Wills · Two fixed fees, with VAT
Trust Wills (Single)
A will that puts some or all of your estate into a trust, to protect an inheritance or look after someone who cannot manage money. Fixed fee, plain English.
For will with a trust in it, one person. Two items, each with its own fixed fee, listed below.
- Who does the work
- Aaron Johnson, Consultant Solicitor and TEP, personally. No hand-offs.
What it costs
Each item, and the costs that are not the fee.
Third-party costs, called disbursements, are paid to the court, the Office of the Public Guardian, HM Land Registry or another body. They are passed on at cost and shown here so there is nothing to discover later.
See every fee on one page.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Will with a trustFor one person · 3 to 4 weeks | £650+ VAT(£780 inc. VAT) |
| Will with a discretionary trustFor one person · 3 to 4 weeks | £850+ VAT(£1,020 inc. VAT) |
| Third-party costs, paid at cost | |
| Land Registry official copiesper document, HM Land Registry, no VAT | £7 |
Regulated work (trust wills, probate, trust and estate administration) carries a small onboarding fee for the matter and an identity check for each person. Standard wills and powers of attorney do not. It is confirmed before any work starts.
What happens, in order
From first call to finish.
Aaron does each step himself. If a step takes longer than expected, that is his cost, not yours.
Free 15-minute call
Aaron listens to your situation and explains what a trust in your will can and cannot do.
Meeting
Aaron goes through your assets, your family and the risks you want to guard against.
Choosing the trust
Aaron chooses and designs the trust that fits your situation.
Drafting and review
Aaron drafts the will and goes through every clause with you in plain English.
Signing and trustee briefing
Aaron supervises the signing and explains to your trustees what their role involves.
Included and not included
What the fee covers, and what it does not.
Published under the SRA Transparency Rules. Anything outside the fee is quoted separately before it is done.
Will with a trust
For one person · 3 to 4 weeks · £650+ VAT
- When it applies
- One person with a partner to provide for and children from a previous relationship, a vulnerable beneficiary, or a business or farm.
- Included
- Instructions, a will incorporating the right trust for your situation, a letter of wishes, supervised signing and a trustee briefing.
- Not included
- Severing a joint tenancy, Land Registry restrictions, declarations of trust, capacity assessments and foreign assets are separate.
Will with a discretionary trust
For one person · 3 to 4 weeks · £850+ VAT
- When it applies
- A family member who is disabled, vulnerable, or should not receive a lump sum outright.
- Included
- Instructions, a will containing a discretionary trust, a letter of wishes for the trustees, written guidance on how the trust is run and how it sits alongside means-tested benefits, supervised signing and a trustee briefing.
- Not included
- Severing a joint tenancy, declarations of trust, capacity assessments and foreign assets are separate. Planning alongside your accountant or adviser is its own item.
What is included: The fixed fee covers taking your instructions, drafting a will with the right trust in it, a letter of wishes, supervising the signing and a briefing for your trustees.
What is not included: Severing a joint tenancy and registering a restriction at HM Land Registry, declarations of trust, statements excluding a beneficiary, capacity assessments, inheritance tax planning and foreign assets. Each is quoted separately as a fixed fee if you need it.
Aaron’s promise
What you can hold him to.
- Aaron handles your matter from start to finish
- The fee is fixed and confirmed before work starts
- The trust explained in plain English you can understand
- Home visits across Bridlington and East Yorkshire
- A free 15-minute call, with no obligation
In more detail
A will with a trust in it
A standard will gives your estate outright. Once a beneficiary has the money, it is theirs to lose: to a divorce, a bankruptcy or a bad decision.
A will with a trust in it gives some or all of the estate to trustees instead. The trustees hold it for the people you name, on the terms you set. The beneficiaries still benefit, but the assets are protected.
Which trust is right for you
There is no single template. Aaron looks at your situation and drafts the trust that fits it.
Married or in a civil partnership: a life interest trust
You want your spouse looked after, and you want your share to reach your children in the end. Your partner can live in the home and have the income for life. The capital is kept for the children.
Unmarried partners: a discretionary trust
You want to support your partner, but leaving assets to them outright can cause a tax charge or send the money to their family instead of yours. A discretionary trust lets the trustees support your partner while keeping the capital for your family.
A vulnerable beneficiary: a care and control trust
You want to leave money to someone who cannot manage it, perhaps because of a disability, an addiction or their age. Trustees manage the money for them, so they are supported without receiving a lump sum.
Protecting your children: a flexible trust
You worry that a large inheritance could be lost if your child divorces or goes bankrupt. The inheritance is held in a flexible fund that is generally protected from ex-spouses and creditors.
Aaron is a consultant solicitor based in Bridlington. He can visit you at home and explain the trust in plain English, so you understand exactly how your estate will be managed. A will trust takes effect on your death; it cannot protect your own home from your own care costs during your lifetime.
Who this is for
- Anyone who wants to control how a beneficiary receives their inheritance
- Anyone who wants their share of the home kept for the children if their partner remarries or needs care
- Parents with children from an earlier relationship
- People with a vulnerable beneficiary (a disability, an addiction, a young age)
- Anyone who wants to protect an inheritance from a beneficiary's divorce or bankruptcy
What the fixed fee includes
- Taking your full instructions
- Advice on the right trust for what you want to achieve
- Drafting the will with the trust in it, and a letter of wishes for your trustees
- One round of amendments
- Supervised signing and witnessing, and a briefing for your trustees
What is not included
The fixed fee covers the will and the trust in it. Depending on your circumstances you may also need one of the following. Aaron will discuss it with you and agree a separate fixed fee before any extra work starts:
- Severing the joint tenancy: if you own your home jointly, it must be changed to tenants in common (each of you owning a distinct share) for a property trust to work
- Declaration of trust: if you need to record unequal shares in the property
- Statement excluding a beneficiary: a formal record that helps defend the will against a challenge
- Capacity assessment: where there is any doubt about mental capacity
- Inheritance tax planning and foreign assets
You may need none of these. Aaron will say which apply at the first meeting.
What happens if you do nothing
With a standard will, or no will, an inheritance passes outright. Your share of the family home could end up with a new partner's family, or be lost in a beneficiary's divorce or bankruptcy. A standard will cannot prevent that. A will with a trust in it can.
Why Safe Harbour
- Aaron handles your matter from start to finish. It is never passed to a junior or a paralegal.
- Fixed fees, confirmed before work starts. No hourly rates.
- Home visits across Bridlington and East Yorkshire. Aaron comes to you.
- Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, with professional indemnity insurance.
- Aaron explains trusts in plain English, without jargon.
You may also need
- A property and financial affairs LPA: to protect your finances during your lifetime, not just after death. Doing them with your will takes a fixed amount off the fee, once for the whole matter.
- Estate and tax planning: if your estate is over the inheritance tax allowances, the inheritance tax check can be added to the will
Priced lower together
A will and powers of attorney cost less done together.
Your wills cost £150 less when your powers of attorney are done at the same time, because the meetings, identity checks and signing happen once.
Done together: £150 off when powers of attorney are done with a will, once, however many documents are made. Planning items, trust administration and probate are never discounted. Third-party costs are unchanged.
Other wills fees.
About wills- Standard will
For one person · 2 to 3 weeks
Taking your instructions, drafting the will in plain English, supervising the signing.
No third-party costs.
£350+ VAT(£420 inc. VAT) - Mirror wills
For a couple · 2 to 3 weeks
Instructions from both of you, two wills that mirror each other, supervised signing.
No third-party costs.
£550+ VAT(£660 inc. VAT) - Wills with a trust
For a couple · 3 to 4 weeks
Instructions from both of you, two wills incorporating a life interest or protective trust that ring-fences the first to die's share, letters of wishes, supervised signing and a trustee briefing.
Plus Land Registry official copies £7.
£950+ VAT(£1,140 inc. VAT) - Wills with a discretionary trust
For a couple · 3 to 4 weeks
Instructions from both of you, two wills each containing a discretionary trust, letters of wishes for the trustees, written guidance on how the trust is run and how it sits alongside means-tested benefits, supervised signing and a trustee briefing.
No third-party costs.
£1,250+ VAT(£1,500 inc. VAT)
Next step
Four ways to start. Take the one you are comfortable with.
Or call 01262 310 850. Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.
- 01No commitmentFind your plan and price
Sixty seconds of questions that end on your plan and a fixed fee, with VAT. No call needed.
- 02Low commitmentDownload the instruction form
A fillable PDF. Type into it, save it and email it back, or print it.
- 03A conversationBook a 15-minute call
15 minutes with Aaron, by phone or video, at no charge. Appointments are usually available within a few working days, including Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and home visits across East and North Yorkshire.
- 04Ready to goStart my matter
Give Aaron the details he needs and he confirms the fixed fee in writing before any work starts.