Wills, Trusts and Probate Solicitors in Suffolk

At Gudgeons Prentice we understand that your family’s future is your priority. Planning for this will give you peace of mind that your family will be supported whatever the future holds. Our team of expert Wills, Trusts and Probate solicitors are here to help you in ensuring your family’s future is secure.

Do you need help in drafting or executing a Will?

Many of us would assume that a Will is only for the older generation and not something to be thought about in our twenties and thirties.

However, you are never too young or too old to write your Will and consider how you would like your assets to be distributed on your death.

If you own a property or have young children, a Will can be very important to protect your loved ones should you pass away. If you die without making a Will, you have no control over who will receive your property, money or personal items on your death. Your assets are dealt with under the intestacy rules meaning that who you would wish to benefit may not.

Every adult should have a Will especially if any of the following apply:

 You have children

You are married or separated after a marriage

You co-habit, have a long-term partner or are in a same sex couple

You wish to specifically benefit a family member

You wish to specifically exclude a family member

Lasting Powers of Attorney

A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that enables you to appoint one or more people as your Attorneys to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf. This gives you more control over what happens to you if you have an accident or an illness and cannot make your own decisions, i.e. you lack mental capacity.

There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney, health and welfare, and property and financial affairs. You can choose to make one or both Lasting Powers of Attorney.

A health and welfare Lasting Power of Attorney gives you attorney/s authority to make decisions about things, such as:

What medical treatment you should or should not have

Whether you should continue to live in your own home or move into a residential care home

What type of health care you should receive

What diet you should have

How you should be dressed

What your daily routine should consist of

This document can only be used when you are unable to make your own decisions.

The property and financial affairs Lasting Power of Attorney gives your attorney’s authority to make decisions about things like:

Paying bills

Managing bank accounts

Selling your home

Collecting benefits and pensions

It can be used as soon as it has been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian.

Do you need help in applying for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration?

Our Probate Team can offer assistance when required in relation to the administration of an Estate of a deceased person. They have many years of experience in dealing with all aspects of Estate administration.

We can assist clients either by fully administering the Estate on behalf of the Personal Representatives or alternatively can limit the work to be carried out by us to obtaining the Grant of Representation only.

Full Estate Administration

 We will assist you throughout the entire process. This includes not only applying for the Grant of Probate (where there is a Will) or a Grant of Letters of Administration (where the deceased died without leaving a valid Will) but also collecting in the estate assets, paying the tax (where applicable), making payment of liabilities and legacies due, preparing the full estate accounts and (where applicable) tax returns, and finally distributing the residuary estate to the entitled beneficiaries.

Grant Only Service

We can limit our work to the obtaining of the Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration for an estate. We will do this using the information provided by you, and it will then be up to you to gather in the assets and distribute them in the proper way.

For information on our Probate Fees, follow the link below.

Expert legal services for individuals and businesses across Suffolk

The Wills, Probate & Trusts Team

Meet The Team

How much does it cost to make a Will and/or Lasting Powers of Attorney?

Our Private Client Team can offer assistance in relation to the preparation and completion of Wills and the preparation and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney. They have many years of experience in dealing with all aspects of the private client sector.

How can we help you?

At Gudgeons Prentice our friendly team of experts have the expertise to help you with any legal issues you may be facing. Get in touch today by phone, email or by completing our enquiry form and our team will be happy to help.