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Wills, Trusts and Probate

Clear advice. Genuine care. Lasting peace of mind.

Planning for the future or dealing with the loss of a loved one can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’re here – to offer you clear, expert guidance with compassion and care.

Our specialist team works closely with individuals and families across Wiltshire and Somerset, offering straightforward legal advice to provide you with real peace of mind. Whether you’re making a Will, setting up a trust or handling someone’s estate, we’ll support you every step of the way.

Our Services

Why making your Will is so important

A large number of people die without making a Will. This can lead to:

  • Uncertainty
  • Dispute
  • Your loved ones not being adequately provided for.

We have significant experience in preparing Wills that deal with complex or difficult situations, particularly where second families are involved and where clients want to minimise their tax liabilities or protect their business interests.

Our team also helps people with vulnerable dependents needing extra care to reach practical and workable solutions.

Making a Will is about taking control and putting safeguards in place so that things are a little easier for those you leave behind. Essentially, a Will means that you have choices, as without one, the state takes over and makes all the decisions. We will listen to your needs and give you sound advice, including the best way to structure your Will to protect your assets for the future.

The benefits of making a Will include:

  • You choose who inherits your estate.
  • You choose who deals with your estate
  • You choose how your children are looked after
  • You may gain a tax reduction
  • You are protecting your estate

Whatever your age or circumstances, we will make sure that your Will fully reflects your wishes, and gives you and those you care about, complete peace of mind.  We also provide a Will review service to advise on whether it reflects your current wishes and whether it should be amended in light of changes in the law.

We make our fees clear from the start, and there are no hidden extras for storing or releasing your Will. We can also visit you at home or in hospital if you are unable to come to one of our offices.

Our expert team is here to help you with your Probate issues when a loved one dies.

Administering a loved one’s Estate can seem an overwhelming task, during an often very difficult time.

We can guide you through the many legal and practical issues this involves.

When a person passes away leaving a Will, the executors (those responsible for dealing with the estate) may need to apply for a Grant of Probate. We can advise you on the terms of a Will and what they mean. If there is no Will, we can explain what the law says and what will happen to the estate, and help you with an application for a Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration.

For more information about any aspect of Probate and Estate Administration please contact a member of our friendly, experienced Wills Trusts and Probate team who will be happy to help.

Probate & Estate Administration Pricing Guidance

We aim to be as transparent as possible, so please download our pricing guidance regarding probate and estate administration.

If you would like to set up a trust in your Will to minimise inheritance tax liability or to provide for beneficiaries who may be too young to inherit or unable to manage an inheritance themselves, we will advise you on how best to ensure that your wishes are met.

We can also help if you want set up a trust during your lifetime rather than through your Will. We will guide you through the process and can draft all the relevant documentation for you.

If you are a trustee and need guidance on managing a trust, we can provide expert advice either on a one-off basis or long term.

Lasting & General Powers of Attorney

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) isn’t just something to consider in later life, they are all about life planning and it’s never too early to start doing that.

Life doesn’t wait. If something unexpected happens to you, having an LPA in place means someone you trust can make decisions on your behalf – about your finances, your health or even your business.

By making an LPA you’ll have the trusted support you need in place, whatever life throws at you.

You could also make a General Power of Attorney, which allows you to appoint someone to manage your affairs for a short period of time or for a specific task. Useful if you’re going overseas or waiting for your LPA to be registered.

At FSM, we make life planning simple and straightforward. Whether you’re thinking ahead or need help right now, our friendly, experienced team will guide you every step of the way.

Get in touch with us today or pop into your local FSM office…

Given the rise in property values over time, an increasing number of people are finding that their estates will now be subject to inheritance tax when they die. We can advise you on ways of ensuring that your Will is as tax efficient as possible and work with your Independent Financial Adviser to reduce any future tax bill.

If you are considering making gifts during your lifetime, we can advise you on the tax implications – not just for inheritance tax but also for capital gains and income tax.

The law relating to surrogate parenting of children has been developing over the years. Today surrogacy usually takes place under a formal arrangement, with the intended parents paying the surrogate mother’s expenses.

One important part of the process that is often overlooked is the need for all the adults involved to update their Wills. When planning the creation of a new life it is hard to plan for someone’s death but as responsible people you should ensure that all eventualities are covered.

The surrogacy process involves a period of time where the newborn child is legally regarded as belonging to the surrogate mother. This can continue for a number of months. If something should happen to her (or possibly to her partner) during that period the legal implications could be complicated. Likewise, the intended parents need to consider the consequences of something happening to them during this period – as well as the normal provisions made with a Will for when the child is legally their full responsibility.
We have experience of creating Wills in these situations and can help you to make the right decisions.

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