Ashley Wilson - Wills, Trusts & Probate

Wills, Trusts and Probate

A Last Will & Testament is is probably the most important document you are ever likely to sign. It is paramount that the document has been drafted correctly and you receive the appropriate inheritance tax planning advice if you wish to protect your loved ones at the time of your death by benefiting them with your assets, whether those are situated in the UK or abroad.

A correctly drawn Will may save your Executors and Beneficiaries a substantial amount of Inheritance Tax. Whether your needs are simple, such as leaving your entire estate to your spouse or civil partner, or more complex, for example involving trusts for children, we are able to advise you upon a range of options.

We use our specialist legal knowledge to draft a Will that is clear and most importantly, tax efficient. We stress the importance of reviewing your Will on a regular basis to take into account a change in the law, or your financial and family circumstances.

Document Downloads

Making a Will

STEP Information

Inheritance Tax

Executor's Factsheet

Probate Fee Estimate Scale

Guardians

If you have young children you should consider appointing guardians to take care of them if you die while they are still young. The appointment of guardians can be a component part of your Will and we always recommend that it is discussed with the nominated guardian beforehand.

Trusts

There are many reasons that you may wish to set up a Trust for your assets and many important considerations when doing so to ensure how it will be controlled and administered. You might wish to set up a Trust during your lifetime or for one to be established upon your death.

Trusts are governed by complex legal regulations and specific tax regulations. Our team of experienced solicitors can discuss the options available to you and ensure that the correct solution is employed.

Inheritance Tax Planning (IHT)

A complex area of tax law and an intrinsic aspect of Last Wills & Testaments requires an indepth understanding of the various facets of the regulations. The team at AWS can advise you on all aspects of inheritance tax issues arising in connection with Wills, Estate Planning, Trusts and Administering an Estate. This area extends to income tax and capital gains tax considerations and we are able to refer you to appropriate financial specialists in complex or urgent circumstances.

Probate

Where an individual has made a Will, it will usually indicate who will be responsible for administering the Estate: the Executor. On the other hand, if a person dies without a Will, known as ‘Intestate’, there are special rules as to who has the legal right to administer the Estate and benefit from it.

We are able to provide you with clear and straightforward advice and we aim to make the whole experience as stress-free as possible. We will assist you so that the Estate is administered efficiently and quickly, with the understanding that no Executor will wish for the administration period to last for any extended period of time.

If a person has died without a Will, we have the relevant experience in handling the complex intestacy provisions that govern the administration of the Estate.

Our Wills, Trusts and Probate Specialists

Tony Wilson

Margot Fisher

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Legal Updates

King's Speech 2026

Yesterday’s King’s Speech confirmed that the Government intends to continue with further leasehold and commonhold reform legislation during the current Parliamentary session.

The speech itself contained only a brief reference to leasehold reform, stating: “My Ministers will bring forward legislation to increase long-term investment in social housing and to reform the leasehold system, including the capping of ground rents.”

However, accompanying Government briefings and subsequent ministerial commentary make clear that the proposed reforms are intended to go significantly further than the measures already contained in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA 2024).

Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022

The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill received Royal Assent on 8 February 2022. The main elements of it, i.e. the ground rent restrictions themselves, remained to be brought into force by regulations. This has now taken place; The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 (The Act) will come into force on 30 June 2022.

Leasehold house sale ban - Ground Rent

This article looks at the status of the reforms announced so far around the sale of houses of a leasehold basis, ground rents in new leases, the fees payable by leaseholders for essential information needed on sale and the potential changes to the premium payable for a lease extension or freehold.