Gorvins' Estate Planning Department offers specialist advice in the following areas:
- Wills
- Inheritance Tax Planning
- Probate and Estate Administration
- Enduring Powers of Attorney
- Court of Protection Work
Wills
Whether you need a simple or a complex will, our dedicated team of specialists can help you make the right decisions.
By understanding the provision you want to make for your partner or spouse, children and other family members, we can ensure you have complete peace of mind. Practical advance planning means your assets will go to the right people, and that your inheritance tax liability is minimised.
If your job puts you in danger, it is essential to have a well-planned will in place.
Seventy percent of the population die intestate; that is, without leaving a valid will. This can mean that their property does not pass to the people they would wish to benefit. Even married people or those who have registered a civil partnership do not automatically inherit everything from their partners. For unmarried couples, the consequences can be disastrous if an estate passes to distant or even estranged relatives by operation of the rules on intestacy.
Second marriages and new relationships can complicate matters further and a properly written will is essential to ensure that the desired outcome is achieved. Making a will is usually a straightforward process - but it can have huge benefits for those you leave behind, including:
- Indicating your preferred funeral arrangements
- Choosing who receives your possessions or property
- Appointing executors to administer your estate
- Creating trusts for children or other family members
- Appointing guardians for your children
- Making gifts of money or property to family, friends or favourite charities
- Reducing or even eliminating tax liabilities
As your circumstances change, we will also advise you on updating your will.
Inheritance Tax Planning
More and more people find that the increasing value of their home has created a potential liability to this tax on death. By careful planning, it is possible to minimise or even eliminate the tax and our team are experts in this rapidly changing area of law.
Probate and Estate Administration
We deal with estates of all sizes and can help guide you through the sometimes bewildering process of obtaining probate (where there is a will) or letters of administration (where there is no will), gathering in the assets of an estate, paying liabilities and distributing the residue according to the terms of the will or the rules of intestacy.
Senior specialists in the team are members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, with extensive experience of working with accountants, stockbrokers and other professionals to protect clients' interests.
Powers of Attorney
You may want to plan ahead for a time when you might not be able to manage your own financial affairs by putting in place a Power of Attorney. We understand the issues and concerns which affect many older people, and two of our senior solicitors are members of Solicitors for the Elderly.
Court of Protection Work
The court exists to protect the property of people under a mental disability and will appoint a receiver to manage their affairs. Two of our senior solicitors are members of the Court's Panel of External Receivers. The Estate Planning Department is headed by Valerie Bown, who is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and of the Court of Protection Receivership Panel.
She may be contacted on 0161 930 5120 or at valerie.bown@gorvins.com
Alternatively you may contact Kate Edwards, one of our specialist solicitors, on 0161 930 5173 or at kate.edwards@gorvins.com
