Services for you

People tend to write or update their wills when they get married or set up home together; gain additional family members; acquire significant assets, such as buying a home; just before they go on holiday and to save tax. No matter what generation you belong to, Parkinson Wright are here to help you plan your personal affairs. Our Private Client Department deals with a range of services, including giving advice on elderly care, particularly at sensitive times. Parkinson Wright is a member of the National Association of Specialist Practitioners in Legal Services for the Elderly.

Parkinson Wright has recently become a member of the Certainty National Registry of Wills

Why we are advising clients to register their Will

In a recent survey, 67% of people surveyed did not know where to find their parents’ Wills. Indeed tens of thousands of estates do fall into intestacy each year, which can cause emotional and financial turmoil for loved ones.

Although we keep a database of all the Wills which we hold, changing circumstances, moving to another area or simply the passage of time can sometimes make it difficult for beneficiaries to locate a Will. Registering your Will ensures that solicitors across the country can log the existence of Wills in a central place. This ensures that your Will is easily traceable by your beneficiaries and not overlooked.

What does the registry of Wills do?

• The registry records that we hold your Will; no one there sees it, and we keep it here.
• Following your death, the registry gives us details about anyone who is looking for your Will.
• We answer the query if it is legitimate, but if not we ignore it, thus protecting both your privacy and your beneficiaries.

• • Tax planning is sometimes thought of as just saving inheritance tax (IHT) but you may have an opportunity to mitigate the impact of other taxes.

    IHT laws allow for assets to be given as gifts (within certain parameters which are frequently changed) either direct to individuals or into trusts. After a detailed review of your aims and your financial and family circumstances, we can advise you on the best way to save as much tax as possible.

• • A living will is a document in which the person signing it requests that certain medical treatment should, or should not, be given in a particular situation, if he/she is not able to consent or refuse such treatment at the time.

    Parkinson Wright solicitors have experience in preparing these and once prepared we recommend that a copy of your living will is sent to your doctor for placing with your medical records.

• • Lasting Powers of attorney (“LPAs”) are similar to Enduring Powers of attorney (EPAs) in that they are signed whilst the donor has mental capacity to manage his or her affairs, but will continue to be valid even if the donor loses mental capacity.

    There are two types of LPA - one dealing only with property and affairs, and the other dealing only with the personal welfare of the donor (i.e. matters relating to the donor’s medical treatment - and where the donor should live).

    If you have not made an Enduring or Lasting Power of Attorney, and do become mentally unable to manage your affairs, an application can be made (usually, but not always, by a family member) to the Court of Protection, for that person to be appointed as your “deputy”, to manage your affairs. This is a much more complicated method of proceeding than signing an LPA. We can help with the application, but it generally takes much longer to complete this process, at the very time when some urgent action may be needed. It is usually also more costly, and will mean the Court of Protection is actively involved in your affairs from then on.

    We therefore recommend all our clients, both young and not so young, to sign Lasting Powers of Attorney so that the appropriate arrangements are in place, should they be needed.

• • At Parkinson Wright we have experience in helping clients in the later years of their lives. People usually like to stay at home for as long as possible. For some elderly clients staying at home may involve the need for special appliances, such as chair lifts. We can advise on grants which may be available.

    If a move into residential or nursing care becomes necessary, we can advise on types of accommodation, legal requirements, fees, regulations and funding available both privately and through the local authority or benefits systems.

• • The loss of a loved one is frequently a time of stress and anxiety, and people are often confused as to how they should deal with the estate. Parkinson Wright Solicitors offer a sympathetic and caring service to the bereaved and will deal with all aspects of estate administration. We will obtain a grant of probate and if desired will provide advice on taxation to beneficiaries of the Will.
• • There are various types of trusts. We can discuss and advise you on the appropriate trust to suit your requirements taking into account the current tax laws and other financial circumstances.