Wills, Trust, Estate Planning and Probate Solicitors in Derby

It is important to make a will, regardless of how much money or assets you own. There are several reasons for this;

• If you die without a will, there are rules called the Rules of Intestacy’ that dictate how your money, assets and property is distributed. This might not be the way you want you want things to happen
• If you’re not married or in a registered civil partnership, you cannot inherit from each other unless you have a will. If one of you dies, it could cause serious financial problems for the other.
• If you have children, you need a will to make arrangements for them if one or both of you die. If you don’t, the courts will take responsibility over them until they can find a guardian.
• If you have assets that are subject to inheritance tax, a will could be a good way to reduce the amount of inheritance tax you pay.
• If your life or circumstances change, so might your wishes. For example, if you and your partner split up, you might want to write them out of an existing will.

Making a will is a very straightforward process. It is possible to create a Will yourself. However, there are certain requirements needed to ensure the document is legally binding. A Wills & Probate solicitor can ensure that these requirements are met so that your wishes and intentions are carried out.

If your estate and assets, or how you wish to divide them, are complex, then a solicitor can also help you draft a Will that achieves your wishes legally.

At Rothera Bray, we have a member of the Wills & Probate team available at each of our local Nottingham, Leicester and Derby branches.

Our solicitors can also visit you at your home or in hospital if you are unable to visit one of our offices.

Simply contact our team today to arrange an appointment.

We offer a straight-forward approach and our focus is on ensuring you have the right information and guidance.

A single, straightforward Will with no trusts costs £350 plus VAT or £600 plus VAT for Simple Mirror Wills and unlike many firms, this includes free registration with Certainty, the National Wills Register, saving you an additional £30 (incl. VAT) registration fee per Will.

Probate is the legal process of administering a deceased person’s estate. This involves:

• Identifying and valuing the deceased person’s assets and liabilities
• Paying off any debts and taxes owed by the estate
• Distributing the remaining assets to the beneficiaries named in the will
• If the deceased didn’t write a will, dividing those assets according to the rules of intestacy
• Carrying out the deceased person’s wishes as far as possible

A Trust is a legal way of protecting family assets.

You can transfer part of your estate to a trustee who is responsible for managing the trust before passing it on to the beneficiary when the time comes. This might be when they turn 18 for example.

The main benefit of a trust is their tax efficiency. Parents can transfer assets into a trust to to reduce the inheritance tax liability their children will be subject to.