Wills
Having a properly drafted will is your opportunity to record your wishes in relation to the succession to your estate on your death. It is wrong to assume that the Laws of Succession which apply when you die intestate (without leaving a will) will necessarily reflect your wishes.
We provide full service legal support for you, your family, and your assets.
Service to suit your needs
Writing a will
Each will is bespoke to your particular requirements. It is a very personal document recording your wishes. We therefore take extra care in discussing your requirements to make sure that these can be addressed.
These are ascertained during a full discussion about your family situation, your financial position, your wishes and the many options available.
Let us help you
Contact us to find out what we can do to help
The process
We can help with your will in a few ways
The best way to start things off is with a face-to-face meeting. That way we can discuss your circumstances, assets, wishes and any questions that arise in relation to them. If physically attending the office is difficult we may be able to arrange a ‘virtual meeting’ by way of a video call, or a home visit.
Alternatively, we can send you, either by post or by email, questionnaires for completion. If your circumstances and assets are not too complicated, then the information from the questionnaires may be sufficient for us to put together draft wills for your consideration. The drafts can subsequently be discussed over the telephone or by video call.
The third option is to work through our interactive interview online. This serves a similar purpose to the questionnaires but is a bit more guided. You can start the online process by clicking here or the banner at the top of this page.
Once you are happy with the terms of the drafts final versions are prepared for signing. The signed wills can then be stored in our wills safe, with copies being returned for storing with your personal papers at home.
When wills are being instructed by two people at the same time, e.g. by a married couple, it’s important that each person is able to give us their own clear instructions.
The cost
Our fee for a single will starts at £495 plus VAT and £695 plus VAT for two “mirror” wills for married or co-habiting couples, and will increase depending upon the complexity of your wills (e.g. if there are several bequests and/or numerous beneficiaries and/or require bespoke provisions to deal with unusual assets) and the level of advice required (e.g. if consideration needs to be given to blended families or children from previous relationships).
For more complicated wills, including wills involving trust arrangements or issues with foreign laws or where more detailed inheritance tax advice is required, fees will be charged on a time-spent basis. Our solicitor hourly rates range from £300 – £395 plus VAT.
Discounts can apply if you are putting power(s) of attorney in place at the same time.
Identity checks
If you are a new client to Balfour+Manson, or a returning client who we have not seen for two years or more, we are required to confirm your identity by checking (or re-checking) two proof of identity documents, which can be done in person or online. We are now also required to undertake regulatory searches to ensure that clients are not politically exposed or on any sanctions lists. The regulatory checks cost up to £18 per person.
A word of warning
Don’t be tempted to use a homemade or off the shelf will
There are a number of organisations and websites offering these for a fixed fee or providing standard documents for your completion. These often create uncertainty and are at worst invalid.
Looking after what's important to you
Wills… An A-Z
Guardianship
Power of Attorney
Caring for elderly relatives
Setting up a Trust
Tax matters
Estate administration
Buying or selling a home
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