Manchesters Solicitors
Solicitors serving the local community of Sanderstead since 1979. VAT Regn no. 344960931. SRA number 58391 .
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Making a Will
Why not see one of our Solicitors at a no obligation free initial interview to see how you can take control of what happens to your property and possessions in the event of your death, instead of having your assets distributed according to the Law rather than your wishes which may not be what you want. Some assets are capable of passing by Will, also referred to as one's Last Will and Testament and in that case we can provide you with an idea of the costs of preparing a Will for you. If you are married or in a civil partnership then it is still necessary for each person to have their own separate Last Will and Testament.



The preparation of a Last Will and Testament
It is advisable to use a Solicitor to make a Will for you as opposed to doing so yourself or using an unqualified person to assist with that. Everything from the wording of a Last Will to its presentation and the way in which it is executed are all vital in terms of making sure that they are done properly so that the Last Will is capable of being proved following one's death and does not leave any room for a potential challenge or dispute to arise.

Home visits: provided that you live fairly closeby one of our Solicitors may be able to visit you, at a mutually convenient time, either in your own home, care home or hospital, if you are not able to visit us at our offices in Sanderstead in the London Borough of Croydon. Please bear in mind that it is possible to access our offices in a wheelchair and there is a gentle slope at the front of the office leading from the curb side to the front door. All our offices are on a single level and there are no stairs to negotiate.

What does it cost to make a Last Will and Testament? The cost really depends upon how complicated your affairs may be as well as any special circumstances there may be such as the need to visit you away from our offices or any special urgency involved. Wills can be fairly straightforward documents to very complex documents and tend to range from a minimum of £150 plus £22.50 VAT upwards for a single Will although concessions are available to first time buyers who instruct us to make a last will in connection with the purchase of their first home.
 

What goes into a Last Will and Testament? Before discussing your requirements one of our Solicitors will ask you for information about your assets to establish the nature and size of them. They will then ask you which person or institutions you wish to benefit, and how best to do that. You may have children under the age of 18 in which case you can appoint a person or persons to act as their legal guardian in the event of your death. You will need to give some careful thought to the person or persons you wish to appoint to be responsible for handling your estate and for carrying out your wishes when you die and they are referred to as executors of which there can be one or as many as four separate individuals. An Executor is also responsible for making sure that the funeral arrangements are carried out according to the deceased's wishes. They need not all agree ultimately to take on the responsibility of that job when you die. They cannot be forced to act and therefore it is a good idea to check whether they would be willing to do so before appointing them. Being an executor is a position of the utmost trust and so you should choose only that person or persons who you trust to deal with your affairs honestly and competently. Our partners are sometimes able to offer to act as your Executor. In some cases the Court will be asked to determine the identity of an Executor. 



We can also assist in the following:
Updating your Last Will
We recommend that you review your Last Will at least once a year and after every change in your circumstances or those of your family such as divorce, separation, marriage, births and deaths, or moving house, and after every budget and pre-budget report or relevant changes in the Law. Sometimes a Will can be updated by the use of a document known as a codicil, which is like an amendment or supplement to an existing Will, but where possible, and usually for no extra cost, it may be better to make a whole new Will. Why not ask one of our Solicitors to discuss this very important aspect with you and take advantage of our offer of a free no obligation initial discussion on the subject? Remember that writing on a Will will likely invalidate it as will attaching additions or changes to it or even making indentations on it, so it is very important that a Will is preserved in its original condition. If in doubt as to whether you think that any of these things may have happened please check with one of our Solicitors.

Storing your Will
Once you make a Will it is important to keep it in a safe place which is preferably both secure and fire proof and to let your Executor(s) know where the original is stored. We can keep the original for you and provide you with a photocopy for your reference, but it is important to protect the original because it is not always possible to prove a photocopy in the same way as it is an original. 





Intestacy
Where one dies without having made a valid Last Will and Testament what is known as an intestacy arises. It is also possible for a partial intestacy to arise and for more information about this  generally please ask to speak to one of our Solicitors. 

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MANCHESTERS & THE MANCHESTERS PROPERTY CENTRE ARE REGULATED BY  THE SOLICITORS REGULATION AUTHORITY