Wills Trusts & Probate

Making a Will

Each Will we prepare is tailor-made for every client, taking into consideration his or her personal financial circumstances, family and commitments and the possible incidence of taxation and in particular Inheritance tax.

Woodford Stauffer provides full support and advice for the preparation and administration of wills. If you would like to find out more about our Wills service simply call us today 01252 375 376, download the Wills submission form and return it by post, or email us and we will respond as soon as possible. More info

Have you registered your Will?

We can now register your Will for you and if it was written with us prior to 8th November 2011 it’s FREE! After this date there may be a small registration charge.

Why should I register my Will?

If your Will is deemed lost or indeed never written your loved ones and benefactors are exposed to potential financial loss and obviously additional stress.

We hold your Will safely, but we digitally record its location on the Wills register so that benefactors can always locate it when the time comes.

It is a fact that the majority of people (67% in a recent survey) would not know where to locate parents' Wills. The passage of time, house moves, and new relationships are all contributing factors to this statistic.

How Do I Register?

Simply write or click on the ‘contact us’ form to request that we register your Will today!

 

Probate

After a death, it is important to those who are left behind that the estate is administered with sympathy as well as efficiency. Administration involves obtaining valuations of all assets of the estate, agreeing the tax liability, applying for the grant of probate and then with the benefit of that grant gathering in the assets of the estate and administering them according to the will or according to the law as the case may be.

 

Lasting Power of Attorney

If we become incapable of managing our own financial and legal affairs through dementia, mental illness, physical illness or severe accident we would have no opportunity to make our wishes clear. Steps would have to be taken to have the Court of Protection, a government agency, manage our affairs for us. We can avoid this by taking early action now by organising a Lasting Power of Attorney whereby we legally appoint another person to act for us. More info Where the Court of Protection has to step in, we can assist you.

 

Trusts

A trust is a separate legal body that owns assets for the benefit of the beneficiaries of the trust.  A trust is controlled and managed by the Trustees and several legal duties arise from taking up such a role.

If you wish to set up a trust, the decision as to what type of trust is best for you should only be made after detailed consideration of your aims, your family’s financial and other circumstances, and the current tax laws. We can help you with all these elements.

Contact the Wills, Trusts & Probate department

Darren Bowen Partner, Head of Department t: 01252 550 419 f: 01252 375 399 e: bowend@woodfordstauffer.co.uk