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Wills

Plan for your later years

Our Wills experts

Alexandra Frumosu
Senior Paralegal
Danny Carter
Senior Partner
Finn Thomas
Paralegal
Hollie Allcorn
Paralegal
Jessica Fraser
Solicitor
Lisa Carter
Managing Partner
Shannon Robey
Solicitor
Kacie Prigg
Paralegal
We all know making a Will is important. Without it, the law dictates who inherits your estate, not you. This may very well be against your wishes, especially if you’re unmarried or live with your partner. And yet it’s all too easy to put it off for another day.

At Gepp Solicitors, we’ll take the hassle out of making your Will. We’ll take the time to understand your situation so we can produce a Will that meets your needs now, and in the future. We’ll work hard to minimise your tax liability so you can pass on as much as you can to your loved ones.

If you need us to come to you whether at home or in hospital, we can. We are also happy to act as the executors of your Will should you wish.

We have specialist experience assisting elderly clients and providing insightful and realistic advice based on the specific legal issues and challenges faced by older people. We are leading solicitors in Essex for clients affected by dementia and regularly provide detailed advice on Will and estate planning for clients facing the illness and their loved ones.

We’ll walk you through the choices you’ll need to make in your Will, including:

  • Who will administer your estate
  • Who will benefit from your estate
  • How much financial provision to make for your beneficiaries
  • Who will care for your young children
  • What age your young beneficiaries will inherit
  • Setting up a trust that provides for a vulnerable child or dependent
  • Who gets possessions with sentimental value and family heirlooms
  • Whether you’d like to leave anything to charity.

If your situation changes, we’ll help you review your Will to make sure it still reflects your wishes.

Get in touch with our Wills & probate solicitors in Essex today by giving us a call at our office in Chelmsford or by filling in our online enquiry form.

Download our Will questionnaire

If you’re thinking about making a Will, our questionnaire is a great place to start. Once you’ve answered all the questions, just bring the document to your first appointment with us and we can help transform your answers into a legally binding Will.

Why make a Will?

Making a Will is almost certainly one of the most important things you can do to preserve your wealth, protect your loved ones and ensure their future financial security. Below are just some of the reasons to make a Will:

You’ll have complete control over how your estate is distributed

Wills are legally binding which means your wishes have to be respected. In England and Wales, you are allowed to distribute your money and property however you wish.

If you fail to make a Will, your money and property will be distributed according to the Rules of Intestacy which could be against your wishes.

You can appoint guardians for your children

If your children are under the age of 18, you can decide who will take care of them if you die by appointing guardians in your Will.

You can minimise the amount of tax you pay after death

Inheritance Tax falls due on 40% on all of your estate after a certain amount (currently the tax-free threshold is £325,000 plus some relief for your main residence). By making a Will, you can arrange your estate to minimise the amount of taxes you’ll have to pay ensuring your loved ones are left with as much inheritance as possible.

You can appoint loved ones to administer your estate

Your Executors are responsible for valuing the estate, paying Inheritance Tax, and distributing the right inheritance to your chosen Beneficiaries. It’s therefore important to choose people you love and trust to respect your wishes.

We can also act as your Executors if you would prefer and we guarantee that we’ll dedicate ourselves to ensuring your final wishes are respected.

You can avoid probate delays

The vast majority of estates must go through the probate process. Where there’s no Will, the process can unfortunately be much longer and convoluted. You can save your loved ones considerable time and stress by leaving a Will.

You can disinherit people

Many people don’t realise they can leave their money and property to whoever they want and can disinherit people (including spouses, ex-spouses, and adult children) if they wish. This includes people who might inherit if you don’t leave a Will.

For example, under the Rules of Intestacy, if you have no spouse or civil partner and no children or grandchildren, your parents inherit your estate. Regardless, you are perfectly entitled to make a Will leaving all your money to your favourite charity instead.

Of course, when you disinherit family members, there’s always a risk one may make a claim on your estate after you pass away. However, our solicitors are skilled at drafting watertight legal documents which leave little scope for challenge, for example, by incorporating trusts. We can provide detailed advice about your options during your initial meeting with us.

You can change your Will whenever you like

The law recognises that life isn’t static. You can change your Will whenever you like to reflect changes in your life circumstances, for example, if you’re getting divorced or remarried.

Making a Will is quick and easy with the help of our Wills and probate solicitors

You may be worried that the Will making process is long, tedious, and expensive. With the assistance of our highly skilled team of solicitors, this couldn’t be further than the truth.

We have extensive experience helping clients set out their wishes for the future. We’ll act swiftly and efficiently and guide you through your options for structuring your estate to make it as tax-efficient as possible.

We’re totally committed to delivering a full solution service which spans Will drafting, trusts, Inheritance Tax planning, and Power of Attorney drafting.

Specialist solicitors for the elderly

We offer specialist legal advice for the elderly and families living with dementia.

As one of the most established and experienced elderly care solicitors in the region, we understand how difficult it can be to come to terms with the diagnosis of dementia and other mental health conditions. Our team of highly qualified solicitors help clients who have life-changing diagnoses and work hard to look for positive legal solutions for the future. For more information, visit our dementia information page, where you can find access to resources and more information about what our team can do to help you plan for the future.

Why choose Gepp’s Will solicitors?

At Gepp Solicitors, we deliver practical, progressive legal services based on 200 years of expertise. Our goal is to provide the highest quality of detailed advice which allows you to make clear, informed decisions about the best way to structure your estate and plan for the future after you pass away.

We’ve been recognised for our excellent client care with the Law Society Lexcel Accreditation. This means you can always trust our services to be efficient, professional, flexible, and cost-effective.

We’re members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), an organisation of professionals who specialise in family inheritance and succession planning matters.

We are also members of Forces Law and have specialist expertise advising Service Personnel and retired Service Personnel in relation to their estate planning matters. Don’t leave your family’s future to chance, making a Will is vital for all people, including those serving in the forces.

Gepp Solicitors is independently regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

One Will, One Tree

Here at Gepps, we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and continually seeking ways to minimise our environmental impact.

We have partnered with ‘Just One Tree’ and made a pledge to plant one tree for every Will that is taken out with us. By incorporating this practice, we can contribute to reforestation efforts and mitigate the effects of deforestation and help limit our impact on climate change.

A Will enables you to leave an imprint that can last a lifetime.  We want to make sure that lifetime is a greener and more sustainable one for future generations to enjoy. Join us in making a positive impact on the environment while securing your legacy. Together, we can create a better, more sustainable world.

Get in touch with our Wills and probate solicitors in Chelmsford

Get in touch with our Wills & probate solicitors in Essex today by giving us a call at our office in Chelmsford or fill in our online enquiry form.

Call us
Main number: 01245 228125

Email us
Main email: privateclient@gepp.co.uk

Do you have Defence Privilege Card or a Blue Light Card?

Gepp Solicitors are proud to support the individuals who work within the NHS, emergency services, social care sector and armed forces. To show how much we value their hard work, we have teamed up with Blue Light Card and Defence Discount Service to offer discounts off a range of our Private Client services.

If you work or volunteer with any of the above and hold a Blue Light Card or a Defence Privilege Card we can offer you a discount off our charges for the following services:

  • Wills
  • Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA)

Receive a full £75.00 off a single Will or £100.00 off any other Will.

Receive a full £50.00 off each LPA per person

You must notify us that you are a Blue Light Card or a Defence Privilege Card holder at the point of enquiry.

 

For more information about our Blue Light Card offering, visit our dedicated Blue Light Card page.

Gepp Solicitors will take the time to understand your situation and produce a Will that meets your needs now, and in the future.

Gepp Solicitors will take the time to understand your situation and produce a Will that meets your needs now, and in the future.

Our Wills experts

Alexandra Frumosu
Senior Paralegal
Finn Thomas
Paralegal
Jessica Quick
Solicitor
Shannon Robey
Solicitor
Danny Carter
Senior Partner
Hollie Allcorn
Paralegal
Lisa Carter
Managing Partner
Kacie Prigg
Paralegal
Alexandra Frumosu
Senior Paralegal
Danny Carter
Senior Partner
Finn Thomas
Paralegal
Hollie Allcorn
Paralegal
Jessica Quick
Solicitor
Lisa Carter
Managing Partner
Shannon Robey
Solicitor
Kacie Prigg
Paralegal

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If you want to find out more about the services we can offer you, please feel free to get in touch.

Get in touch

If you want to find out more about the services we can offer you, please feel free to get in touch.