Our Services & Fees
Getting your legal affairs in order doesn’t have to be a headache.
We’ll talk you through what you need to get the best solution for you and your family, taking the hassle out of the whole process and giving peace of mind.
WILLS
A Will is a legal document setting out instructions for who will inherit your Estate and what should happen after you die.
It’s a legally binding document – but if not prepared properly, it may be invalid.
It’s important to have a Will as if you die without one, your money and possessions may not be distributed in the way you would like.
Somerset Estate Planning can give you advice on all the major points that you want included in your Will:
- How your money, property and possessions are distributed
- Who would you like to benefit from your Will.
- Who should look after any children under 18
- Who is going to deal with the Estate Administration and carry out your wishes.
If you die without a Will, your estate will be distributed following the laws of intestacy. This may not be what you want and leave loved ones in a vulnerable position.
LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY (LPA)
An LPA is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more people, known as attorneys, who can make decisions on your behalf if you are unable due to a decline in your physical or mental health.
- Property & Financial – allows your attorney(s) to make decisions about things such as your finances, operate your bank accounts, make investment decisions and selling your home.
- Health & Welfare – allows your attorney(s) to make decisions about things such as, medical care you may receive, moving into a care home and life sustaining treatment.
Crucially, it is only while you have sufficient mental capacity to make these decisions that you can put Lasting Powers of Attorney in place.
Unfortunately, most people do not have Lasting Powers of Attorney as they leave it too late to arrange them, believing that it’s something that only needs to be done by the elderly or infirm.
If you lose your mental capacity and haven’t granted powers of attorney, an application to the Court of Protection will need to be made. This is a time-consuming and costly process and you may end up having someone you don’t consent to managing your affairs, you may not even know them.
At Somerset Estate Planning, we will advise what’s best for your personal situation and gather all the information needed for our team to prepare the Lasting Power of Attorney forms for you and register them for use with the Office of the Public Guardian.
TRUSTS
Our clients use trusts for different reasons, depending on their circumstances. They are a tax efficient way of protecting assets for the next generation, they can also provide much-needed protection for children or vulnerable beneficiaries or to protect your business or your home.
At Somerset Estate Planning, we can help set up and advise on:
- Discretionary Will Trusts
- Trusts for vulnerable or disabled beneficiaries
PROBATE AND ESTATE ADMINISTRATION
Probate is a legal process which takes place after someone dies. It can be a time-consuming and stressful experience for an Executor at a time of grief and loss in their lives.
Estate Administration is simply the process of handling a person’s legal and tax affairs after they have died. This means dealing with all of their assets, paying any Inheritance Tax and Income Tax and distributing inheritance to the estate’s beneficiaries.
Somerset Estate Planning can support you during this difficult time and give peace of mind by dealing with some or all of the process on your behalf.
Our Fees
We aim to be fair and transparent with our fees.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Wills | |
| Single Will | £200 |
| Mirror Wills | £350 |
| If to include Will Trust(s) | £100 each |
| Lasting Powers of Attorney* | |
| Single* | £200 |
| X 2* (Property and Financial & Health and Welfare) | £375 |
| X 4* (As above, but price for a couple) | £700 |
| Trusts | |
| Discretionary Trusts available from | £100 |
| Probate & Estate Administration | Quotation available on request |
| Document Storage | Free of Charge |
*Includes registration with the Office of Public Guardian, but not the OPG fee. This is currently £82 per LPA document.
All prices are exclusive of VAT, which is currently not chargeable.