A complete Estate Planning service.
The range of solutions I am able to offer has evolved over the years from ‘Just Wills’, and is now a comprehensive portfolio of products and services that fully meets the ever-increasing Estate Planning needs of my clients.
Whilst I still focus on drafting top-quality Wills of course, I am also able to offer a wide range of associated Estate Planning products and services:
Estate Planning Wills
With a Will you decide who receives what out of your house, savings and investments, any insurance and your sentimental items. You can ensure your loved ones are protected and that your final wishes are secured.
Document Storage
We all know how easy it is to lose or misplace documents which are kept at home, especially if you move house. Furthermore, with over 64,000 household fires, 1M burglaries and 2M homes at risk from flooding each year in the UK, the statistics are against us.
Lasting Power of Attorney
Accessing someone’s finances if they become incapacitated or ill is a complex and protracted process, which could make things very difficult for a spouse, partner or children. Setting up an LPA allows someone that you trust to act on your behalf should the need arise.
Probate
Just Wills & Legal Services has a team of experienced probate executives and support staff to guide you through the maze of red tape in a caring, professional and efficient way.
Asset Protection Trusts (APTs)
An APT is a specialist trust which you can set up to safeguard your home and other assets, protecting them from being sold against your wishes. This can sometimes happen at the end of your life if you need to go into a care home and there are fees to be paid.
Living Wills (Advance Directives)
A 'Living Will' allows you to leave clear instructions for your doctors in the case of a life threatening or terminal medical emergency. One of the primary reasons for this is to remove the decision-making responsibility from family or friends.
Choosing an Executor
Everyone must nominate an executor or executors in their Will, to carry out their wishes after death. Being an executor is a job with a lot of responsibility, which might go on for months or sometimes even years, depending on how long probate takes.
Same Sex Partners
The Civil Partnership Bill came into force on 5th December 2005. Its arrival heralded the introduction of a new rights for same sex partners meaning that they move broadly in line with married couples.
Funeral Service Planning
Planning for your own funeral arrangements in your Will makes a great deal of sense. By putting some simple instructions in place, you can ensure your funeral is carried out exactly as you want it to be.
Laws of Intestacy
If you don’t have a Will, your assets will be distributed by the authorities according to some rules which were put in place over 80 years ago. Needless to say these don’t bear much relation to modern personal and family situations and they can have an extremely damaging effect – especially in the event of unmarried partners with children.
Trusts
Establishing a Trust in your Will can be extremely valuable in Estate Planning terms for a number of different reasons. When it comes to protecting assets and controlling the distribution of your Estate, Trusts are essential and we provide a variety of different solutions depending upon your objectives.
Land Transactions (Tenancy Severance, etc.)
Changes in property ownership may be required as a part of estate planning. This could include first registration of property, severance of tenancy, transfer of equity or establishment of trusts.
If you would like further details on any of the above solutions, or would like to arrange an appointment (as previously mentioned, I am very happy to come and visit you in your own home), please do get in touch by completing the enquiry form below,
or simply giving me a call.