to ensure your will is prepared before you leave.

Generally, we will produce a draft will for you within a week of our initial meeting, and once your draft will is approved, we will aim for you to sign it as soon as possible.

Without a will, you die intestate and your estate will be distributed in accordance with the rules of intestacy. The rules determine how your assets will be divided between your spouse/civil partner (if you have one), or other blood relatives in a strict priority order. These may not be the people you would want to inherit assets, particularly if you have difficult family relationships or are estranged from certain members of your family.

If you and your partner are not married or in a civil partnership, they will not benefit from your estate, even though you currently live together. Similarly, step-children and foster children cannot inherit under the rules of intestacy. If you have separated from a partner, but have not finalised a divorce or dissolution, then your spouse/civil partner will still stand to inherit, despite your separation. If you’re currently going through a divorce or separation then we can help and advice you on how to amend or draft your will to reflect these changes.

Dying without a will can often make the estate administration process more difficult, and lengthy, particularly if the family tree and line of succession is unclear and the whereabouts of certain family members is unknown. Your estate may also be liable to pay more inheritance tax than it might otherwise have needed to.

If you feel that a family member’s wishes have not been fulfilled, or you feel like you haven’t received what is rightfully yours, then our team of experts can support you on inheritance and trust disputes – however large or small.

Yes, you can! 

Ordinarily, we would meet with our clients face-to-face, but we appreciate that this isn’t always sensible, particularly if you are vulnerable or are maintaining strict ‘social bubbles’ which enable you to maintain contact with your family.

We are happy to meet with you virtually via video conferencing facilities such as Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams of FaceTime if you would prefer. From that point on, we can deal with matters by telephone, email or post - we just need to ensure we are speaking with you and not someone pretending to be you!

Once we have fully understood your needs and concerns we will prepare a draft will for your consideration and send this by secure, password-protected email or by post, whichever method is best for you. Your draft will is accompanied by a detailed explanatory note of each of the clauses it contains and any additional information needed from you will be clearly highlighted.

Once you receive the draft will we are on hand to answer any questions you may have to ensure you receive the high-quality service and tailored legal advice you would ordinarily receive from us.

Find out more by reading our guide on how to make a will during lockdown