F Barnes are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority No’s 46609 and 46610

Wills

Having worked hard all your life, why would you leave it to the government to decide who should be given your assets when you die? This is what happens if you don’t make a will.

The government has laid down laws on succession called The Rules of Intestacy that will govern what happens to your assets should you die intestate (i.e. without a will). Very often these rules do not reflect what people would ideally wish to happen. It is therefore important that you make clear what you would like to happen by creating a will.

In your will you can set out who you would like to administer your estate (your executors) as well as who is to be given which of your assets (your house, your money and anything else you own) and who is to be guardian of your children if they are under the age of 18 when you die. You can even stipulate why you haven’t included someone who may think they have a right to inherit from you. This is known as an Inheritance Act Statement. Inheritance tax planning can also be catered for through correct drafting of your will.

Do not be tempted to complete a home-made will. Even the most basic wills can be deemed invalid if incorrectly drafted or executed and, if deemed invalid, intestacy rules will apply and the state will decide what happens to your assets. The more complicated a will is, the greater the likelihood of mistakes occurring becomes.

Probate

Losing someone you love is one of the hardest and most emotionally draining times of your life. At F Barnes we understand this, providing a caring and sympathetic helping hand to guide you through the legal process involved in obtaining Probate or Letters of Administration to deal with your loved one’s estate.

We have an experienced probate team that can assist whatever your circumstances require, from the simplest of estates to the most complex. Once the grant to the estate is obtained we can then help you with administering the estate. This involves collecting assets, paying all liabilities such as inheritance tax, and finally making distribution to all beneficiaries.

Probate and Wills

Our Probate and Wills specialists

Katrina Lewis

Kevin Sandell

Roger Philpot