Wills, Trusts & Probate

Drawing up a will is the best way to ensure your wishes are honoured after you have gone. It protects your family and loved ones, and minimises financial worry during a difficult time. Our expert solicitors can guide you through everything related to wills, trusts and probate so that you don't have to go it alone, including:

• Making or changing a will
• Estate (Inheritance Tax) Planning
• Obtaining Probate/Letters of Administration and administering Deceased Estates
• Litigation – contesting a will
• Deeds of Variation (rearranging the distributions under a will within 2 years of death)
• Preparing Declarations of Trust over residential and letting property
• Estate planning and wealth protection using trusts and related trust deeds and documentation
• Lasting Powers of Attorney (Financial and/or Health and Welfare)
• Applications to the Court of Protection for vulnerable adults
• Estate planning, wills and trusts for foreign nationals and domiciles with UK connections

Healys LLP is one of the UK's leading law firms, providing a comprehensive and bespoke service to clients. Our wills and probate solicitors have expert knowledge on drawing up wills and assisting with related matters, including inheritance tax, property law, and international wills.

We also have a wide network of trusted professional contacts who can further assist you, including Independent Financial Advisors, Accountants and Wealth Managers.

Making a Will

A will is one of the most important legal documents that you will require. Creating a will means appointing suitable people to deal with your estate after your death. Without a will, you could leave your family with additional inheritance tax, capital gains tax liabilities or the potential for a family dispute.

Recent case studies highlight that there can be severe and costly consequences if you die ‘intestate’ (without a will). There is a risk that your wealth may be shared by distant relatives according to predetermined statutory rules against your wishes, with likely additional exposure to Inheritance Tax.

If your will does not adequately make provision for ‘dependants’ there is a risk that various parties may make a claim against the estate and your family could be forced into expensive court battles or mediation proceedings, which are lengthy with no guarantee of a successful outcome, with the costs reducing the estate passing to the beneficiaries.

Planning for your death through wills, trusts and probate services guarantee that your estate and affairs will be taken care of as you wish, and in line with ever-changing legislation.

Healys knows the value of the personal service that we provide our clients. We have friendly, approachable staff and ensure our clients receive the best advice possible. Healys can help you to plan your estate comprehensively, with a dedicated private client department which includes:

• Estate Planning specialists, including planning for foreign nationals and domiciles with UK connections
• Wills and probate specialists
• Specialists for planning for the elderly, infirm and vulnerable
• Contentious probate specialists (litigation over deceased estates)

Probate Solicitors

What is probate?

Probate is the general term used when dealing with the estate of a deceased person who has left a valid Will. A grant of probate is the official document which gives the Executor of the Will legal authority to handle the deceased’s estate.

In the case that the deceased has not left a valid Will or one cannot be found, the Rules of Intestacy must be followed. This requires that the personal representatives of the deceased obtain letters of administration, before they can collect and distribute their assets to the entitled persons.

Specialist Probate Advice

Our expert team of probate solicitors are based in our London and Brighton offices but work with clients all over the UK. We make sure the administration and management of all the factors of the estate are handled with care and sensitivity whilst also making sure everything is done in an efficient manner. We are here to guide you through the process and make sure the estate is handled in the correct way.

Our expert probate solicitors will make sure all the Inland Revenue forms are completed as well as all the other important paperwork in order to obtain the Grant of Representation. From there we will guide you through nhow the assets are released under the intestacy rule if no will was left.

If there is an issue with probate then we have a dedicated service for contentious probate and will disputes.

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