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By arranging an appointment with our expert team of Wills and Probate solicitors, you will gain the peace of mind knowing that the specific intentions you have for your home and possessions are carried out effectively. Creating a Will is a simple process, and it can be amended at any time. When you instruct a specialist solicitor at Franklins, we’ll ensure that no stone is left unturned, that your questions are answered and your needs met.
A properly drawn up will is a written statement of your wishes. It comes into effect when you die and sets out what you want done with your property and other assets after your death. It enables you to make important decisions now that could affect your family and friends after your death and could also help protect your estate from unnecessary inheritance tax. A professionally written Will forms the foundation of effective estate planning, ensuring that your instructions fit within a wider plan for inheritance, trusts and tax efficiency.
A properly drawn up Will can, amongst other things, include express provisions regarding your funeral wishes, who will administer your estate and who you want to be responsible for the guardianship of any minor children. It can minimise the effects of taxation and will clearly state your instructions for the distribution of your assets to beneficiaries of your choice.
We recognise that everyone’s circumstances are unique. Some families have a member who is disabled or vulnerable and in this case special consideration and experience is needed, not only of legal issues but also the practical and benefit related problems that affect the whole family.
If you have concerns regarding potential loss or degradation of mental capacity in your senior years, you may find it beneficial to speak to our team regarding the Court of Protection. With a little help from a Trusted solicitor, you’ll be able to define exactly how you wish your affairs to be handled in later life, should you lose the ability to make these vital decisions.
As experts in Estate Planning, our Wills and Probate solicitors can provide practical advice and assistance with estate administration, should you need a helping hand during what can be a difficult time. Whether you are looking for guidance through the process or require our full probate services to ensure the fair division of assets, our solicitors are ready to help.
To arrange an appointment with a member of our dedicated team of Wills and Probate solicitors, get in touch by phone on 01908 660966 for Milton Keynes office, or 01604 828282 to reach us in Northampton. Alternatively, you can fill out our short enquiry form and we will respond promptly.
Estate planning brings together every part of your personal affairs – your Will, trusts, property, business interests and inheritance tax planning. Our estate planning solicitors can review your current arrangements, highlight any risks, and help you create a clear plan that protects your family’s future. Whether you already have a Will or are starting fresh, we’ll ensure everything fits together smoothly.
Our solicitors offer clear estate planning advice to help you build a lasting plan for your family.
Estate planning helps ensure your assets are managed and passed on according to your wishes – not left to chance or intestacy rules. It’s also about protecting your family from unnecessary tax, stress or disputes. Having a clear plan in place can make a difficult time easier for loved ones and give you confidence that everything has been properly arranged.
Many of our clients combine their Will with trusts or lifetime gifts to support their children and grandchildren. For example, setting up a discretionary trust can help pass on property or savings in a tax-efficient way, while keeping control over when and how beneficiaries receive those assets.
It’s sensible to review your Will and estate plan every few years, or after major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, or buying property. Our solicitors can help ensure your arrangements remain accurate and up to date.
Although the words are interchangeable, a Will is written in lifetime to take effect from death and a Trust is supposed to take care of lifetime matters. A Trust can be written into a Will and then that takes effect on death.
Trusts can be used to ensure certain assets are not available to beneficiaries who may waste it if they were to receive an asset via being a beneficiary to a Will. Even if the beneficiary is sensible or not vulnerable, a Trust can manage how much he, she or they receive at once, say to encourage education or pay the deposit of a house. Care has to be taken that you can afford to put an asset into Trust as they come with additional responsibilities and sometimes their own tax burden.
This is what happens when a Will has a Trust written into it, like a discretionary one, life interest or right to occupy.
Always better to have a Will regardless of whether you use Trusts in Estate Planning or not.
Yes, because everyone has assets and the clearer it is where they are going, the better.
Personal statements about people, reasons why you are disinheriting anyone, defamatory or libellous content and provisions that are impossible to enforce to illegal to name but a few. A Will should be clear and easy to understand and not place impossible or impractical burdens on executors.
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