We provide an extensive will service ranging from the completion of simple, straightforward wills to individuals, mirror wills for a married couple through to more complex trust wills and tax planning wills.
What can I expect to pay?
VAT is charged at 20%.
For a simple Will
We have a fixed fee for a simple will of £250.00 plus VAT
For a pair of simple wills for a couple £450.00 plus VAT
All members of our Private Client team are qualified to offer advice about Wills and you can find more information about each of our team members here.
For a complex Will or Estate Planning advice
In areas where more complex advice is required Richard Cussell will deal with the matter and he will charge according to the time he spends based on his hourly charging rate of £300.00 per hour. This may include for instance wills with trusts to achieve tax savings or family wealth protection.
However, most wills are simple and straightforward. In circumstances where further advice is required for inheritance tax planning we would always quote beforehand for the work to be done before costs are incurred at the hourly charging rate described.
Are there any hidden costs or disbursements
We will always be upfront with our fees at the start of a matter. There are few disbursements associated with drawing up a Will but some disbursements you might expect to pay include:-
| ID checks | £5.00 plus VAT per person |
| Copy of Land Registry property title | £3.00 per document |
How long will it take?
The time that a will takes to a large degree depends on the client. We would usually expect to respond to a client after a first meeting with a draft will within 5 working days but if there is a need to deal with matters more urgently (perhaps because someone is in hospital or about to go on holiday) then this can be done. The time it takes for a will to be completed really depends on how quickly the client is in touch, but we can meet individual expectations.
Trusts
We can assist with creation of trusts in wills and with the creation of lifetime trusts in order to mitigate tax and to afford family wealth protection. This work would primarily be carried out by Richard Cussell and his hourly charging rate is £300.00 per hour.
Typically, the advice surrounding, and the drafting and completion of a lifetime trust, will take 2 – 4 hours of time and therefore a budget of, say, £600.00 – £1,200.00 plus VAT. A complex trust in a will might add an hour’s worth of time – therefore add £300.00 plus VAT to the overall bill.
