find out about
Estate Planning Services
We offer practical solutions to your estate planning.
Simple, clear advice. Put your affairs in order.
Additional Services
Wills, Probate and Lasting Powers of Attorney are well known areas of estate planning, but they are by no means the full extent of the services we offer.
There are many practicalities to address when considering how best to plan for later life, and how to distribute your estate to those you care for. We’ll advise you on those products and services most appropriate for your needs.
You can read about the additional services available from Oxford Wills & Probate below.
If you would like to discuss any of these services further, please contact us. We will be glad to help.
Home Visits
We offer a wide range of other services and products to help you get your affairs in order for later life.
We understand that dealing with these practicalities may require difficult or upsetting conversations. However, we want to encourage you to feel comfortable talking to us about your priorities and concerns for your/your loved one’s future without distress.
Please do not hesitate to ask us to visit you or your loved one, rather than having the appointment at our office. We are very happy to come to your home, work, hospital, hospice or residential home.
If having our conversation somewhere you and your loved one feel relaxed will make the process less daunting, then that works well for us too!
Priority Service
There may be circumstances in which it is essential that legal documents are drawn up without delay.
We offer a Priority Service, under which we will visit you or your loved one as soon as possible after you contact us to book the service.
After we have taken instructions, we will prepare the relevant paperwork straight away and return with it in person for finalising or signature.
The Priority Service is available at the fixed fee of £100 and will be invoiced within 14 days of the service being booked.
Please telephone us to find our more or to book our Priority Service. We are unable to make arrangements for this service via our online booking system.
Secure document storage
Much of the work we do for you will result in important paperwork being generated. Probate, for example, requires the original Will to be presented, a copy will not do.
We offer secure storage with the Archive Centre, an ISO 9001 registered firm. This means they meet our clients’ storage needs, as well as the required statutory and regulatory requirements imposed on them by legislation.
At a cost of £20.00 per annum, payable by standing order, your documents will be safely stored for you.
You will receive a card with retrieval details and a unique reference number, to identify your documents. Extra copies are provided so that your Excecutors, next of kin, or other trusted individuals may locate your documents should the need arise.
Read more about our additional estate planning services:
Prepaid Funeral Plans...
Planning and paying for our own funeral, or that of a loved one still alive, does much to relieve mourners from emotional stress and financial worry.
The costs of funerals continue to increase well above the rate of inflation*. A pre-paid funeral plan states your preferred arrangements, and enables you to pay for those elements of your funeral at today’s cost. You can pay in a lump sum, by monthly instalment over 2-3 years, or by a small fixed monthly sum for a longer period.
We’ll discuss your wishes with you, and recommend the most appropriate package to meet your needs. We have access to plans from all the leading providers, and will be happy to work through the paperwork on your behalf and submit it to the provider. The Plan itself, when purchased, will come directly to you.
*SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2017
Inheritance Tax...
This tax is an important consideration in estate planning. When you pass away, the value of your estate is calculated. If your whole estate is worth over £325,000.00 there will be a tax of 40% levied on everything in excess of that amount.
Careful planning will enable you to take advantage of specific exemptions or reductions so that you can minimise the tax the estate will have to pay, thus maximising the legacies to your loved ones and the causes you care about.
We’ll talk you through the practical options available to you, such as offsetting with a charitable legacy; making gifts during your lifetime to decrease your overall estate; and taking out a policy for the payment of inheritance tax.
Ultimately, the best way to make provision for a tax efficient estate is by having a Will in place. This is the way to determine how your estate should be divided and structured at the time when it will be assessed for Inheritance Tax.
Living Wills...
Known, at law, as an Advance Decision, this document allows you to record your wishes regarding specific life saving or prolonging treatment.
Should you be faced with such treatment options, but lack capacity or be unable to communicate, your medical team are legally bound to follow the instructions you set out in your Advance Decision.
An Advance Decision should be reviewed every couple of years, to take into account advances in medical treatment. You should ensure your GP, next of kin and any others involved in your regular medical care have a copy.
We can talk you through the options available to you and draw you your Advance Decision for you.
We recommend you also discuss it with your GP or other familiar medical professional too, to ensure that your decisions are well informed.
Estate Planning...
The process more commonly known as ‘putting your affairs in order’, involves giving thought to practicalities and arrangements for events surrounding the end of your life.
Although none of us know then when and the how, we can anticipate that our children will need to be cared for, our debts will need to be paid and our assets will be shared out.
Many of us put off the planning, because it’s not a comfortable subject. Please don’t.
If you haven’t made provision for your family on death, the Court will appoint a guardian for your children. Your estate will be dealt with under the Intestacy Rules. Your loved ones may be left unprepared to deal with the impact of this, emotionally and financially.
Let us help you bring peace of mind for you and your family. Get in touch with us to start the conversation about putting your affairs in order.
Trusts...
In planning how best to share what we have with our loved ones, many people consider leaving money or possessions via Trust.
You may have heard of some types of Trust – Vulnerable Person Trusts. Discretionary Trusts, Mixed Trusts, Bare Trusts or Interest in Possession Trusts.
A Trust is a tax-efficient vehicle for passing on an asset, where the nominated Trustee(s) take on a caretaker role. They look after the asset until it is transferred to the ultimate beneficiary, and distribute the income according to the terms of the Trust in the meantime.
We will establish what asset(s) you wish to leave, the terms on which you want it managed and paid out, and any other relevant information.
This will ensure we use the best Trust mechanism to deal with your asset(s), and can advise you of any impact this may have on your existing Will.
Long Term Care...
Planning options for your long term care requires a multi-faceted approach. We’ll support and advise you, alongside your GP and financial adviser if appropriate.
The rules relating to costs of care often change, and may be affected by where you live. Talk to us about your needs, wishes and financial position. Our experts will help you navigate the rules to obtain the financial support available to you.
We recommend drawing up Lasting Powers of Attorney and/or an Advance Decision. These are invaluable, especially in relation to treatment decisions, when you are no longer able to communicate your own wishes.
You might also consider an Advance Statement. This non-binding document gives information about your life choices, personal care, preferences and interests. This guidance is invaluable to those caring for individuals who are no longer able to communicate.