In these extraordinary times of great uncertainty, having a will reflecting your wishes ensures that your family are taken care of when you die.
Deputy Applications to the Court of Protection
If you or your partner become mentally incapable and incapable of making decisions for yourselves and you do not have Lasting Power of Attorney in place, then your next of kin will have to apply to the Court of Protection (CoP) to be appointed a Deputy to manage your affairs and make decisions on your behalf. This can be costly, takes valuable time to process and annual accounts have to be submitted to the court and decisions you need to make on behalf of a loved one may need the court’s prior approval. We are experienced in making such applications and representing parties in any proceedings in relation to the patient.
Contact us to discuss your particular circumstances and whether an application to the CoP needs to be made.
Certainty Will Register
We store wills in our strong room for you at no charge and provide you with a copy. If a copy of your will cannot be located on your death your next of kin may not know if you made a will or know where the original has been kept. We can electronically record your will’s location on Certainty’s National Wills Register so that it can be found when it is needed.
Trusts
Trusts can be set up during your lifetime or under your will and can be beneficial in many ways. Our solicitors can advise on what type of trust can help you to mitigate the effect of Inheritance Tax or to protect your capital for a disabled child, or for future generations, whilst also providing your chosen beneficiaries with an income or use of a house during their lifetimes. Call us today and ask to speak with one of our solicitors.
Our Fees
Wills
Where wills are simple and straightforward, we offer a fixed fee for a single will of £350 plus VAT and for mirror wills for couples of £550 plus VAT which involves between 1 1/2 and 2 hours’ work and includes taking instructions from you, preparing initial drafts for approval, preparing final drafts and attending you again to sign, plus correspondence with you.
Where wills require more complex provisions, for example, discretionary will trusts or lifetime property trusts, charitable gifts, multiple legacies or appointment of guardians in which case once we know what you want to achieve we are in a better position to advise you on costs, which will be based on anticipated time spent at the individual fee earners hourly charge out rates.
For more complex single wills our costs typically range from £550 plus VAT to £950 plus VAT and mirror wills will typically range from £750 plus VAT to £1,250 plus VAT reflecting around 3 to 5 hours work.
Where your finances are more complicated, perhaps involving multiple properties, business or farming interests, foreign assets, literary executors, charitable donations to qualify for the lower rate of IHT or tax advice on how to structure your will, our fees will be based on time spent preparing your will. Once we have a good idea of what is involved and what you want to achieve we can give you a more detailed estimate of cost. As a guideline price a single will can cost between £1,200 plus VAT and £1,600 plus VAT and between £1,350 plus VAT to £1,850 plus VAT for mirror wills where the time spent can exceed 5 hours
Lasting Powers of Attorney
We offer fixed fees for Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA).
• For single persons for one LPA for either property and financial affairs or for health and welfare decisions we charge £450 plus VAT.
• For both LPAs we charge a single person £650 plus VAT
• For couples we charge £650 plus VAT for one LPA each.
• For both LPAs we charge couples £850 plus VAT.
• For couples who want two of one type of LPA and only one of the other we charge £750 plus VAT
In addition, where home visits are required we will charge the travel time involved.
• There is a fee payable to the Office of the Public Guardian on registration of each LPA, currently £82 per LPA
Trusts, Court of Protection and other work
Our fees for advising on and preparing and trust deeds and related documents and Court of Protection applications will usually be charged on a time basis at the individual fee earner’s hourly charging rate, depending on nature of your instructions and how involved they are and we will always give you an estimate of time and cost estimates at the outset.
VAT
VAT is charged on our fees at the prevailing rate which is currently 20%.
Our Team
Nick Bingham is the principal of the firm and qualified as a solicitor in 1985 and has overall supervision of the department. He also acts as an executor and trustee on many estates.
Curtis Rogers is a solicitor and joined the firm in 2014 and although his main role is a residential conveyancer he also enjoys will writing for his clients.
Gloria Asaaga graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a LLB in 2011, completed her Legal Practice course in 2013 and her LLM at Reading University in 2017. Following a career break she worked as a paralegal in a large regional law firm before joining us in August 2019 to continue her legal career with as a trainee solicitor in the wills and probate department and the conveyancing department.
Hourly Charging Rates
Nick Bingham Principal £295
Curtis Rogers Solicitor £250
Gloria Asaaga Solicitor £225
Lyn Tomlins Probate Manager £200