Written by Aaron Johnson, Consultant Solicitor and TEP
62 guides on wills, lasting powers of attorney, probate and trusts. Each one says what the law is, what usually happens, and what to do next. Where a legal term is unavoidable, it is defined as you go.
Try fewer words, or talk to Aaron.
You can put your house in your children's names, and for most families it makes things worse. Why the house usually stays in your estate, why the council can still count it, and the alternatives.
18 guides
Who inherits, who looks after the children, who is in charge. What happens when there is no will.
A dementia diagnosis does not stop someone making a valid will. What the legal test asks, how a solicitor proves it was met, and what happens once capacity has gone.
Completing on a home is the moment to sort your will and LPA. How you own the property decides who inherits it. Most buyers never find out which way theirs is set up.
Who can witness a will in England and Wales, and why beneficiaries must never sign. It also shows how to get the signing right first time.
What a will should cost in 2026 from a solicitor, a will-writer, online or free. Fixed fees, what is included, and the hidden cost of a cheap will that goes wrong.
From 6 April 2027, unused pension pots count as part of your estate for inheritance tax. If you assumed your pension would pass tax-free, this guide explains what changes for your family.
The inheritance tax thresholds for 2026/27, how the nil-rate band and residence nil-rate band work, and practical ways to reduce the bill.
The Law Commission wants to replace the Wills Act 1837. What it proposed in May 2025, including electronic wills and a dispensing power, and what it means for you.
When you are ready to have it done: Wills at a fixed fee. What it costs, what happens in order, and how long it takes.
11 guides
Who can act for you if you cannot. Money and property; health and care. How registration works.
What an attorney under a property and financial affairs LPA may give and spend. It covers the section 12 gifting rule and the OPG's practice note. It also covers paying yourself, and when a gift needs the Court of Protection.
What to do when a bank refuses a registered lasting power of attorney. It covers the bank's checks, the GOV.UK access code, certified copies, how to escalate and the Financial Ombudsman.
What a lasting power of attorney costs in England and Wales: the £92 OPG registration fee per LPA, when fee remissions apply, and where solicitor fixed fees fit in.
How to register a lasting power of attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian: the steps, the £92 fee, the 8 to 10 week wait and the mistakes to avoid.
When you are ready to have it done: Lasting powers of attorney at a fixed fee. What it costs, what happens in order, and how long it takes.
21 guides
The grant, the tax, the money in and the money out. What to do first, and what it costs.
Nobody can be forced to act as executor. How to renounce on form PA15, what power reserved means and why intermeddling closes the door. It also covers stepping down after the grant, and a co-executor who will not act.
There is no legal probate threshold for banks. Each bank sets its own limit for paying out on a death certificate and an indemnity, and the £5,000 people quote governs the court fee, not the bank.
Probate can be billed as a fixed fee, an hourly rate, or a percentage of the estate, and the difference can run to thousands of pounds. Here is how to compare quotes properly.
The grant of probate usually arrives within weeks, but settling the whole estate often takes nine to twelve months. A plain timeline of what happens when, and what slows it down.
How to register a death in the Bridlington area: the five-day rule, where to go, what to take, the Tell Us Once service, and what the documents you receive are for.
From the £526 court fee to solicitor charges: a plain breakdown of what probate costs in 2026/27, and how to keep the cost down.
Probate rules changed in November 2025 and the fees changed again in July 2026. This guide explains what changed and what it means if you are an executor or administrator.
When you are ready to have it done: Probate at a fixed fee, never a percentage. What it costs, what happens in order, and how long it takes.
12 guides
Protecting a home, a business, a farm or a vulnerable person. When a trust earns its place, and when it does not.
Which trusts must be registered on HMRC's Trust Registration Service, which are excluded, the 90 day and tax year deadlines, what you need to hand, the penalties, and who is responsible.
From 6 April 2026 the first £2.5 million of farmland and business property per person gets 100% relief, with 50% above that and ten interest-free instalments. What East Yorkshire farming families need to check, and why wills written before 2026 may need another look.
The drawbacks of a property protection trust that sales pitches leave out. It protects half the home at most, trustees control the title and it saves no tax. It needs registering and running, and it can be undone.
How a deed of variation lets beneficiaries redirect an inheritance after a death, the tax advantages and the strict two-year time limit.
When you are ready to have it done: Trusts and estate planning from a STEP solicitor. What it costs, what happens in order, and how long it takes.
Downloads
One PDF from Safe Harbour Legal. Open it in your browser or save it to read later. No email address needed.
This is general information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice. Each case is assessed on its own merits.
PDF · 201 KB · 14 pages · Law as at November 2026
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