Our speciality at Simpson Solicitors is Wills & Probate, however there are many services we provide that fall under those headings. We also provide as part of our service FREE consultations which can take place at one of our offices across the country, over the phone or in the comfort of your own home. For information on any of the services we provide, select one of the icons above to find out more.
Wills
A Will is a legally binding document and therefore there are various legal formalities you must follow to ensure it is valid, for this reason we recommend you seek support and guidance. Wills are not “one size fits all” and you may need specific advice for your individual circumstances, for example Inheritance Tax advice, care home fee protection, ring fencing assets for the benefit of children from a previous relationship and business asset guidance.
As Simpson Solicitors are specialists in Wills and Probate our highly-trained expert advisors are able to provide you with the best advice available if you chose to make a Will. If you wish to have a FREE appointment with one of our advisors please visit our Appointments page.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
At Simpson Solicitors we see many people who are becoming increasingly concerned and troubled about potentially losing the capacity to be able to deal with their own property and financial affairs or make decisions regarding their health and welfare in the future. Therefore our expert advisors are fully trained to provide information about Lasting Powers of Attorney.
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legally binding document, which enables you to choose a person, or people, that you trust to step into your shoes in the future if you are ever mentally or physically incapable of dealing with your own property and financial affairs or you do not have the mental capacity to make decisions surrounding your health and welfare.
Lasting Powers of Attorney enable you to rest assured that your loved ones will not have difficulty being granted authority to deal with your matters in the future. The Lasting Power of Attorney will allow them to do anything that you would ordinarily be able to do including pay all of your household and day to day expenses, receive on your behalf your income and if necessary sell your property. If appointed over your health and welfare they can also make decisions regarding which care home you enter into, which religion you follow and also which life sustaining treatment you do, or do not, receive.
Lasting Powers of Attorney are legally binding documents and therefore have various legal formalities you must follow to ensure they are valid. If you wish to have a FREE appointment with one of our advisors to seek further guidance surrounding this please visit our Appointments above to arrange a meeting.
Court of Protection
Many people believe that they can wait until they lose capacity before getting documents such as Lasting Powers of Attorney in place to allow their loved ones to deal with their property and financial affairs or make decisions regarding their health and welfare. Unfortunately this is too late and that person cannot prepare a Lasting Power of Attorney if they lack capacity. In this instance their loved ones such as a family member or friend will have to apply to the Court of Protection for a Deputy Order.
Our expert advisors will be able to meet with the individual to assess capacity and if required assist in the preparation of a Deputy Order. This will allow the individual's family member or friend to be appointed by the Court of Protection as a Deputy to deal with matters relating to the individuals property and financial affairs and also health and welfare.
This can be an extremely distressing and troubling time for those involved and our expert advisors are highly trained to deal with the matter in a friendly manner to ease the burden of the Court process and take the weight off your shoulders.
If you wish to have a FREE appointment with one of our advisors to obtain further guidance and information regarding the Court of Protection process please visit our Appointments page to arrange a meeting.
Probate
The role of an Executor can be daunting, it brings certain responsibilities and duties. An Executor is the only person entitled to administer an Estate, and the Executor can be held personally liable for any mistakes made.
Our dedicated and experienced team of probate practitioners are here to help you through the process at this difficult time, it’s what we do every day. Our services are tailored made to suit your needs. We can apply for a Grant of Probate on your behalf, or assist you with the administration of the estate if Probate is not required, or if you prefer work with you to administer the whole Estate.
Quite simply, our role is to advise and protect you from any potential pitfalls, to support and take the strain away. You choose how much involvement you would like us to have, and what help you require.
We will work with you to guide you through the administration process and advise you along every step to ensure that the Estate is administered in accordance with the wishes of the deceased.
If you wish to have a FREE appointment with one of our advisors to obtain further guidance and information regarding the probate process please visit our Appointments page to arrange a meeting.
Our Probate team is made up of qualified solicitors (with up to 10 years experience), trainee solicitors and paralegals. Our Conveyancing Team is made up of a Legal Executive and an experienced Conveyancer. The team is supervised by a Director of the firm.
Inheritance Tax
Inheritance tax is paid at 40% on your assets above the inheritance tax threshold at the date of your death. Our expert advisors will discuss your own inheritance tax liability with you and assist you in mitigating your liability if you are over the inheritance threshold.
If you wish to have a FREE appointment with one of our advisors to discuss this matter further please visit our Appointments page to arrange a meeting.
Protecting Assets from Care Fees
At Simpson Solicitors we are able to provide you with advice and guidance regarding protecting your hard earned assets from any potential future care home fees which you may be asked to pay.
Wills are individual documents made to fit your personal, specific circumstances, they are not “one size fits all”. We recommend that if you have concerns surrounding paying for care home fees, or you just wish to know about the different options that are available, you arrange an appointment with one of our highly-trained expert advisors. They will be able to guide you in the right direction surrounding this highly discussed topic and advise you accordingly.
If you wish to have a FREE appointment with one of our advisors to discuss this matter further please visit our Appointments page to arrange a meeting.
Trusts
A Trust is a vehicle used to enable a chosen, trusted person (Trustee), to hold an asset in their protection for the benefit of another.
You are able to specify in your Will whether you wish to leave gifts outright or whether they are on Trust. Sometimes you may not be able to decide upon gifts that you wish to make as you do not know what your financial position will be at the date of your death or ultimately who you wish to benefit. Trusts allow you to delay the decision until a later date where Trustees who are appointed in your Will can deal with the decision making after your death.
Trusts can be drafted to assist with numerous issues such as protecting your assets from care fees, ensuring vulnerable beneficiaries are remembered through your Will as well as gifting assets during your lifetime. Trusts are complex and there may be tax implications with the Trust. Therefore we would recommend seeking advice and guidance from one of our highly trained experts who will discuss the issues surrounding Trusts with you.
If you wish to have a FREE appointment with one of our advisors to discuss this matter further please visit our Appointments page to arrange a meeting.