0330 0580 250 enquiries@se-law.co.uk Home Services Our Team About Us Stay Informed Careers Contact us Wills & Succession Planning Home > Services for you & your family > Private Client > Wills & Succession Planning Quick Links Disputed Wills, Trusts and Estates Duties and Liabilities of Trustees Gifting Property to Children Lasting Powers of Attorney Making a Will – Cost Estimate Probate & Estate Administration Probate Costs Retirement and Estate Planning Testamentary Guardianship for Children The Liability of Executors and their Protection Trusts What Happens When Someone Dies Without a Will? Wills & Succession Planning Wills Explained Here at Spratt Endicott (operating nationwide), we are a highly experienced wills and probate solicitors in Banbury, Bicester, Buckingham and Brackley and whatever your situation, we always endeavour to reach the best possible outcome, providing a level of service that is second-to-none. This section of the website provides information on what wills and probate solicitors do and in which circumstances you may need legal assistance, as well as providing an indication of Will writing service costs and how the process of probate works. Lucy Gordon is a Director and head of the Wills and Probate department. Lucy is also a supervisor for her team. All our wills and probate solicitors are based in Banbury, Buckingham, Bicester and Brackley, but we provide our services to clients nationwide such as our will writing service. What does a will do? Sometimes things aren’t as straightforward as a person dying and their assets being passed onto their nearest and dearest. If you die without a will (intestate), your property is automatically distributed in accordance with Intestacy laws, which isn’t always necessarily how you would choose it to be. You have the right to choose the destination of an estate, writing a will can ensure that your property goes where you intend it to. As experienced will solicitors, we will discuss all your needs and put any worries you have at rest. We provide a wills preparation service to clients across the UK from our Banbury location. Why should I make a will? Writing a Will can ensure the security of your loved ones, if you have children you can make sure they are looked after by the people chosen by you and also secure their financial future. In some cases, if you don’t write a will it could cause hardship and suffering for your family, and legal costs. It is safe to say that wills ensure peace of mind for the future of your family. In short, if you make a will, then you are calling the shots – rather than the government. What if I don’t make a will? If you choose not to make a will, then you are leaving a lot in the hands of Intestacy rules and risk: The devolution of your estate Taxes The future of your children In the case of infant children, you are possibly trusting them to the good care of the local Social Services. Surprisingly only around 30% of the population ever makes a will. Dying Intestate: What does this mean? Failing to create a will, will mean that you die intestate, which in simple terms, means that the distribution of your assets will be done in accordance to Intestacy rules and not necessarily in accordance with your wishes. If you die intestate with an estate of, say, £400,000, what would happen? It does depend upon who survives you. If you have no children then your estate passes to your spouse or civil partner, but if you leave children then it becomes quite complicated. Under the intestacy rules your surviving spouse will receive your personal chattels and £270,000. What is left is divided into two: Half going to your children at once if they are 18 or over and in trust if they are not The other half to your spouse spouse, By not making a Will, you put yourself into the hands of the Intestacy Rules – which most people agree are not very attractive. Writing a Will When writing a will, it is crucial there are no mistakes. This is mainly so that there can be no dispute over what the will is trying to say or what the words mean. Estimating the Cost of your Will For an immediate estimate of your will cost, either for a single or joint will for you and your spouse/civil partner/co-habitant please fill out our cost estimate form on this page. You can also complete our Will Questionnaire here to provide more information with your enquiry. Logging your Personal Assets After the death of a relative, it can sometimes be confusing for the family when finding all of the documents and information needed going forward. To simplify this we have produced a Personal Assets Log. This downloadable file can be accessed below. Completing this and leaving it with a copy of your will and any other personal papers will help your family trace the information they will require at that time. In this document you may also like to leave details of funeral/burial arrangements and any wishes you may have regarding these. Personal assests form Our People David Endicott Consultant 01295 204005 Email Emma Rolfe Associate 01869 222315 Email Julia Routen Solicitor 01295 204012 Email Lucy Gordon Director, Head of Private Client 01295 204045 Email Tom McInerney Associate 01295 204092 Email Victoria Upton Solicitor 01295 204144 Email Latest Posts 06 Oct The Women’s Tour visits Banbury & Bicester 21 Sep Spratt Endicott Celebrates the Success of Trainee Solicitors 27 Aug Spratt Endicott Welcome Conveyancing Solicitor to Bicester Office 20 Aug Spratt Endicott Solicitors Strengthen Corporate & Commercial Team View All GETTING IN TOUCH To learn more about how we can help you when it comes to understanding wills and probates, please contact David Endicott on 01295 204005 or dendicott@se-law.co.uk and reach our Banbury, Buckingham, Bicester and Brackley offices today for will writing services and more. We provide our wills and probate services in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire as well as nationally throughout the UK. Terms & Compliance Our Privacy Policies Website Terms & Conditions Legal Notice Complaints Procedure Accessibility HTML Sitemap XML Sitemap Online Services Our Offices Banbury (OX16 9AB) T: 01295 204000 E: banbury@se-law.co.uk Brackley (NN13 7FA) T: 01280 730880 E: brackley@se-law.co.uk Bicester Office (OX26 6JB) T: 01869 252761 E: bicester@se-law.co.uk Buckingham (MK18 1NJ) T: 01280 822217 E: buckingham@se-law.co.uk © 2021 Spratt Endicott, Spratt Endicott Solicitors are the trading names of Spratt Endicott Limited, a company registered in England & Wales (company no. 08030343) authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (registration no. 608169) and by the Financial Conduct Authority (registration number: 709546). 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