Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Solicitors
We’re here when you need us
Making decisions about your estate can be daunting, as can dealing with the estate of someone who has passed away. Our Wills and probate solicitors can offer sound legal guidance to help you navigate these challenges, so you can make the best choices for your situation.
At Dutton Gregory Solicitors, we provide friendly, considerate and practical advice for all aspects of Wills, estate planning and probate. We will work closely with you to understand your requirements, providing exactly the level of support you need.
With many years of experience, we can assist with both straightforward and more challenging matters. Our team includes several members of the prestigious Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), highlighting our exceptional skills and knowledge.
Our tax, Wills & probate expertise
Our tax, Wills and probate solicitors can assist with matters such as:
- Wills
- Living Wills
- Powers of Attorney
- Estate and tax planning
- Estate administration
- Trusts
- Court of Protection matters
- Wills, trust and estate disputes
Wills are beneficial for many reasons, from reducing Inheritance Tax to lessening the chance of disputes over an estate.
Our Wills solicitors can guide you through the process of drafting a sound Will that reflects your wishes and is as tax efficient as possible. We can help with selecting beneficiaries as well as choosing trusted executors to handle your estate when the time comes.
Where you have an outdated Will that no longer reflects your circumstances or wishes, our solicitors can amend it using a codicil or draft a replacement Will.
A ‘Living Will’, sometimes referred to as an ‘advance decision’, is a legal document that sets out your wishes concerning medical decisions.
Our solicitors can help you to plan for the future, ensuring the right provisions are in place and that your wishes are always followed. We recognise the sensitivity surrounding such matters and strive to provide an empathetic service with close personal support.
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that allows you to choose trusted people to manage your affairs should you be unable to do so. There are two types of LPA, one for ‘Property and Financial’ affairs and another for decisions relating to ‘Health and Welfare’.
We can guide you through drafting a robust Lasting Power of Attorney and choosing a trusted person or people to act on your behalf and in your best interests. We can also provide advice and guidance to Attorneys, ensuring they are fully aware of their responsibilities and can act with confidence.
We can also act as a Certificate Provider, helping to avoid any challenges or claims regarding the capacity of the person to appoint LPAs.
Proper estate and wealth planning can help to reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax payable on your estate after you pass away. With sound Inheritance Tax advice, you can ensure your beneficiaries get the most out of your estate.
Our solicitors can guide you through effective estate and wealth planning, including the implications of leaving money to charity, gifting during someone’s lifetime, placing assets in trusts, leaving an estate to specific individuals, etc.
There are many aspects to consider during the estate administration process. Executors have a duty to carry out the wishes of the deceased as set out in their Will (or to follow the rules of intestacy if there is no Will). It is important to understand that Executors can be held personally liable if mistakes are made.
Our probate solicitors can guide you through all of the steps involved in administering an estate. We can assist with individual parts of the process, such as securing grant of probate and preparing Inheritance Tax returns, or handle the entire administration for you.
With our expert assistance, potential problems can be sidestepped, allowing for a straightforward administration process.
Trusts have countless benefits, from the protection of assets and reducing Inheritance Tax to ensuring that vulnerable people will be provided for no matter what the future brings.
Our specialist team can advise on choosing the most appropriate trust for your requirements. We can assist with setting up a trust, as well as providing trust management support for trustees and advising trust beneficiaries.
If a loved one no longer has the mental capacity to make decisions concerning matters such as their finances and property, and health and welfare, it can be upsetting and leave you in a challenging position. However, there are steps you can take to care for your loved one.
Our solicitors can assist you in applying to the Court of Protection to become a Deputy so you can make important decisions concerning your loved one. Our team can also advise on one-off applications to the Court (e.g. to sell a property). Where appropriate, we can also act as professional Deputies, taking on this role for you.
We can also assist where you wish to put a statutory Will in place for an incapacitated person to clarify what will happen to their estate when they pass away.
Not receiving the inheritance you expected or being left out of a Will entirely can be an upsetting situation, especially on top of the grief of losing a loved one. Getting expert support at an early stage can help to resolve these matters faster, while minimising any impact on family relationships and reducing the costs involved.
If you need assistance with a dispute involving a Will, estate, trust or other related matter, our highly skilled litigation team will be happy to advise.
Why choose our tax, Wills and probate solicitors?
Real relationships that add value
The needs of our clients are of the utmost importance, so our team strives to provide a fully supportive service that reflects this. We aim to create strong professional relationships with our clients, making sure you receive the best value possible from our tax, Wills and probate advice.
Exceptional personal service
We know that no two legal matters are the same – each comes with its own unique challenges. Our solicitors will take the time to carefully understand your situation and desired outcome, then tailor our service to meet your exact needs.
Solicitors you can rely on
At Dutton Gregory Solicitors, our team are acknowledged experts and have ample experience in assisting clients nationwide. The team includes members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Solicitors for the Elderly (SfE), providing independent assurance of our expertise.
Our tax, Wills and probate fees
The cost of legal advice is always a key consideration and we want to be completely transparent around this. We offer competitive rates that reflect the high level service we provide. During your initial consultation, we will get a clear understanding of your situation and what you want to achieve, so we can ensure our fees are aligned with your requirements.
For straightforward matters, we typically offer fixed fee services. This means the cost is agreed at the outset and will not change unless your requirements do.
That said, not all tax, Wills and probate matters are straightforward to resolve. Where ongoing support will be needed, we will normally charge for our services on an hourly basis. In such cases, we always give a realistic estimate of costs and keep you regularly updated, so you can stay in control of how much you are spending.
Get in touch with our tax, Wills and probate solicitors
Our Tax, Wills and Probate solicitors can advise clients nationwide from our offices in Bournemouth, Chandler’s Ford, Southampton, Winchester, Woking, Liverpool and London.
To arrange an initial consultation, you can contact your nearest office using the links above or fill in our quick enquiry form and we will get back to you soon.
