Wills & Probate Law
Bank Solicitors have many years of experience of advising and completing wills for clients of all ages and circumstances. We deal with grants of Probate and administration of estates of all sizes and can help minimise Inheritance Tax in some cases. We also advise about and prepare Powers of Attorney and Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Making a Will
Our will service is not overly expensive and we will give a fixed price for our work in advance.
We can advise you about appointing executors, and guardians for the children and trustees.
You haven't made a will and keep putting it off, we understand, but it's easy to make a will if you have proper guidance and we can send you a printed questionnaire to help you ask yourself the right questions about your situation and who needs to benefit from your will before we start drafting.
If you have children or are in a step-family situation your will needs special consideration.
Choose Bank Solicitors to prepare your will, it will be a bespoke product tailored to your needs by an experienced solicitor.
Probate
When Someone Dies: Dealing with the estate
Once you have registered the death and arranged the funeral, when that is all over the estate of the deceased will have to be administered. This involves finding out what the deceased owned and also any debts and mortgages etc. to be repaid. There may be tax to pay.
Bank Solicitors offers a caring and sympathetic service for administering estates.
To get help from us simply contact the office and talk to an experienced solicitor who can guide and advise you. This initial advice is completely free and is to help you decide what to do and whether you wish to instruct us to deal with the administration of the estate, for which we will be pleased to give a quotation for costs.
Where there are disputes about estates, we can help.
Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)
Lasting Power of Attorney is the most common form of Power of Attorney. It is an ongoing arrangement with no expiry date that will allow another person to make decisions on your behalf.
Once the document is registered, it can be used immediately, with your permission while you still have the capacity, or it can take effect from when you lose mental capacity.
An LPA has to be registered with the government, through the Office of the Public Guardian.
Types of Lasting Power of Attorney
There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney.
We would recommend setting both up at the same time. Many people do this while reviewing or revising their will.
Property and financial affairs LPA
This gives your attorney the power to make decisions about your money and property, including:
managing bank or building society accounts.
paying bills.
collecting a pension or benefits.
if necessary, selling your home.
Once registered with the Office of the Public Guardian, it can be used immediately or held in readiness until you lose capacity.
Health and Welfare LPA
This gives your attorney the power to make decisions about:
your daily routine (washing, dressing, eating).
medical care.
moving into a care home.
life-sustaining medical treatment.
It can only be used once you are unable to make your own decisions, though you will need to agree to it while you still have the capacity.
