Wills and Tax Planning

We are a law firm who provide costs effective and practical advice in relation to making a Will and your tax planning needs. Based in Manchester, we serve clients across the North West and beyond. We have strength and depth in our Wills Tax Planning and Probate department with an experienced legal team who specialise in this area.

We provide a full tax planning and will preparation service for our clients in particular in the following areas:-

Making a Will

You must make a will if you wish to ensure that your spouse will inherit the whole of your estate after you have died.

If you have young children who will care for them on your death? You must make a Will to provide for their welfare.

If you have young children how will you make financial provision for them in the event of your death? You must make a Will to safeguard their financial security.

Do you want to risk your estate being inherited by "long lost" members of your blood family? If not, you must make a Will.

Do you want to risk the value of your estate being reduced by tax? If not, you must make a Will.

Tax Planning

Will your family have to pay inheritance tax when you die?

If you own your house the value of your estate may be reduced by inheritance tax.

If you have other savings and investments the value of your estate may be reduced by inheritance tax.

You need advice from a specialist solicitor about how the tax burden could be extinguished or reduced.

Contact our specialist solicitor Judith Dennerly and her legal team on 0161 872 5595

Probate

We are a law firm who provide sensitive costs effective and practical advice about how to deal with property and assets after the death of a loved one. Based in Manchester, we serve clients across the North West and beyond. Our specialist legal team in our Wills and Probate department has strength and depth and can advise you about what to do next following the death of a person close to you.

We act for clients with large or small estates and where Wills have been made or where a person has died without making a Will. We can advise you what to do next.

We provide a full probate service to our clients in particular in the following areas:-

How to prepare an application to the Probate Registry

If you are uncertain about how to value the estate you need guidance from a specialist solicitor who has experience in obtaining the information needed by the Probate Registry. Our legal team can take the necessary steps on your behalf.

Our specialist legal team can also advise you about whether you will have to pay inheritance tax and if so how much. The legal team will advise you about how to access funds from the estate to pay the tax

Our legal team can prepare all the documents which you need and present them to the Probate Registry.

What to do with the Grant of Representation

Our specialist legal team will produce the Grant of Probate or Administration to all the financial institutions and collect in the assets of the estate.

Our legal team will prepare detailed accounts of all the moneys in the estate and advise you about transferring assets to the beneficiaries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much Inheritance Tax will my estate have to pay?

A: Inheritance by spouses and registered charities is exempt from inheritance tax. Some assets (business property and agricultural) carry reliefs from inheritance tax. After taking into account exemptions and reliefs the amount which can be inherited without tax being paid is usually changed by the budget in April. E.g. From April 2008 only £312,000 can be inherited without tax being paid if no exemptions or reliefs are available; over and above £312,000 tax is payable at 40% of the value of the estate.

Q: When is the tax payable?

A: This depends on the composition of the estate. Tax on certain assets can be paid by instalments but the first instalment of tax and tax on liquid assets must be paid by the end of sixth month after the death.

Q: How long will it take?

A: Our specialist legal team can advise our clients about timescales. Estates vary in their size, composition and complexity. The legal team can advise at the outset about the issues in individual cases which will impact on the time required to conclude the matter.