Get in touch with our expert Wills and probate solicitors in Chester
To access support with Wills & probate matters, please get in touch with our expert Wills and probate solicitors at Cullimore Dutton.
You can give us a call on 01244 356789, email info@cullimoredutton.co.uk, or complete the contact form on this page, and a member of our team will contact you as soon as possible.
Our Wills & probate services
Will writing
Writing a Will is an important yet delicate task, and when drafting one, we know that our clients need to feel completely supported.
When you work with us, our team will empathetically guide you through every necessary stage. We will start by providing tailor-made legal advice regarding your Will, helping you to make important decisions including how your assets will be divided, and who will act as your Will executor.
Your solicitor will help you draft a Will that accurately reflects your wishes, making certain that the validity requirements are met to avoid disputes arising once you have passed away.
If you would like to discuss any aspects of our probate and Wills service, please do get in touch with our team.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal arrangement whereby a person can choose a trusted individual, formally known as the Attorney. The Attorney is given the legal right to make important decisions on the person’s (donors’) behalf, usually at a time whereby the individual’s state of health will no longer allow them to make their own decisions.
There are two different types of LPA: a Financial and Property LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA. The decisions that the Attorney can make on the donors’ behalf depend on which type of LPA they have, yet in many circumstances, they may have both types.
At Cullimore Dutton, we can help you to create a Lasting Power of Attorney that meets your needs, explaining the processes carefully so that you understand your rights.
We appreciate that potentially putting your financial and health affairs in the hands of another party can feel daunting, even when this person is a trusted family member. Rest assured, we will help you create an LPA that works for you, including the specific powers that you would like your Attorney to have, and not to have.
Additionally, if you have been appointed as an Attorney for a loved one, and you require legal advice, we can provide comprehensive guidance.
Probates & estate administration
If you are acting as a Will executor for a loved one, it will be your responsibility to take care of the probate once they have passed. Where a person does not have an executor, because they have unfortunately passed away without a Will, an appropriate next of Kin may be called upon to deal with their probate.
We know that losing a loved one is an emotionally difficult time, and that taking care of the probate matters may feel hard to manage. Be assured, our team will provide all the support you’ll need, helping you to apply for a Grant of Probate, value the deceased’s estate, divide their assets between the beneficiaries, and all other necessary tasks.
Trusts
At Cullimore Dutton, we have extensive experience supporting clients in creating Trusts to protect their assets, transfer assets to loved ones, and/or as part of a tax-efficient estate planning strategy. We can help you create and manage trusts and provide tailored legal advice.
There are various Trusts that clients can use to pass on assets to their loved ones while improving tax efficiency on their estate. These include bare trusts, interest and possession trusts, and discretionary trusts. We can provide personalised guidance, explaining how the different types of trusts work, and which might be best for your circumstances.
To learn more about wills, trusts and probate, please contact our experts at Cullimore Dutton.
Why work with Cullimore Dutton?
We have a wonderful reputation in the community, being the most established legal firm in the region, with a rich history that dates back to 1792. We deliver an outstanding quality service, thanks to the dedication and passion of our teams.
By providing both legal services and financial services under one roof, we can offer a more holistic strategy, resulting in more assurance, more planning, and more care.
At Cullimore Dutton we are experts in Wills & probate law, with over 70 years of experience supporting and advising clients with regard to their Wills, as well as LPAs, trusts, tax and estates. All of our team are either members or working towards membership of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).
We know that legal and financial areas such as these can be extremely sensitive, this is why we remain both empathetic and supportive. With our specialist guidance and clear planning, you and your loved ones will receive more.
For more information, please get in touch with our wills and probate lawyers today.
Frequently asked questions about Wills & probate
What is a tax efficient Will?
A tax efficient Will refers to a Will that is drafted to minimise how much tax is owed on the estate, and therefore make certain that as much of the estate as possible is transferred to the beneficiaries.
There are various ways to create a tax efficient Will, including making use of spousal exemptions and tax allowances, such as the nil-rate band. It is also possible to structure the Will by creating trusts, and therefore shielding certain assets from tax liabilities.
What is probate?
Probate refers to the legal right to handle someone’s estate once they have passed away. Usually it is the Will executor who is granted this right, however, where there is no Will, an appropriate next of Kin will be selected.
First, the executor or administrator must apply for a Grant of Probate. Once they have this, they can value the deceased’s estate and divide it amongst the beneficiaries as per the Will.
Get in touch with our expert Wills and probate solicitors in Chester
To access support with Wills & probate, please get in touch with our expert Wills and probate solicitors at Cullimore Dutton.
You can give us a call on 01244 356789, email info@cullimoredutton.co.uk, or complete the contact form on this page, and a member of our team will contact you as soon as possible.
