Our private client department offers a caring and sympathetic approach in the drafting of Wills and the Administration of Estates. We are able to provide a range of impartial and independent advice covering a range of issues involved in managing wealth.

Members of Carter Hodge hold the prestigious qualification of Trust & Estate Practitioners. The Private Client Department has the expertise, integrity and reliability you can depend upon.

Our range of services includes :-

· Wills
· Probate and estate administration
· Enduring Powers of Attorney
· Court of Protection
· Capital Tax Planning for individuals, trusts and estates
· Trust establishment and management
· Personal tax planning

Making a Will

The pitfalls of having no Will

• The intestacy rules apply and your estate will be distributed as the law determines rather than in accordance with your wishes.
  
  
• Disputes may arise between members of your family as to how your estate is to be distributed.
  
  
• There may be more tax to pay from your estate.
  
  
• A surviving unmarried partner will have no automatic claim to any part of your estate.
  
  
• Business partners may be left exposed putting the business at risk.
  
  
• If you die leaving over £125,000, your children, to claim their entitlement, may force a sale of the house occupied by your spouse.

The advantages of making a Will

• Choose precisely how your property and possessions should be dealt with in the event of your death.
  
  
• Appoint your choice of Executor to deal with your estate.
  
  
• Create trusts for your children and give directions as to who will look after them, and provide a framework for looking after their financial needs until they are sufficiently mature to do so themselves.
  
  
• Give particular gifts or sums of money to specific people.
  
  
• Minimize and restrict tax liabilities.
  
  
• Benefit charities.
  
  
• Make provision for the continuation and handover of your business.
  
  
• Give due consideration to claims on your estate from first and second families.

Points to consider

• Who do you wish to benefit from your estate? Spouse, children, other family members, friends or charities? If you have remarried how do you wish to resolve the competing claims of your first and second families?
  
  
• The value of your Estate.
  
  
• Appointment of guardians for your minor children.
  
  
• Any particular wishes for funeral arrangements or cremation.
  
  
• Appointment of executors.

Some common myths about Wills

Making a Will with a Solicitor is expensive.
Our fixed price scheme keeps the costs to a minimum and means that making a Will is an inexpensive and cost effective exercise and likely to be much cheaper than resolving the difficulties created by an Intestacy (i.e. where there is no Will) or by an incorrectly drawn home made Will.

I am not rich enough to need a Will.
This is probably not true. Homes, cars and insurance policies alone can amount to a considerable sum. A Will can be used for a variety of purposes entirely unconnected with your wealth including the giving of specific gifts or the appointment of guardians for your minor children.

I am too young to be so morbid.
Making a Will does not in anyway hasten your death. It does, however, enable you to have peace of mind that, in the event of an accident or sudden illness, the future of your family and the disposition of your possessions will be in your own hands.

I don’t need to worry. I made a Will years ago.
Circumstances change and Wills need to be reviewed at regular intervals. Your financial position may have altered or you may have married or divorced. Marriage invalidates any previously made Will. One of the beneficiaries named in your Will may have died. If you have made a Will and circumstances have changed we shall be happy to review it with you to see if alterations need to be made.

My wife/husband will get it all anyway.
This may depend on several factors and is not always guaranteed. The only certain way to ensure that your partner inherits what you intend is by making a Will. If you die without having made a Will the intestacy rules apply in an arbitrary manner.

A Dedicated Wills Service

Every client has his or her own individual needs or requirements when making a Will. We place great emphasis on ensuring that a highly professional service is given to each client whilst keeping the process as simple and inexpensive as possible. Many people think that seeing a Solicitor is always an expensive exercise. We understand that clients should be aware of how much any service is likely to cost. We have created a fixed price Will service for the benefit of our clients with simple procedures and a high level of personal advice.

Cost
We will give you a fixed quote for your Will. This will vary, depending on whether the Will involves complex tax planning, creation of trusts or is fairly straight forward. All clients will benefit from a high level of personal service.

The Procedure
At your initial appointment we will discuss your requirements and then send you the Will in draft form for consideration. We will discuss with you any points arising and when you are completely satisfied that your Will truly reflects your wishes we will prepare the final document and make arrangements for it to be signed by you in the prescribed manner.
If you wish we will store the Will for you free of charge and provide you with a copy for your own records.

We are happy to discuss your requirements either in our offices or, if necessary, at your home, at a mutually convenient time. If you are visually impaired these details and/or your draft can be provided in brail or audio format.