Chris Thursby T/A APS Legal & Associates

Chris Thursby T/A APS Legal & Associates Providing will writing and estate planning services. Authorised and Qualified by the IPW

17/07/2024

Need a professional will or power of attorney?

Get in touch for will writing services starting as low as £145 and LPA's from £225.

Able to do home visits or even remote meetings most evenings and weekends, working around your availability.

Striving to give you the security and protection you and your family need and ensuring all final documents are future proofed meaning that no changes should be needed barring any major change in your circumstances.

Please call me on 07715 249034 or email me at [email protected]

30/11/2023

Why should I use a professional will writer? Let's look at the pros & cons of working with a professional such as myself at APS Legal.

Pros:
- Can offer qualified advice ensuring all aspects are covered. We will ensure you are thoroughly advised on everything that can affect you and your will, such as second marriage syndrome and the benefits of will-based trusts.
- Appointments based on your convenience. Your will instruction will be arranged for a time that works around your schedule and we are happy to meet at your home or other nearby location of your choice so you do not need to travel.
- Cost effective. On average we will charge less than a solicitor to prepare your wills and LPAs.

Cons:
- More costly than a DIY service. However we provide a different level of service to give you security that your will is properly prepared.

Please get in touch in order to arrange a free consultation with no commitment.

29/11/2023

Can't I just go to a local solicitor to make a will if I don't want to do it myself? This is certainly true that your local solicitor is an option. But let's look at some of the pros and cons of this option.

Pros:
- If you have a solicitor you have dealt with before then you can go to someone you already know.
- Solicitors are regulated under the SRA. However, you should be aware that these regulations do not cover work for wills and estate planning. Wills and estate planning are an unregulated field, but at APS we work as members of the Institute of Professional Will Writers who are approved by Trading Standards. So you can be secure in knowing we work to the best standards and practices in the industry.

Cons:
- Generally higher fees. Some solicitors may offer a discount or reduced rate to a client, but you should always be wary of hidden fees. Solicitors may want to write themselves into the will as an executor of the estate, which will incur high fees at the probate stage. APS professionals offer our service as an executor, but we will always ask you if you wish for us to do this at instruction and you have absolutely no obligation to do so.
- You will usually need to book time during the solicitor office hours in order to have your will prepared which may not match with your best availability. As an APS professional, I am able to work to what times suit you and will be happy to travel to your home in order work with what works best for you.

As a final post of this series looking at why you should use a professional will writer such as myself, we will look at the pros and cons of our service and what we can offer you.

22/11/2023

Making a will is very important for everyone to consider. But why should you use a professional such as APS? Can't this just be done yourself? Let's look at some of the pros and cons of doing a will yourself.

Pros:

- Can be done for a low cost.
- Can be fast and easily accessed online.

Cons:

- No expert advice. This can lead to certain aspects not being covered and there can be discrepancies within the will.
- Signing is very easily done incorrectly.
- The wrong kind of witness is chosen. You cannot use your spouse as a witness for your will, and it cannot be someone who is benefiting from the will.
- Updates to the will are not done correctly. Any writing done on your will can make it invalid.
- Mistakes can lead to your wishes not being carried out correctly, or worse, your entire will being deemed invalid and lead to your estate being dealt with through intestacy.

Tomorrow we will discuss the pros and cons of using a local solicitor which is an option that many who do not do it themselves choose to go with.

15/11/2023

Things to Consider Before Making a Will - Your Gifts/Legacies

You can leave sums of money or specific items in your Will as long as they belong solely to you. If the gift is to children, you will have to decide at which age they will be able to receive it. If you do not stipulate, they will be able to access it at 18. If you are making a number of gifts of specific items such as furniture, jewellery etc, it may be worth considering writing them into a ‘letter of wishes’ and in your Will the items will be given to your Executors to distribute in accordance with your wishes. You can then change the list at any time without making a new Will.

08/11/2023

Things to Consider Before Making a Will - Your Family

If you have children under 18 and they are to be beneficiaries, you will need to appoint at least 2 trustees. The trustees can be, and often are, the same as your Executors. You should consider who you would like to be the guardians of any children of yours who are under 18. This would generally only come into effect if the other parent dies before you or at the same time. A guardian is someone responsible for the day-to-day care of your children. It is a good idea to appoint a sole person as your first choice with a reserve who could step in if needed.

07/11/2023

Please contact me for professional guidance and advice for preparing your will and I can ensure you end up with something that will carry out your final wishes. Protecting your family and your assets.

Basic wills can be provided for as low as:

£190 for a single will
£255 for mirror wills

Get in touch today for a consultation appointment either via email [email protected] or via phone 07715 249034

06/11/2023

Things to Consider Before Making a Will - Your Executors

You should consider who you want to manage your estate after your death – this includes safeguarding your possessions, applying for a Grant of Probate, collecting your assets in, paying inheritance tax and any debts and ultimately ensuring your instructions in the Will are carried out. Your executors can be anyone over the age of 18, even if they are named elsewhere in your Will. It is a good idea to name reserve executors in case your first choice can’t act for any reason. You can also choose to appoint professional executors but bear in mind there may be extra costs for this.

02/11/2023

Things to Consider Before Making a Will - Your Estate

You should have a think about your assets – including houses or other property, cash, savings, investments, bonds, ISAs, cars or other vehicles, jewellery, antiques, any other items of value, etc.
You should also have a think about any debts or liabilities that you have as well. This will help to determine the overall value of your estate and whether inheritance tax may be due on your death, which may affect the advice you receive.
It is also useful to have as much information to hand as possible about life insurance policies, pension funds and business assets as well.

01/11/2023

Need a will or LPA preparing? Then APS Legal & Associates are here for you.

Please get in touch either via phone 07715 249034 or via email [email protected] to make an appointment to discuss your estate planning needs and get professional guidance and advice.

31/10/2023

What are the benefits of making a Will?

There are many benefits to making a Will. These include:

• giving you control by ensuring you do not die intestate—this means that your assets pass to those you intended (and are not dictated by general intestacy rules) and that your estate is administered by people you choose

• ensuring you have appointed executors which makes it much easier and quicker to administer your estate

• ensuring that the people who matter most to you are looked after if you die—this is particularly important if you have young children or if someone vulnerable is dependant on you

• helping you focus on and think about what your assets and liabilities may be if you die—this helps you put your affairs in order during your lifetime if you need to

• ensuring your estate and what you leave behind is maximised by using tax planning and tax reliefs appropriately, particularly in relation to inheritance tax

• ensuring (either through the Will itself or in a supplementary document) that some other very important matters are dealt with, for example appointing guardians if you have young children or detailing your funeral wishes

• securing benefits which arise in relation to particular assets you may have, for example:
– a foreign property (e.g. if you have a home abroad, it will be important to establish how and to whom this will pass on your death and to ensure as far as possible that this is in accordance with your wishes and not local law)
– business property - if you are a company or business owner, preparing a Will allows you to plan the succession of the business, as well as maximise any possible tax reliefs for passing the business to the next generation
– farming or agricultural land - as above, if you own or manage farmland a Will would allow you to do succession planning, and also maximise tax reliefs

• allowing you to make gifts to particular people or charities/organisations that are important to you

• allowing you to the opportunity to discuss your estate planning with your family which will significantly reduce the risk of disputes arising after your death

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