Wills, Trusts & Probate
From making a Will or lasting power of attorney to setting up a trust or administering an estate, our dedicated team are here to help you plan and make provision for you and your loved ones throughout your lifetime.
We advise both private individuals and business owners and cover basic to very complex needs. We have particular expertise in legal advice to business owners and farming families with agricultural or business estates and also similar expertise advising people who wish to protect their vulnerable beneficiaries. Our team ensure you have the correct legal advice to make sure your loved ones are cared for and your assets are protected should the worst happen.
We also take the time to understand you and your circumstances and always offer clear practical advice, helping you to understand your options whilst keeping everything as simple as we can.
Our private client team is nationally recognised in the Legal 500 - the UK’s leading guide to law firms. Several of our solicitors are highlighted as leading individuals in their fields and are accredited members of STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).
Blending our specialist knowledge, experience and enthusiasm, our clients enjoy working alongside us and we believe it’s the way we deliver our service that sets us apart in the marketplace.
‘In addition to being I regard Samantha valued friend. Her admirable and knowledge are matched caring manner. At I felt we were on the - she listens intently; comprehends; promptly to her client’s needs
being
my solicitor, Edward as a much admirable legal skills matched by her mature, At our first meeting the same wavelength intently; immediately promptly acts according needs and wishes.’
‘Your service was first class. Samantha put us at ease from the beginning and she was very friendly.’
We have excellent working relationships with many other advisers and professionals in the region and believe no-one in the marketplace is more passionate than us about providing the very highest levels of customer service.
We advise on:
• Wills
• Trusts
• Probate & Estate Administration
• Advice for the elderly
• Lasting Powers of Attorney/ Enduring Powers of Attorney
• Inheritance Tax Planning
• Wealth Management
• Statutory Wills
Your Will
Anyone who wants to ensure their loved ones are properly provided for after their death needs to make a Will – but it’s not just about leaving a list of who will get what. If you do not make a Will the intestacy rules will apply to your estate and under these rules an unmarried partner will receive nothing, and even a spouse or civil partner will not necessarily receive everything. Apart from the inequity, this can lead to expensive claims against your estate. At EMG Solicitors we create a bespoke Will for your particular circumstances, this is particularly important if there are extended families or people who have remarried or for vulnerable family members. You can also deal with other important issues through your Will like the appointment of guardians if you were to die leaving minor children. Ideally you should review your Will every 5 years or whenever there is a change in your personal circumstances for instance a birth, death, marriage or divorce.
‘Feel like a weight has lifted off my shoulders now I have got this sorted. Thank you again for your time. I certainly will recommend you and EMG for your professionalism and your kindness.’
Trusts
We are experts in both the creation and administration of trusts. There are different types of Trust which can be used for a variety of reasons; to protect assets, provide for young or vulnerable family members or for inheritance tax planning. Trusts can be made in lifetime or on death through your Will. They allow you to retain control over assets and can give flexibility as to who ultimately benefits from the trust assets. Our creative team will create a solution tailored to meet all of your needs in the most tax efficient way.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Lasting Power of Attorney governs who will manage your affairs in the event that you lose the capacity. There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA); Property and Affairs and Health and Welfare. The Property and Affairs LPA authorises your chosen Attorneys to manage your financial affairs, whilst the Health and Welfare LPA allows you to choose who will make decisions regarding your care, medical treatment and where you will live. It can even authorise someone to make life sustaining medical treatment decisions. We can provide fixed fees for preparing and registering an LPA and can also reduce our usual fee if one is prepared at the same time as your Wills.
Probate and Estate Administration
Our team are experts in probate and estate administration when a loved one passes on. Head of our Wills, Trusts & Probate team, Director, Sam Edward is the co-author of “The Practitioners Guide to Probate and the Administration of Estates” a guide to probate law.
We act on behalf of personal representatives in the administration of estates including high value and complex estates. This often involves the implementation of tax planning commenced by the deceased during lifetime. However if such tax planning has not been considered in life we can advise as to whether any such planning can be incorporated after death through a Deed of Variation.
Inheritance Tax Planning & Wealth Management
Inheritance Tax is due on the estate (the property, money and possessions less any liabilities) of someone who has died, where the total estate is in excess of the Inheritance Tax threshold. Inheritance Tax receipts totalled £7.1 billion for HMRC in the tax year 2022/2023. This has been increasing year on year and is expected to continue to rise.
For many people, once property, savings and investments and any other assets are taken into account it is easy to see how the Inheritance Tax threshold can be crossed. However, there are things you can do to minimise the tax burden. They do not have to be particularly complex, but nevertheless, even simple steps can save thousands of pounds of tax in the future.
At EMG Solicitors we can help you reduce the Inheritance Tax liability for your beneficiaries through lifetime planning and/or by your Will.
‘My experience has been stress free, and great courtesy shown by all staff. What could have been a very trying procedure due to the tragic circumstances was, in fact, softened by sensitive handling throughout. My thanks to all.’
