Wills

What are the benefits of putting a Will in place?

• Control Your Estate: By making a Will, you can ensure that your estate passes to those whom you would wish to benefit. As specialist Will writing solicitors, we can help you in writing a Will that could go a long way to securing the financial future of your family and ensuring that all of your assets pass onto those you intend them to.
• Future Planning: Planning for your death is an important part of your life. It isn’t something that any of us like to think about, but to ensure that your loved ones are looked after, you have to think about your plans for the future, beyond your life. A will ensures these future plans are in place.
• Wealth Preservation: A Will can also be a useful tool in Inheritance Tax planning. While the October 2007 changes to Inheritance Tax legislation have meant that many people can now execute a relatively straightforward Will without having to worry about Inheritance Tax, the use of trusts within a Will still has advantages. Trusts are a useful vehicle for preserving wealth and ensuring it passes into the hands of those you would wish to receive it.

Our specialist Wills and Probate solicitors offer invaluable advice througout the process. We can advise on a range of Inheritance Tax and Trust matters if you get in touch.

Back to table of contents

What happens if I die without a valid Will in place?

If you die without leaving a valid Will then your estate will pass in accordance with the Intestacy Rules. This could mean that your estate ends up in the hands of distant relatives, who you may never have even met. If no relatives can be found, your estate could end up in the hands of the Crown.

This is the main reason why you should be looking for will solicitors right now. Having that safety net that ensures your assets are left with the loved ones and family members that you want them to be left to, rather than being left in the hands of the intestacy rules.

Back to table of contents

What type of Will is best for me and my family?

Depending on your personal circumstances, we can offer advice as to which type is best as you begin writing a Will. We can help you set up single Wills, Mirror or Living Wills, as well as Wills with donations to charity.

Your Will is specific to your unique circumstances and needs, catering for those in situations such as:

• those wishing to split shared belongings and assets along with a partner
• those seeking a solid financial future for their children
• those with individual wealth that they wish to pass on to charity.

Back to table of contents

How much does it cost to create a Will?

Our fees for Wills start at £190 (plus VAT) for a single Will and £275 (plus VAT) for a couple.

This covers, what we would consider, straightforward Wills. It may well transpire that, after discussing matters with us, you decide to put other measures in place. We will advise you of any additional costs before proceeding and explain the legal and financial benefits of implementing such measures.

Back to table of contents

Types of Will writing service

As we mentioned above, we can provide Will writing services to both individuals and couples. We offer a bespoke Will writing service for our clients.

We do not have a ‘one size fits all’ approach to Will writing, we would rather sit with you and look at your estate in some detail in order to find the best legal and financial fit for your exact circumstances.

We also offer a free Will storage facility for our clients and home visits can be arranged. You should always seek the advice of a qualified and trained solicitor when considering a Will.

Back to table of contents

How do I move forward with creating a Will?

We have been advising the people of Ormskirk, Skelmersdale, Wigan, Parbold, Burscough, Formby, Southport and throughout Lancashire, Merseyside and nationwide for over 200 years in relation to Wills.

Our specialist Will solicitors will be able to help you with your legal requirements. Our Wills and probate solicitors are in the best position to offer you expert legal advice and guidance. The Will writing service offered by Dickinson Parker Hill is grounded in a wealth of experience within this field.

Back to table of contents

Is there a way to write your own Will?

If you carry out even a short search online, you will no doubt find all sorts of services offering to help you write your own Will for a cut-price rate. This is nothing new, there have been people advocating for self-written Wills for generations, on everything from a notepad in the family office to the back of a napkin, but the prevalence of such suggestions has definitely increased in the internet age.

Personally, we would always advise writing your Will with a legal professional. Not only does this make sure that the Will is legally robust when it comes to being challenged by potentially unhappy parties, but it also allows us to explore a range of legal and financial guidelines that can protect your financial assets and ensure that your intended recipients receive as much of your estate as possible.

This offers far more financial benefit in the long run than saving a small amount of money by putting in place a Will without the benefit of expert legal guidance.

Back to table of contents

What is the best way to update my existing Will?

Here at Dickinson Parker Hill, we understand that many people will look to update their Will at some point, whether due to changing financial circumstances, altered family dynamics, or any other reason.

In addition to writing new Wills for our clients, we can also provide Will update services, both to existing clients and to those who first had their Will written elsewhere. We’d be happy to speak to you about this in more detail.

Back to table of contents