Wills and Probate

More than 70% of the population do not have a Will or the Will he or she does have is not suitable for his or her needs.

If you die intestate, (without a valid Will), your estate is distributed according to the Intestacy Rules – Rules laid down by Parliament.

The Governments revenue from Inheritance Tax has virtually doubled from £1.9 billion in 1996 to £3.5 billion.

Three simple facts – do you, like us, see a connection?

Making a Will may not prevent the government taking inheritance tax from your estate when you die, but it does mean that you will have limited this as far as possible and done your best to preserve the estate you have worked so hard to build up from the clutches of the Tax man.

Making a Will means you have left clear instructions for those you care about most. You know that what you want to happen will happen and those dearest to you will not have the distress of confusion or doubt or the upset of being told what will happen by the government.

Making a Will means that you can make fair provision for those who mean the most to you or have most need – those who depend upon you – avoiding hardship and argument.

Making a Will is the best thing you can do for those you love the most if you are not around.

By the way, all those things you may have heard as reasons you do not need a Will :-

“I am married so everything automatically goes to my wife/husband”

“We are not married but we are common law husband and wife so everything will go to the other when we die”

“We are not married but he is the children’s natural father so he will automatically get custody if anything happens to me”

“The kids will get it all eventually and they don’t have to pay inheritance tax”

“I told my friend/brother/sister/mother/father/priest/doctor/solicitor/accountants/whoever what I want to happen so that’s legally binding”.

They are all wrong and it will be those closest to you who suffer if you believe them.

Some people think making a Will is morbid, however, we think it is rather making the most of what you have achieved for the benefit of the living and those you care for most.

Fryer Chandlers Will Writing Service is prompt, efficient, friendly and personal to you. To arrange a meeting with one of our experienced staff and the details of our charges contact us by telephone, mail or email as soon as possible.

Many people are now also considering Advanced Directives or “Living Wills”, setting out circumstances in which you would wish to refuse certain treatments to prolong your life if you are no longer able to communicate those instructions to your health care professionals. We at Fryer Chandler are fully experienced in preparing these and sympathetic to the sensitive circumstances in which the need for such documents arise.

Many of our clients old and young and also seeing the benefits of preparing Enduring Powers Of Attorney. Currently, if a person becomes incapable of managing his or her own affairs through mental or physical frailty then someone has to be appointed the Patients Receiver by The Court Of Protection. The patient has no say in who the Receiver will be and applications to The Court Of Protection are currently lengthy and expensive. By preparing an Enduring Power Of Attorney you are safe-guarding your own security if you can no longer handle your own affairs and securing peace of mind for those nearest to you by providing certainty as to what is to happen if you are no longer in control. You stipulate who will be your Attorney(s) and will not have someone thrust upon you.

What better than discussing these issues with Fryer Chandler and having the reassurance and peace of mind of having them prepared by experienced Solicitors in timely, efficient and cost effective fashion after having them explained in a clear and straightforward manner.

We also offer probate services – the administration of someone’s estate when he or she has died, either as Executors named in the Will or as Solicitors to the Executor/Administrators.

In all our Will and Probate Services we make the most of modern technology to deliver a fast efficient and transparent service but remember always that this is only a tool to assist us in our prime objective which is dealing with our client as an individual and dealing with his or her individual needs at a difficult time.

Our services include :-

Writing Wills

Meeting you, taking your instructions and reflecting those in a document recording your wishes clearly and accurately

Inheritance Tax Advice

In writing your Will, advising on the best ways to mitigate inheritance tax liability and reduce payment to the tax man leaving more of your estate for the benefit of those you care about most.

Enduring Powers of Attorney

A simple a straight forward means of giving someone you trust authority to deal with your financial affairs if you become incapable of managing them yourself and complying with the formal requirements of registering the power with the Court of Protection if that stage is reached.

Advice Directive/Living Wills

A clear and comprehensive means of setting out to what medical treatment you would or would not consent to keep you alive if you became incapable of expressing consent or refusal.

Probate/Letters of Administration

Preparing and making the formal application to the court to obtain the legal authority enabling your personal representatives to realise and distribute your estate after you die

Administration of Estates

Advising your personal representatives or being your personal representatives when you die in ascertaining the value of your estate; realising it and distributing it to the beneficiaries to include tying up the taxes outstanding at your death and arising during the administration including any inheritance tax liability.

Applications to the Court of Protection

Applying for someone to be appointed your receiver if you have not made an enduring power of attorney and become incapable of managing your affairs

Setting Up Trusts including Discretionary Will Trusts

Once the administration of the estate has been completed, transferring the relevant assets into the trust fund; notifying the revenue and setting up the trust in a form that the trustees should be able to administer themselves with minimal professional help in a form acceptable to the revenue.

Storage

Fireproof and secure storage for your Wills, Title Deeds and other important documents.