Wills Solicitors
How our team can help you
Having a valid Will is the best way to ensure that assets are distributed as an individual wishes after they die, but with 60% of adults in the UK reportedly yet to make one, it would appear that many people don’t have a clear understanding of their importance.
While the topic of death is an understandably difficult conversation, drafting a legally valid Will can prevent family disagreements and assist with reducing the amount of Inheritance Tax owed to HMRC.
At Dutton Gregory, we have a wealth of combined expertise assisting clients through making their Wills, including in more complex situations that need a high level of understanding, skill and expertise. From smaller estates to those with a high net worth, Dutton Gregory knows the correct questions to ask and the best solutions to suggest.
By using our team to make your Will, you will benefit from an outstanding service tailored precisely to your needs. We do this by taking the time to listen carefully and learn about your circumstances during an initial meeting, ensuring that we understand your situation and exactly what it is that you’re looking for. This allows us to personalise our advice and guidance to your circumstances.
Our Wills expertise
Our Wills solicitors in Hampshire, Dorset and Surrey can provide outstanding advice and practical guidance on matters including:
- Legal advice
- Drafting Wills
- Inheritance Tax Planning
- Reviewing and making amendments to existing Wills
What we can help with
To discuss your legal needs with the Dutton Gregory specialists today, please get in touch with our expert solicitors in Bournemouth, Chandler’s Ford, Southampton, Winchester and Woking.
When you choose the Dutton Gregory team to discuss your Will, we will carefully guide you, highlighting the opportunities to reduce inheritance tax, prevent contentious probate, and how best to support financially support dependent loved ones.
After receiving advice from our solicitors, if you decide to proceed with writing a Will, we can support you through the entire process.
We will take the time to understand your situation and draft a will that accurately reflects your wishes, ensuring your loved ones are provided for, and your assets are distributed in the way that you intend.
If your estate is valued over the ‘nil-rate threshold’, the value above will be subject to 40% Inheritance Tax. There are, however, ways to reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax your estate owes.
At Dutton Gregory, we understand how important protecting your wealth is so that you can pass it on to your loved ones. Collectively, our team have high levels of knowledge, skill and experience in helping clients efficiently plan and reduce Inheritance Tax.
In most cases, a Will should be updated every 5 years or where your Will no longer reflects your circumstances, for example, where you have got married or have had children since your Will was written.
Our solicitors can provide assistance with making a codicil, if applicable, or writing a new Will. We will be careful to draft a new Will that reflects your current circumstances and financial position and ensures that things such as inheritance tax are taken into consideration, so that there are no negative implications on your beneficiaries.
When writing and storing your Will, there is no requirement to put it in a specific place, it can be put anywhere. However, it is highly recommended to choose a location that is secure and ensure your executor is aware of the said location. Many people choose to leave their Will with either their accountant or solicitor for safekeeping.
At Dutton Gregory, we provide a free of charge Will storage service for Wills drafted with our team. Our Will solicitors will provide you with a copy and be available should you need to make any amendments or need to destroy or move your Will.
Frequently asked questions
When an individual has passed away, the only people with authority to see the Will are the appointed Executor(s).
It is, however, important to note that anyone can request a copy of the Will once an application for the Grant of Probate has been submitted. At this stage, the Will and its contents become a public document.
Anyone can witness a Will so long as three criteria have been met:
- The witness is at least 18 years of age
- The witness has mental capacity
- The witness must not be a beneficiary of the Will
A spouse will not always automatically inherit everything. However, there are some situations where they would.
An example of a situation when a spouse would automatically inherit everything is if the deceased person had no children or when they were named as the sole beneficiary on the deceased person’s Will.
In situations where an individual has died as an intestate person (they did not have a valid Will) but they did have children, their spouse would inherit everything within the marital allowance, plus half of anything that is valued above this amount. The remaining value will be split evenly between the deceased person’s children. If the value of the estate was below the marital allowance, the spouse would inherit the entire estate.
Why choose Dutton Gregory Solicitors?
At Dutton Gregory, we believe in creating close, authentic relationships with our clients, always being there to support them.
You’ll find our service always friendly and delivered by a caring team of solicitors. We will always ensure you are comfortable and feel fully supported when we are dealing with your Will matters.
Our Wills lawyers believe in providing a service that is completely tailored to you. We understand that your Will will be entirely different to another person’s and will take the time to carefully understand your circumstances and the type of assistance you require.
We will explain our legal advice and practical guidance in clear, plain English without legal jargon so you are entirely clear on the process.
The service we provide our clients across Hampshire, Dorset and Surrey has been well recognised at legal industry awards and most recently, in the Legal 500. We understand that discussing Wills and the topic of death can be difficult. That’s why we approach all Will matters with the utmost sensitivity.
We will manage every aspect of your case, ensuring that everything is appropriately handled from start to finish.
Our Will Solicitors 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 of 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.
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Get in touch with us
To discuss your legal needs with the Dutton Gregory specialists today, please get in touch with our expert solicitors in Bournemouth, Chandler’s Ford, Southampton, Winchester and Woking.
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