Wills & Lasting Powers of Attorney

Our Private Client team is headed up by Claire Lewis who works closely with Sarah McIntyre who can advise and assist with Wills, Lasting power of attorneys, Probate and estate administration. The supervising partner in the Private Client department is Fred-Harrison-James

Your Will

It is important to prepare a Will which suits your personal and financial circumstances as well as your wishes. For more information as to Wills please click on Wills and this will take you to the Legal choices website. Our charges for these services are:

Which type of Will do I need, and how much will it cost?

Single Basic Will - £500 - £800 + VAT

This type of Will is suitable where you need a straight forward Will in which you leave your estate to one or more people and /or charities.  This service includes:

  • an initial consultation to take your instructions
  • drafting clauses relating to the appointment of Executors and
  • drafting the appropriate clauses for the appointment of guardians if required for any minor children
  • arranging the swift execution of your will

This type of Will does not include:

  • any inheritance tax advice
  • drafting of trust clauses
  • drafting any memorandums or side letters than you may wish to accompany your will. 

Mirror Wills - £800 - £1000 + VAT for both

These Wills are for two people who want to make Wills on identical terms for example husband and wife who want to leave their estate to each other and thereafter to their children in equal shares.  The work included and not included is as defined above.

You may want to draft additional clauses in your Will for example cash gifts, specific items to several different people. This may mean our costs would increase by £50 - £150 + VAT

Single Will incorporating a Trust (including Inheritance Tax Advice)

A Testamentary trust only comes into existence upon your death. The benefits of a Testamentary Trust provide flexibility for asset distribution in your Will, ongoing asset protection and strategic tax planning. By setting up a Testamentary Trust this can help to protect assets and mitigate inheritance tax.

Trust Wills are also a valuable tool in structuring affairs for agricultural and business assets.  These type of assets  are subject to special tax reliefs and which you will need specialist tax advice to ensure that they pass down t the next generation in the most tax efficient way.

Trust Wills can also be used when dealing with estates where there have been more than one marriage, children from previous relationships or to protect assets for vulnerable adults. 

The cost will be determined by the complexity of the work required.  We offer a free initial meeting and as a guide our fees will be between £800 - £1200 + VAT

Mirror Wills incorporating a Trust Definition as above: £1700 - £2300 + VAT for both

Codicils

A codicil is a legal document that changes specific provisions of an existing Will but leaves all the other provisions the same. You can modify, update, or even completely revoke your Will by using a Codicil.  Our fees for drafting a straight forward Codicil will be between: £275 -£650 +VAT per Codicil

Travel

There are occasions where clients require a home visit to discuss their Wills.  We offer a home visit to all our clients who require this service.  Our travel time is charged at the hourly rate of the fee earner attending (“travel time fee”). All travel costs are charge at 0.45 pence per mile. If you live within a 15 miles radius and are unable to attend our offices then we will not charge our travel time fee.

In some cases, it may be necessary to obtain a capacity assessment report from an appropriate professional.  The fees for can vary and are agreed on a case by case basis with the professional and client. 

In addition, we can provide specialist tax planning advice and also advice and preparation of lifetime family trusts.  Our charges are based on an hourly rate and will depend on the lawyer acting on your matter.  This would be based on a blended rate.  Our current hourly rates are between £175 - £385 + VAT.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

A lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document in which you can appoint someone you trust to act in the event that you are unable of managing your affairs or making decisions due to old age, illness or injury. There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney: one deals with financial decisions and the other addresses health and welfare decisions.  For more information on Lasting Power of Attorneys please use this link to the citizens advice bureau’s web site.

Type of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)

Our Fees and Other Costs

Lasting Power of Attorney – Financial & Property

This services includes

  • initial meeting to take your instructions
  • drafting LPA
  • Meeting to execute the LPA and be your certificate provider
  • Dealing with Registration of your LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian

£850 + VAT plus court fee of £82*.

 

Lasting Power of Attorney – Health & Welfare.  This service includes the same as set up above. 

£850 + VAT  plus court fee of £82.

Two Lasting Powers of attorney for the same person or Mirror LPAs

£950 + VAT plus court fee of £164 for both

Four Mirror LPAs

£1250 - £1400 + VAT plus court fee of £328 for all

Certificate Provider ONLY

If you require us to be a certificate provider in circumstances where we have not prepared the LPA then we charge a one off fee of:

£550 - £850 + VAT.

 

Court Fees can be reduced if you are entitled to a reduction or remission depending on your personal financial circumstance. 

We can also draft revocation of existing LPAs, registration of Enduring Powers of attorneys, general powers of attorneys and advance directives.  The cost of these types of documents can vary on a case by case basis.   Our charges are based on an hourly rate and will depend on the lawyer acting on your matter.  This would be based on a blended rate.  Our current hourly rates are between £175 - £385 + VAT.

All Wills and Lasting Power of Attorney fees cover a one hour meeting to take initial instructions and a one hour meeting to execute the documents, if an additional meeting is required or the meeting exceeds one hour this will be charged on the individual fee earners hourly rate.