Services
The most popular services we offer
Wills
Single - Mirror - Mutual
Single Wills
A single will is suitable for individuals who want to set out clear instructions about what should happen to their estate. It allows you to name your executors, choose your beneficiaries, and include any gifts, guardianship wishes, or funeral preferences. We guide you through every step to make sure your will reflects your wishes and is legally sound.
Mirror Wills
Mirror wills are often chosen by couples who have similar wishes, for example, leaving everything to each other, then to children or grandchildren. Each will is a separate legal document, but they closely reflect one another. They can work well in many situations, but if there are children from previous relationships or more complex family dynamics, they may not be the best fit. It’s important to understand that mirror wills can be changed by the surviving person after the first death.
Mutual Wills
Mutual wills look similar to mirror wills but come with a legal agreement that makes them binding after the first death. This means the surviving person cannot change their will, even if their circumstances change. They are sometimes used by couples who want to make sure children from previous relationships are protected from being disinherited, but they do remove future flexibility. We’ll explain when this type of will is worth considering — and when it’s not.
Lasting Power of Attorney
Health and Welfare - Property and Finance - Business LPA's
Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) — What You Need to Know
An LPA is a legal document that allows someone you trust (your attorney) to make decisions on your behalf if you ever lose the ability to do so yourself.
You, the donor, remain in full control for as long as you have capacity. In many cases, an LPA is never used, but if it is ever needed, having one in place can make an enormous difference.
Think of it as a one-off insurance policy. There are no annual fees, no renewals, and no ongoing costs. Once it is set up, it is ready if ever required.
It includes:
Our fee for setting up an LPA, which is £325
Includes support
Registration done for you
Acting as the Certificate Provider
Ensuring the paperwork is signed and witnessed correctly
The Office of Public Guardian Fee of £82 is included.
There are two main types of LPA — one for Health and Welfare, and one for Property and Finance.
You can choose the same attorney for both, or different people depending on their strengths. One person might be brilliant with money and paperwork, while another might be more suitable for making personal care or medical decisions. The same principle applies for those who run a business and wish to put a Business LPA in place.
Health and Welfare LPA
A Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney allows someone you trust to make decisions about your care, daily routine, and medical treatment if you're ever unable to make those decisions yourself. It only comes into effect if you lose capacity, and it gives peace of mind that the person making choices for you understands your wishes.
Property and Finance LPA
This type of LPA gives your chosen attorney the authority to manage your financial affairs. It can include tasks like paying bills, accessing bank accounts, managing property, and handling pensions or investments. It can be used while you still have capacity, which can be helpful if you’re unwell or need support with day-to-day finances.
Business LPA
If you run a business, a separate Business LPA is essential. It ensures someone you trust can make decisions to keep things running if you're temporarily or permanently unable to do so. It protects your clients, your staff, and the continuity of your business and is often overlooked until it’s too late. We’ll help you put the right structure in place.
Without an LPA, your loved ones would need to apply to the Court of Protection for a Deputyship Order if you lose capacity. That process is costly, time-consuming, and stressful. It is often described as shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. It can cost anywhere from £2,000 to £5,000 by the time you account for court fees, mental capacity assessments, and professional assistance. It can also take several months before the order is granted, during which time no one can legally manage your affairs.
Making an LPA before it's needed is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your future, and those around you.
Deputyship
When There Is No LPA in Place
If a person loses mental capacity and has not made a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), their family or loved ones cannot automatically step in to manage things for them, even if they are next of kin. In this situation, someone would need to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as a
deputy.
A deputy is a person authorised by the court to make decisions on someone else’s behalf. This could be about financial matters (like paying bills, managing property or handling bank accounts), or health and welfare (such as where someone lives or the care they receive). However, health and welfare deputyship is not commonly granted unless there are very specific reasons.
Unlike an LPA, where you choose who acts for you, deputyship is something the court decides. The process involves:
A formal application to the Court of ProtectionMedical evidence to prove lack of capacityCourt fees, which are currently over £370Potential solicitor fees or professional deputy costsA supervision fee every yearOngoing reporting and checks
Medical evidence to prove lack of capacity
Court fees
Potential solicitor fees or professional deputy
costs
A supervision fee every year
Ongoing reporting and checks
All in all, the cost of applying for deputyship can range from £2,000 to £5,000 or more. It also takes time — sometimes several months — and during that period, your family may not be able to access your accounts or make important decisions on your behalf.
It can cause real difficulties, especially if there are urgent financial or care needs.
Deputyship is sometimes the only option when capacity has already been lost. But it is a far more complex, stressful and expensive route than putting an LPA in place early — while you still have the power to choose who you trust to act for you.
Trusts
Understanding Trusts
Trusts are legal arrangements that allow assets to be held by one or more people (the trustee) for the benefit of others (the beneficiaries). Some people assume trusts are only for the wealthy or that they are too complicated to bother with, but that is not the case.
In reality, trusts can be a very practical and sensible way to protect loved ones, manage how and when people inherit, or provide for someone who is vulnerable. There are two main categories of trust, based on WHEN they are created.
1. Inter Vivos Trusts (Lifetime Trusts)
These are created during your lifetime and come into effect immediately. They can be used for tax planning, asset protection or managing family wealth, but they are more complex to run. Trustees must register the trust, complete annual tax returns, and manage the administration, which can be expensive and time-consuming. These types of trusts often require professional advice and ongoing costs, advice and involvement from accountants or solicitors.
They are most commonly used by individuals with larger estates, people looking to reduce inheritance tax, or families wanting to protect assets from future care fees or relationship breakdowns. You’ll often see them used in more complex financial planning or where significant assets are involved.
2. Will Trusts (Trusts Created on Death
These are written into your will and only come into effect once you have died. Your executors set them up using your instructions, and they are generally less expensive and easier to manage than lifetime trusts. They are designed to protect specific assets, provide structure around who benefits and when, and can offer a level of control and protection that a straightforward gift in a will does not.
Will trusts are commonly used by people who want to safeguard assets for children or grandchildren, especially in second marriages or blended families. They are also useful where beneficiaries are young, vulnerable, or may need help managing money. They provide a flexible and practical way to ensure your wishes are followed while offering peace of mind for the people you leave behind.
There are several types of trust you might include in a will, depending on your circumstances:
Bare Trust
A bare trust, also referred to as a will trust, is the simplest and most straightforward type of trust. The assets are held by trustees for a named beneficiary, who has an immediate and absolute right to them once they reach a specified age, typically 18, 21, 25 or 30.
These trusts are often used by parents or grandparents who want to set aside money for a child’s future. For example, you might place funds into a bare trust to help with university costs, a first car, or a house deposit. They’re also commonly used when making gifts to children to take advantage of inheritance tax exemptions.
Bare trusts are easy for trustees to manage and have minimal ongoing reporting requirements. However, they come with a significant limitation, once the beneficiary reaches the age of entitlement, they can demand the full amount and the trustees have no power to delay or restrict how the money is used.
If you think more flexibility might be needed, for example, to delay access, protect the funds, or leave decisions to the discretion of the people managing the trust then a Discretionary Trust may be a better fit.
Discretionary Trust
This type of trust gives your trustees the flexibility to decide how and when to distribute assets among a group of potential beneficiaries. It can be particularly useful if you have children from different relationships or want to leave a share of your estate to grandchildren but are unsure how their needs might change over time.
For example, you might want your trustees to be able to hold funds for a child who is struggling with addiction or debt, or delay access for a young beneficiary until they reach a certain level of maturity. It’s also a popular choice if you are concerned about future divorce, bankruptcy, or changes in someone’s financial situation after your death.
This type of trust allows your trustees to act in the best interests of your beneficiaries, based on the circumstances at the time — rather than locking everything into fixed instructions now.
Vulnerable Person’s Trust
This type of trust is designed to protect a beneficiary who has a disability, a learning difficulty, or receives means-tested benefits. Inheriting money outright can cause serious problems ,it may affect their eligibility for support, create unnecessary stress, or leave them open to exploitation.
A Vulnerable Person’s Trust allows assets to be set aside for their benefit without affecting entitlement to benefits such as Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, or social care funding. The trustees manage the money on the beneficiary’s behalf, making sure it’s used appropriately and in line with their needs.
Vulnerable people are just that - vulnerable. They may not always be in a position to manage money or recognise when someone is taking advantage. This kind of trust offers a safer, more controlled way to provide for them over the long term.
These trusts, when set up correctly, can give families real peace of mind that their loved one will be looked after with care and dignity.
Lifetime Interest in Property
How it works
Lifetime Interest in Property
A lifetime interest in property allows you to protect your home for your children while still providing security for your partner after you are gone. It is often used in situations where you want your spouse or partner to carry on living in the home, but you ultimately want the property to pass to your children, particularly if they are from a previous relationship.
Rather than leaving the property outright to your partner or your children, your will creates a life interest trust. This means your partner has the legal right to remain living in the home for the rest of their life, or for as long as certain conditions are met, but they do not own the property. When they pass away, or if the trust ends, the property (or the proceeds if it has been sold) goes to your chosen beneficiaries.
This arrangement protects everyone involved. Your partner has the stability of staying in their home, and your children’s inheritance is ring-fenced.
Conditions can also be built into the trust. For example, it can end if your partner remarries, moves out, or allows a new partner to move in. These terms are entirely up to you and can be shaped to suit your family’s situation and values.
We will talk you through your options clearly and help ensure the right balance between protecting those you love and preserving what you want to pass on.
Lifetime Interest in Property — How It Works
Step 1: You own your home
✔ You want your partner to stay in the house after you pass away
✔ But you want your children to inherit it long term
Step 2: You include a Life Interest Trust in your Will
✔ Your partner can live in the home for the rest of their life
✔ They do not own the property
✔ Your children are named as final beneficiaries
Step 3: You can set conditions
✔ The trust ends if your partner remarries
✔ Or if they move out or allow a new partner to move in
✔ These rules are set by you and recorded in your Will
Step 4: When your partner passes away or the trust ends
✔ The property is passed to your chosen beneficiaries
✔ Their inheritance is protected
✔ Your partner had security and stability during their lifetime
Probate
Probate and Estate Administration
Probate is the legal process of dealing with someone’s estate after they have died. It involves collecting in assets, settling debts, and distributing everything in accordance with the will — or the rules of intestacy if there is no will.
The person responsible for doing this is usually called an executor if named in the will, or an administrator if not.
In many cases, they’ll need to apply for a legal document known as a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration (if there is no will) to access bank accounts, sell property, or handle investments.
Administering an estate can be a time-consuming and emotionally difficult job, particularly while grieving. There are strict duties involve and mistakes, even innocent ones can lead to personal liability.
We can act as advisory executors supporting your chosen executors through the process and helping them stay on track. Alternatively, we can act as
professional executors taking on the legal responsibility ourselves. This can be especially helpful where there is potential for disagreement, where beneficiaries live far away, or where an impartial approach is needed.
Our experience in family mediation means we are skilled in managing sensitive situations calmly and fairly. This makes us particularly well suited to acting as executors, ensuring that the estate is dealt with professionally, respectfully and with as little conflict as possible.
We offer flexible support, from one-off guidance through to full estate administration. Whether you just need help applying for the grant or want us to take care of everything from start to finish, we’ll guide you through it with clarity and care.
Severing a Joint Tenancy
From Joint Tenants to Tenants in Common
Severing a joint tenancy means changing how a jointly owned property is held. Instead of owning the whole property together as one unit, each person then owns a distinct share — usually 50/50 — as tenants in common.
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This is often done as part of estate planning or alongside the preparation of wills. It allows each owner to leave their share of the property to someone specific, rather than it automatically passing to the other owner.
People commonly choose to sever a joint tenancy when:
They want to protect their share for children from a previous relationship
They are putting a trust in place through their will
They are planning ahead to reduce exposure to care fees
There is a need for clearer legal separation of ownership
We prepare and register with the Land Registry, making sure everything is handled accurately. We also explain how this fits in with your wider planning, so you feel confident that your wishes are protected and your arrangements are legally sound.
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