Our Wills specialists, Nigel Roots and Jane Maitland, are experts in tax planning and the management of personal wealth for the benefit of future generations. Wills are often straightforward and can be written with the minimum of fuss, whether you are a single person or a married couple. Some Wills, however, require very special technical knowledge and our experience and expertise will ensure that you have the right Will for your particular needs.
In particular we will help plan suitable Wills for those in second marriages with more than one family to consider, and for civil partners or unmarried couples who own property jointly, or run a business which cannot be split or sold.
Often we will advise you to incorporate trusts into your Will in order to protect the very young or otherwise vulnerable members of your family, and in order to preserve your property, your possessions and your business. The right Will can be a strategic building block in the overall management of your family wealth.
We also help those who have no family. It may be appropriate to choose suitable charities to benefit after your death, or you may want to choose your executors with care, and give them the discretion as to how to distribute your estate. People who have no close family and fail to leave a Will do no favours to anyone except the lawyer and the taxman. We offer a full executor and trustee service if you prefer to choose a professional rather than friend or family.
Some frequently-asked questions about Wills are answered in our guide to Wills here.
Disputed Wills
Occasionally it happens that a friend or relative dies and there may be questions raised about the way matters have been left in their Will. If someone wishes to challenge a Will this is known as contentious probate. It is dealt with separately on the Wills, trusts and probate disputes page.
You can also read an article by one of our associates, Katharine Riley, on what you can do if a Will doesn't provide for you.
For further information, please email us.