Clients who need advice on wills and probate matters often find themselves in stressful and emotional circumstances, whether because of a recent bereavement or strained family relationships. We aim to provide a professional yet sensitive service, dealing with your matter with efficiency and consideration. The key areas in which we specialise are:

Wills

As part of our will writing service we offer a one-to-one meeting to discuss your circumstances and requirements, provide advice and take your instructions. We will also discuss inheritance tax and, where appropriate, suggest tax efficient ways of preparing your will and planning your estate. In certain circumstances time may be of the essence and we are prepared to visit clients at home or in hospital, if necessary. It is important to review your will periodically or if your circumstances change; if you need to amend your will, we would be pleased to assist.

Probate and Administration

The period after the death of a loved one is often a testing time for families and we are particularly sensitive in the way that we approach the work we do in assisting families to carry out the wishes of the relative who has passed away. In some cases there is no will and the laws of intestacy will apply. Either way we are well placed to ensure that you get clear and straightforward advice at what is often a very stressful time.

Administering an estate can seem an overwhelming task therefore we can carry out the legal work on behalf of executors or administrators of estates. This work includes preparing inheritance tax accounts and the documents required to obtain the grant of representation (court order) to deal with the estate, before taking steps to gather in and distribute the estate funds.

Estate Planning

Modern families are increasingly complex, with second marriages, co-habitation arrangements, children from previous relationships and problems of incapacity, duress and undue influence. It is crucial that there is a smooth succession on death with the minimum fuss. Property values are such that many estates which include land (particularly in London) are near to or above the inheritance tax threshold. We are well placed to advise on the planning of your estate during your lifetime to ensure that your beneficiaries receive your estate with the minimum payment of taxes.

Our fees

Our fees for standard wills are £300 plus VAT. Please note however that for more complex wills, for example a will setting up a trust, we may charge more but will agree the fee with you before we begin any work. We also charge extra for visiting clients at home or in hospital; the additional cost depends on where you are based and the extra time it will take us to see you. 

For administering estates our fees are usually calculated on the basis of the time we spend on the matter and the value of the estate, in accordance with the Law Society’s guidance. Usually our fees start from £750 plus VAT. We aim to provide an initial estimate to you at the outset of the matter and confirm our fees to you once we have further details about the estate, its value and what work will be involved.

For estate planning advice we can usually agree a fixed price for most cases. Please contact Mr Jatinder Sandhu on 020 7700 0265 or jatinder@percyshort.co.uk for further advice and information.

For further details about wills, probate and administration please contact Naureen Matlib on (020) 7700 0265 or naureen@percyshort.co.uk. For details about estate planning please contact Jatinder Sandhu on (020) 7700 0265 or  and for details about disputes involving wills, please visit the Litigation section of this website.

IMPORTANT NOTICE DATED 13 OCTOBER 2017 

From 1^st November 2017, we will be increasing our charge out rates for all our Partners, Solicitors, Consultants, Paralegals, Trainee Solicitors and Administrative Staff by £10 per hour.