Wills & Probate: Protect your Estate

26 Feb 2025

At Charles Strachan Solicitors, we craft Wills for our clients, meticulously navigating the complexities of estate management to safeguard assets from care home fees and minimise tax burdens for loved ones. Our mission is to simplify this process, offering assistance to individuals seeking clarity on estate intricacies and optimal asset protection strategies.

Central to our approach is maximising the value of your finances. Beyond ensuring that your legacy is directed precisely as you wish, your specialist Lawyer can also delve into comprehensive care home fee planning and strategically structuring asset ownership to mitigate tax obligations.

Partnering with us goes far beyond mere paperwork. Estate administration will feel relatively straightforward with our expertise, as we adeptly navigate probate matters and facilitate asset distribution. The underlying aim always being to add value and prioritising on the most important issues that are of particular relevance to you.

Our expertise encompasses a range of specialised services:-

Crafting Wills tailored to your specific needs – we can offer charitable promotional Wills and/or we can simply review your Will based on your current circumstances, wishes and legislation for free if no changes are needed.

Perhaps it could be that your Will is old and you want to check whether your Will qualifies for the new Residential Nil Rate Band relief from inheritance tax. Or perhaps you just want to ask us about the Government’s proposed Social Care Cap and how this affects your current plans for protecting assets against care home fees (currently postponed until Oct 2025 but subject to the next general election). It could just be that you are concerned about a family member. Whatever the issue, there really is no excuse not to book an appointment with us!

Proficient and efficient handling of Probate and estate administration – your priority might be to settle the funeral bill and distribute the estate as quickly as possible whilst at all times maximising the inheritance passing to the beneficiaries. You might want to accommodate for the needs of particular members of the family or you simply want peace of mind knowing that a specialist will look into the entire estate (from ensuring the smallest issues are dealt with such as DVLA/TV Licence/OPG refunds being claimed in most cases, to dealing with HMRC, DWP, complex assets, defective/missing Wills or multiple beneficiaries). Our official client will be the Executor/Administrator (collectively referred to as the Personal Representatives), but we also assume an extended duty of care to the beneficiaries too and considering their needs also (be it their SDLT status, benefits or other particular circumstances) even if we might not always be able to advise them directly.

Lasting Powers of Attorney or advance decision/living Wills – back up plans in case you ever become too ill to manage your affairs yourself

Navigating matters pertaining to the Court of Protection (where someone has lost capacity without having made a Power of Attorney or Will)

Strategic advice on care home fees

Considering the efficiency of your Will in terms of tax

Establishing and managing Trusts for future security

Facilitating property transactions, including sales, gifts, and transfers

Helping you to protect beneficiaries, particularly those who might be vulnerable

Advising you as to how best to protect your estate if your wishes are controversial

At Charles Strachan Solicitors, we provide accurate legal advice; our focus is to tailor our service to your particular needs so that we obtain the best outcome possible for you.