What each document actually does, and when you genuinely need it
Estate planning is sold badly more often than it is sold well. Each service below has its own page setting out plainly what the document is, how it works, and the circumstances where it needs specialist attention rather than a standard form.
Our services at a glance
Choose a picture for a short introduction, then go to that service below.
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Wills
Says who deals with your estate, who looks after children under 18, and who inherits what. Single Wills, or mirror Wills for a couple.
Go to this service
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Trusts in your Will
Trusts written into your Will to protect the family home, particular assets or particular people.
Go to this service
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Lasting Powers of Attorney
Lets people you trust make decisions for you if you no longer can: about your health and care, your money and property, or both.
Go to this service
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Trusts set up during your lifetime
Trusts you set up now rather than through your Will. Useful in particular situations, but not right for most people.
Go to this service
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Deeds and trust documents
Documents that formally record a gift, a change to a trust, or who owns what share of a property.
Go to this service
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Trust registration
Registering a trust with HMRC, and keeping the record up to date for as long as the trust lasts.
Go to this service
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Property and HM Land Registry
Registering a property that has never been on the HM Land Registry, so its ownership is officially recorded.
Go to this service
Tap a picture to read about that service, then tap again to go to it. Swipe sideways to see all seven.
On fees. We don’t publish a price list, because the right answer depends on your circumstances. Every fee is fixed, quoted in writing and agreed before we start, and the first consultation is free.
1 document, for one person or a couple
Wills
A Will is the starting point for most families. It only takes effect when you die, and you can change it at any time while you have capacity.
What it does
It appoints executors to deal with your estate, names guardians for children under 18, makes any specific gifts and says who receives everything else. Mirror Wills do the same for a couple, each leaving everything to the other and then to the same people.
When you might need it
- You do not have a Will yet
- You have married, entered a civil partnership or divorced since your Will was made
- You have children under 18, or live with a partner you are not married to
The document
What happens if there is no Will?
The intestacy rules decide who inherits, and they are fixed. An unmarried partner receives nothing, however long you were together, and stepchildren are not included.
A straightforward Will can also be written online and checked by our team. Write your Will online
5 options, all written into a Will
Trusts in your Will
Some families need more control than a simple Will gives. These trusts are written into your Will and only take effect when you die.
What it does
Instead of passing straight to one person, part of your estate is held by trustees on the terms you set. That can let a partner stay in the family home while your share is kept for your own children, or provide for someone who could not manage an inheritance alone.
When you might need it
- You have children from an earlier relationship
- You want your partner to keep their home, but your share to go to your children
- A beneficiary is vulnerable, disabled or receives means-tested benefits
The documents
For the family home
- Property Protection Trust WillProtects each partner’s share of the home for their own children.
- Property TrustSets out who may live in one particular property, and who inherits it.
For the rest of your estate
- Asset Protection Trust WillThe property trust, plus a flexible life interest trust over the rest of the estate.
- Discretionary TrustYour trustees decide who benefits and when, from a group of people you name.
For a vulnerable person
Things to know before choosing
For a trust over the family home to work, the property must be owned as “tenants in common” rather than “joint tenants”. We check how yours is owned and deal with any change as part of the work.
These trusts do not remove the home from either estate for Inheritance Tax.
2 types, often made together
Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Will deals with things after you die. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) covers the time while you are alive but cannot make some decisions yourself.
ImportantAn LPA can only be made while you still have mental capacity, and it must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.
What it does
You choose people you trust, called attorneys, to act for you. There are two separate types. Being married does not give your husband, wife or partner this authority automatically.
When you might need it
- You want someone you trust to be able to step in if illness or an accident affects your decision-making
- You are planning for later life, or a possible move into care
- You run your own household finances, bank accounts or property
The documents
- Health and Welfare LPADecisions about your care, medical treatment and where you live. Only used when you cannot make the decision yourself.
- Property and Financial Affairs LPAYour bank accounts, bills, pensions, investments and property. Can be used with your permission while you still have capacity, if you choose.
- Both LPAs, for one person or a coupleMost people put both in place at once, and most couples do it together.
You can also make an LPA online: we prepare the forms from your answers. Make an LPA online
2 options, only after a consultation
Trusts set up during your lifetime
These are trusts you create and put assets into now, rather than through your Will.
What it does
Assets you transfer into the trust are held by trustees for the people you name. In particular situations this can help, for example to provide for a disabled family member during your lifetime.
When you might need it
- A disabled or vulnerable family member needs provision now, not only after your death
- You have assets you can afford to give away and will not need to benefit from again
The documents
5 documents, used on their own or alongside a Will
Deeds and trust documents
Individual documents that record a decision formally, so there is no argument about it later.
What it does
They cover who owns what share of a property, gifts, decisions made by trustees, changes to an existing trust, and redirecting an inheritance after someone has died.
When you might need it
- You bought a property with unequal contributions, or with a friend, sibling or parent’s help
- You want to make a significant gift and record it properly
- You have inherited and would like it to go to someone else instead
The documents
Property and gifts
- Declaration of TrustRecords who owns what share of a property, whatever the title deeds say.
- Deed of GiftFormally records a gift, so there is no argument later about what it was.
For an existing trust
- Deed of AppointmentHow trustees turn a decision into something legally effective.
- Deed of AmendmentChanges the terms of an existing trust, where the trust allows it.
After a death
Ongoing, for as long as a trust exists
Trust registration
A trust is not finished when the deed is signed.
What it does
Most trusts now have to be registered with HMRC’s Trust Registration Service, whether or not there is any tax to pay. The trustees must then keep the record up to date for as long as the trust exists.
When you might need it
- You have set up a trust, or a trust has been created by someone’s Will
- A trust created by a Will is still running two years after the death
- Trustees, beneficiaries or other details of a registered trust have changed
The document
1 application, done once
Property and HM Land Registry
Many properties in England and Wales have never been registered, usually because they have not been sold or mortgaged for many years.
What it does
First registration turns a bundle of old paper deeds into a single official title, backed by the state, with the boundaries recorded.
When you might need it
- Your home has been owned by you or your family for decades
- You are planning a trust or declaration of trust over the property, which can only be protected on a registered title
- You expect to sell, give away or mortgage the property, each of which makes registration compulsory
The document
Not sure which service you need? That’s exactly what the free consultation is for.
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