Wills and probate solicitors in West Hampstead, London

We advise private individuals and families in the UK and overseas who want to plan ahead, and act for executors and administrators dealing with an estate after a death.

• People making a first will, or updating a will after a change in family or financial circumstances
• Adults who want to choose, while they have the mental capacity to do so, who can make decisions for them through a lasting power of attorney
• Executors and administrators responsible for an estate
• Clients with assets or family in more than one country who need cross-border estate planning
• People who want to consider trusts or inheritance tax as part of planning their estate

• Will drafting

  We prepare wills that set out who should receive your estate and who should deal with it. If you are a parent with parental responsibility for a child under 18, your will can also appoint a guardian for the child. The appointment usually takes effect only when no parent with parental responsibility is still living. We also review and update existing wills when circumstances change.

• Estate planning

  We look at what you own, where it is held and who you want to provide for, and advise on arranging your affairs so that your wishes can be carried out. This includes cross-border estate planning for clients with assets or family outside England and Wales, where advice on the law of another country may also be needed.

• Lasting powers of attorney

  We advise on and prepare lasting powers of attorney, for property and financial affairs and for health and welfare, which let you choose who can make decisions on your behalf. A lasting power of attorney must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.

• Probate and estate administration

  We act for executors and administrators through the whole administration, from valuing the estate to paying the beneficiaries. We also act on estates that include UK property and assets held overseas. Assets abroad may need a separate legal process in the country where they are held.

• Trusts

  We advise on trusts as part of estate planning, including trusts created by a will, and on the duties that trustees take on.

• Inheritance tax planning

  We consider how inheritance tax may apply to your estate and which exemptions and reliefs may be available, so that you can plan with the likely tax position in mind.

1. Initial discussion

   We talk through your circumstances and what you need, then confirm the scope of the work and our fees in writing before we begin.

2. Wills and lasting powers of attorney

   We prepare drafts for you to review, then arrange for the documents to be signed and, where needed, witnessed as the law requires, and for any lasting power of attorney to be registered.

3. Probate: valuing the estate

   After a death, we identify the assets and debts, notify banks and other organisations, and obtain valuations of property and investments.

4. Probate: tax and the grant

   We prepare any inheritance tax account HMRC requires and arrange payment of any tax due, part or all of which usually has to be paid before the grant is issued. We then apply for the grant of probate or, where there is no will or no executor able and willing to act, letters of administration.

5. Probate: collecting in and paying debts

   Once the grant is issued, we collect in the assets, sell or transfer property as the executors or administrators decide, and pay the estate's debts, tax and expenses.

6. Probate: accounts and distribution

   We prepare estate accounts for approval, then distribute the estate to the beneficiaries in line with the will or, where there is no will, the intestacy rules.

Fixed fees for will drafting and straightforward probate. Written estimate provided before commencing.