Wills and Probate Solicitors in St Albans
Most people avoid planning for their Wills and probate needs until, unfortunately, it becomes too late, and they either pass away intestate, that is, without a Will, or their loved ones are left struggling to make decisions on their behalf without legal backing.
We understand that the Wills and probate process can feel daunting, and our Wills solicitors in St Albans provide practical and sensitive support to ensure your best interests are protected.
We will listen to your needs and help you assess and value your estate, organise it in a tax-friendly way, and protect your priorities with legal documentation.
Our solicitors for Wills and probate are highly effective at drafting documents that account for a range of circumstances and eventualities and will be a supportive representative and advocate to help you navigate this sometimes complex process.
Our services at Wells Burcombe include the following:
- Making a Will
- Probate & Estate Administration
- Inheritance Tax Planning
- Lasting Powers of Attorney
- Court of Protection
Contact our Wills and probate solicitors in St Albans today
To discuss your legal needs with our Wills and probate solicitors in St Albans, please get in touch.
You can call our office on 01727 840900 or email info@wellsburcombe.co.uk for a free initial consultation.
How our Wills and probate solicitors in St Albans can help
Making a Will
It’s crucial to get your affairs in order in good time, not only to protect yourself in old age, including your funeral arrangement wishes and elderly healthcare, but also to preserve your assets for those you would like to benefit from your estate.
Our team of Wills lawyers will help you value your estate and put together a Will that is detailed, effective, and represents your core priorities.
We are also able to review an existing Will and give you an honest assessment of its implications and how well it can be executed.
If your Will needs updating, we can help in two ways: either by writing you a replacement Will that honours your current Will but makes it more suitable to your circumstances, or by using a legal document called a codicil—this allows you to make necessary changes to your Will without having to start from scratch.
Once you have your Will made and safely stored, you are empowered to enjoy the upcoming years, knowing that you and your loved ones will be looked after according to your wishes.
Probate & Estate Administration
In your time of bereavement, it can be overwhelming to start considering the legal and financial implications of your loved one’s passing.
Our team of probate lawyers offer a complete service designed to assist in every asset of the individual probate and estate areas of law.
We can help you with the following:
- Identifying the executors or administrators and beneficiaries of the estate.
- Identifying the type of Probate application you will require.
- Obtaining the relevant documents required to make the application.
- Liaising with all relevant organisations (including HMRC).
- Completing the Probate Application.
- Completing the relevant HMRC forms for Inheritance Tax.
- Making the application to the Probate Registry on your behalf.
- Obtaining a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration and securely sending two copies to you.
- Dealing with the closure of accounts, collecting in estate funds and paying any liabilities connected to the estate.
- Preparing a final estate account and distributing legacies to beneficiaries.
Inheritance Tax Planning
The effort that goes into building an estate can be honoured and protected by professional estate planning.
A probate solicitor can advise you on how to organise your estate in a tax-friendly way so that you minimise your liability for Inheritance Tax.
Some of the options that we specialise in are Lifetime gifts, The Nil Rate Band, and Passing on pensions.
If you want to discuss options for reducing your estate’s inheritance tax burden whilst remaining within UK government and HMRC guidelines, speak to one of our probate solicitors in St Albans today.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
The role of a Lasting Power of Attorney (or LPA) is to be entrusted with making critical decisions about your finances, home, health and welfare if you lose capacity.
Choosing your LPA is not a decision that you should rush, but once you have one in mind, it is advisable to have it registered as soon as possible.
The two sorts of LPA you can make are a health and welfare LPA and a property and financial affairs LPA. Our probate solicitors can help you make either or both, in your best interests.
If, alternatively, you find yourself needing help to register as an LPA or seeking advice on how to fulfil your duties as an LPA, please contact us today.
Court of Protection
The Court of Protection exists to ensure that those who, due to mental decline, are unable to care for themselves are looked after fairly and fully by those around them.
Losing mental capacity can unfortunately happen at any age, although it is most common in elderly cases.
Our court of protection solicitors can help you with the legal process surrounding this delicate and complex area of the law, including:
- Applying to become a Court of Protection Deputy.
- Acting as a Court of Protection Deputy.
- Applications to the Court of Protection to sell property.
- Statutory Wills.
Contact our Wills and probate solicitors in St Albans today
To discuss your legal needs with our Wills and probate solicitors in St Albans, please get in touch.
You can call our office on 01727 840900 or email info@wellsburcombe.co.uk for a free initial consultation.