Wills & Trusts

Future Planning With Our Wills & Trusts Solicitors

Discover the expertise of our specialist solicitors who are dedicated to providing exceptional services for Wills & Trusts.

It’s common to procrastinate when it comes to writing a Will, but at WB Pennine Solicitors, we understand the risks of not doing so in time. A Will is the foundation for securing your assets and ensuring that your loved ones and future generations are taken care of.

Making A Will

Here are a few things we can help you use your Will to achieve:

  • Pass on your money and property to your loved ones.
  • Create family estate plans – for example, you may want your spouse to inherit everything and then everything to go to your children, in which case making a pair of mirror Wills may be right for you.
  • Provide for dependants who cannot inherit if you don’t leave a Will, such as unmarried partners and stepchildren.
  • Appoint guardians for your minor children in case you die before they turn 18.
  • Create trusts to manage how your money and property are inherited and used – for example, a trust can protect large amounts of inheritance from financially irresponsible loved ones while still supporting them.
  • Create trusts to set aside assets for children and vulnerable adults.
  • Set out your funeral wishes.
  • Safeguard your family home so your children can inherit your share even if your partner needs to move to a care home after you die.
  • Appoint people you trust to be your executors, so you know your money and property is in safe hands after you die.
  • Avoid family disputes after you die because your wishes are set out clearly and there can be no disagreement or confusion over who should inherit what.

We can help you update your Will throughout your life, storing it for free in the meantime. We can also provide advice about the impact of certain life events on your Will and what you need to do.

How Our Wills & Trusts Solicitors Can Help You

We support people across Sheffield, Barnsley and the wider South Yorkshire area to plan and protect their wealth and estates. We also advise on a wide range of other lifetime planning matters. Our expertise includes:

  • Will Writing
  • Trust Wills
  • Property Protection Trusts
  • Asset Protection Trusts
  • Family Protection Trusts
  • Life Interest Trusts
  • Lifetime Trusts
  • Residential Care Fee Planning
  • Wills for Business Owners
  • Lasting Powers of Attorney
  • Court of Protection Applications

Wills & Trusts FAQs

Navigating the complexities of Wills and Trusts can be daunting, but understanding the basics can make the process smoother and more manageable. In this section, we’ve compiled answers to some of the most common questions about Wills and Trusts to help you make informed decisions.

The following are some key life events which could affect your estate plans and mean you need to change or update your Will:

  • Buying a home
  • Getting married or entering into a civil partnership
  • Getting divorced or dissolving your civil partnership
  • Starting a new relationship after divorce or dissolution
  • Having a child or grandchild
  • The death of a beneficiary or executor
  • Being diagnosed with an illness or having a serious accident
  • A loved one being diagnosed with an illness or having a serious accident

In any event you should review your Will every five years or so to make sure that it still reflects your wishes. Wills which have been updated regularly and purposefully over the years are much more resistant to legal challenge after you die.

Technically you can make a Will without talking to a solicitor, but it’s not advisable. Your Will must fulfil strict legal criteria, or it can be challenged and even disregarded after you die.

Many legal cases have arisen because family members disagree about the validity or interpretation of the Will – disputes could cover anything, from whether the Will was signed properly to whether you were of sound mind when you wrote it.

These kinds of legal cases can become very long and expensive. Relatives are often prepared to fight it out to the bitter end, permanently damaging once close relationships.

Using a solicitor to write your Will ensures that:

  • Your wishes are recorded exactly how you want them to be (no room for confusion or misunderstandings after you’re gone).
  • Your Will is executed properly with no mistakes that would make it invalid.
  • All your assets are provided for, and nothing is missed out.
  • You can make complex arrangements to adequately protect your family, such as setting up trusts for vulnerable family members and children.

It can help you avoid all sorts of common mistakes and issues, including:

  • Not realising that big life changes, such as marriage, civil partnership, divorce and dissolution could affect the validity of your Will.
  • Changing your Will or making additions without executing the document properly.
  • Disinheriting people who depend on you, resulting in an inheritance claim after you die.
  • Not structuring your estate tax-efficiently, meaning your loved ones have to pay more Inheritance Tax after you die.

Yes – you’re acquiring a high value asset, so it doesn’t matter how young you are, making a Will is the best way to protect your property interests and make sure they’re passed on according to your wishes when you die.

You will need to specify whom you would like to be the executor of your Will. It’s a good idea to talk to them before writing your Will to ensure they are comfortable with the task you are asking them to do.

It is common to detail a spouse, partner or grown-up children to be an executor. However, if your children do not get along, it may be worth appointing an impartial executor or a professional. You can appoint a solicitor to act as an executor for you, but you do not have to.

If you only appoint one executor, you may wish to consider a substitute executor in the event that the first executor is unable to take on the task of distributing your estate.

If you are leaving some or all of your estate to a trust, then you need to appoint someone to look after it. It’s common for executors and trustees to be one and the same people. Being a trustee could potentially be a long-term commitment.

If for example, you are leaving your estate in trust for children under the age of 18, the trustees will manage their inheritance until they reach the age where they will inherit what was left for them.

If you have young children, you will need to consider naming guardians in your Will. Guardians will look after your children’s welfare until they are 18. They can be different to the named executors and trustees, but it’s recommended that they should be able to get along with each other.

Trustees should ensure that the guardians are not left out of pocket while caring for your children. You should talk to your proposed guardians before you write your Will to ensure that are willing to take on such a role.

Get In Touch With Our Wills & Trusts Solicitors

Contact our friendly, expert Wills & Trusts solicitors for all the help you need to make your Will.

We have local offices across Penistone, Attercliffe, Gleadless, Barnsley, Hoyland and Hillsborough.

Give us a call at your nearest branch or fill in our online enquiry form and we’ll give you a call back as soon as possible.

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