Will writing solicitors
Writing your will is an important part of planning for your family’s future. Our solicitors specialise in wills and probate. We can help you with making a will, a declaration of trust or a deed of variation.
Making a Will
We combine legal advice with independent financial advice, so you can plan your Will in connection with your other financial plans.
Our large team of wills and trusts solicitors offer a comprehensive range of wills, trusts, tax, probate services including:
- Wills – drafting a new Will, updating your current Will, codicils and general advice, for example leaving money or property to charity.
- Trusts – Will trusts can help you protect your loved ones even after your death. They are legal arrangements to manage wealth for the long-term, for tax planning and financial protection. The primary purpose of trusts is to protect assets for the benefit of the intended recipients. Examples of what trusts can be used for include: passing wealth to children or grandchildren, paying school fees or care home fees. Trusts can be used either in connection with lifetime giving or to give away some or all of your assets on your death, under the terms of your Will.
- Tax – our specialist tax accountants plan the most efficient tax solution for you, and those to whom you leave money or property in your Will.
- Probate – sorting out the estate of the deceased person to obtain the Grant of Probate. Includes managing the paperwork associated with money, property, tax and any legal issues.
- Declarations of trust - to set out who owns what percentage of a property.
We work with you at every step. We'll explain your options, and how any decision might effect you and your dependents, in plain English. We make sure you're completely informed at every stage, so you fully understand the implications to you. We also explain the benefits, and any potential risk to you - so we can plan around it together.
Call our specialist solicitors on 0808 231 1320
We’re here to help
Our specialist lawyers are based in:
- Cambridgeshire: Cambridge
- Essex: Brentwood, Chelmsford, and Saffron Walden
- Hertfordshire: Bishop's Stortford and Royston
But we can help you wherever you are in England and Wales.
Talk to an expert
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Helen Cox
Associate, Wills, Trusts, Tax and Probate
Chelmsford office
Meet Helen -
Chris Claxton-Shirley
Senior Associate, Wills, Trusts, Tax and Probate
Cambridge office
Meet Chris -
Catherine Mowat
Senior Partner, Wills, Trusts, Tax and Probate
Cambridge office
Meet Catherine -
Natalie Liversidge
Associate, Wills, Trusts, Tax and Probate
Royston office
Meet Natalie
Legal 500 UK 2024
'A friendly, people-oriented approach to client relations and concise document drafting. They can communicate legal terms in layman’s language and are excellent at teasing out the pros and cons of various alternatives'
Legal 500 UK 2024
'Ian Johnston is a fine example of the ability of the firm to deliver the human approach to what can be very serious discussions'
Legal 500 UK 2024
'Sarah Walker is exceptional in helping us with wills in France and the UK. She listens brilliantly, responds appropriately, and gives clear and simple principles to work to'
Legal 500 UK 2023
'The Tees private client team has helped my family over three generations. I would recommend Tees to every family in need of advice on trusts, tax, succession and estate planning'
Make a will - FAQs
If you die without a will, your money will be distributed under the rules of intestacy. Under intestacy rules, your next of kin can inherit your money and assets according to a strict order of priority.
If you have a spouse or civil partner and children, then your spouse/ civil partner would receive the first £250,000 of your estate and personal chattels. Anything above this amount would be split as to half for the surviving spouse/ civil partner and half equally between your children. If any of your children have predeceased you, then their share may pass to any surviving children of theirs.
If you should pass away without any surviving spouse/civil partner, children or grandchildren then your estate shall pass in accordance with the following order of priority:
- Parents
- Brothers and sisters (or their children)
- Half-brothers and sisters (or their children)
- Grandparents
- Uncles and aunts (or their children)
- Half-uncles and aunts (or their children)
If you have no surviving relatives as described above, then your estate would pass to the Crown. Having a properly written will in place means your wishes are known and can be carried out after your death.
The benefits of having a properly written will include:
- You choose who inherits from your estate
- You can choose someone to trust to administer your estate
- Your family know what your wishes are
- Gives the opportunity for estate and inheritance tax planning and management
- Makes appropriate provisions for minors or dependents
- Assists your estate in the event that the will is contested.
The National Will Register is an official register of wills in the UK. It is approved by the Law Society and used by many solicitor firms. If your will is registered, solicitors can easily find it after your death.
No – it’s not compulsory to register your will on the National Will Register. However, if you register your will it can make it easier for your family to know what your wishes are after your death.
In order to be valid, a will should be:
- Made by a person over the age of 18
- Made in writing; the will can be handwritten or typed
- Made by a person with mental capacity, who understands what they are doing
- Made voluntarily and without pressure
- Signed by the person making the will, with two witnesses present
- Signed by two witnesses, in the presence of the person making the will, after they have signed the will themselves.
