Collective Legal Solutions
We visit members of the public in the comfort of their own home at a time convenient to them.
Our initial consultation will cost you nothing and you will simply pay us for anything you instruct us to do on your behalf.
We have access to an extensive range of products and services including:
Will Writing
Without a valid Last Will and Testament your assets will be distributed according to the rules of Intestacy.
The rules of Intestacy lay down a rigid method of estate distribution and make no account for your wishes.
Married Couples - Without a Will, it is not certain that your spouse will inherit all your assets.
Unmarried Couples - without a Will your partner may not receive anything! Your entire estate will probably be divided between your children; if you don't have any children then your assets will be shared between your relatives.
Divorced or Separated - Make it clear whether you do/don't want your 'ex-spouse' to benefit from your estate.
Parents of Young Children - By making a Will you can ensure that the Courts are aware of who you wish to care for your children in the event of your death. You can also decide at what age you wish your children to receive their inheritance (whether this be 18, 21 or 25).
To find out more Contact Us.
Planning for Long Term Care
As many as 70,000 homes were sold in a recent 12 month period to fund long term care.
With people living longer the issue of funding long term care is only going to get worse. Believe it or not it is illegal to deliberately deprive yourself of an asset to avoid paying care fees and so a simple transfer of ownership to a son or daughter will not suffice.
If you plan in advance it is possible for you and your partner to make provisions for your half share of the property in your Will. This means that if one co-owner dies their half share of the property can go into trust for the benefit of their children whilst giving their partner occupancy rights. This way the deceased's share of the property will not go towards paying the care fees of the survivor, we call this a Protective Property Trust Will.
To find out more Contact Us.
Mitigating Inheritance Tax
If your assets are valued at over £300,000 (the current Nil Rate Band) when you die you will be liable to pay Inheritance Tax at a rate of 40%.
Recent changes allow your Nil Rate Band allowance to be ‘carried over’ to your spouse or registered Civil Partner (assuming no chargeable transfers are made) meaning on current thresholds a total of £600,000 can be distributed tax free.
However, for many this is ‘the tax cut that never was’ as married couples and registered Civil Partners could previously gain this allowance simply by planning in advance.
Many of our clients have estates in excess of £600,000 (when calculating properties, death in service, life insurance, savings and investments) and we therefore have advanced inheritance tax planning products which we tailor to the individual needs of our clients
To find out more Contact Us.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
Have you considered who will manage your affairs if you were no longer able to do so? There are a variety of circumstances when this might be necessary - mental incapacity, physical incapacity, absence from the country or simply you would prefer to leave the handling of your assets to a trusted family member or friend.
Furthermore, have you considered who would make decisions on your behalf regarding care and medical treatment if you were unable to make such decisions?
There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney, Personal Welfare and Property and Affairs. Our Associate will discuss both options with you and allow you to make an informed decision and plan for these two important issues.
If either of the above circumstances arise and there is no Lasting Power of Attorney in place there is a need for the Office of the Public Guardian to get involved in appointing someone to manage your affairs - this is a costly and intrusive process.
To find out more Contact Us.
