Trustpilot
Will Writing Services in Trafford
Professionally drafted Wills, personally prepared using 27 years of legal experience. Fixed fees are agreed upfront, with free home visits throughout Trafford and the wider Greater Manchester area. Telephone and video appointments are also available.
Put the right plans in place today and enjoy the reassurance of knowing that your wishes are clear, your affairs are organised and the people you care about are better protected.
No obligation. Tell me what you need and I will explain the suitable options and costs before you decide.
Lasting Powers of Attorney and Living Wills can also be prepared alongside your Will or as separate services.
See why clients trust Wise Owl Wills
27 years of legal experience
Fixed Fees agreed upfront
Free Trafford Home visit
Personally drafted for you
Documents usually provided within 7 days
Read what clients say about the clear advice, personal service and reassurance they received when putting their plans in place.
Excellent
Trustpilot
about 13 days ago
Stephen at Wise Owl Wills
We asked Stephen at Wise Owl Wills to prepare our mirror Wills and a letter of wishes. He listened carefully to what we wanted, explained our options clearly and helped us put our wishes into words. Stephen explained how the Wills would provide for each other and our family, and how the letter of wishes could offer additional guidance alongside them. We appreciated having time to ask questions and discuss the details. The personal service made the whole process straightforward and reassuring. We would recommend Wise Owl Wills to couples looking for professionally drafted Wills and thoughtful, practical guidance.
about 2 months ago
A great mirror will service
Me and my partner used Wise Owl Wills for our mirror Wills and a Lasting Power of Attorney. Stephen explained everything in a way that was easy to understand and never made us feel rushed or pressured. The price was agreed beforehand, so we knew exactly what we were paying. Everything was sorted quickly and professionally, and we now feel much happier knowing our affairs are in order. I would definitely recommend Wise Owl Wills to anyone in Denton or Greater Manchester.
about 1 month ago
An excellent personal service could…
An excellent personal service could recommend enough
about 1 month ago
Stephen at Wise Owl Wills prepared both…
Stephen at Wise Owl Wills prepared both my Will and Lasting power of attorney making whole process straightforward easy to understand explaining options clearly and answered questions ensured documents reflected my wishes. He was professional throughout thorough and reassuring. I now have peace of mind knowing that my family provided for and that right people can make appropriate decisions for me if needed. I would highly recommend Wise Owl Wills.
about 1 month ago
Wise Owls wills great help
We found the writing of the will very helpful and was given advice on how to put in our wishes.Found the whole experience stress free and would recommend them to our friends.
about 1 month ago
Easy communication
Easy communication, professionally written wills covering all of the technical issues necessary. Pleased with the price and the result.
Fixed Will-writing fees in Trafford
You will know the cost before deciding whether to proceed. The displayed price is the total fee for the stated service and no VAT is added.
Will-writing fees
Choose the Will that provides the right protection for you and your family. Every Will is personally prepared for your circumstances, with clear guidance and a fixed fee agreed before drafting begins.
Additional Will-planning services
Add only the supporting documents your plans require, with each additional service clearly priced in advance.
If your instructions reveal that a different service would be more appropriate, I will explain that and confirm any change in price before undertaking the work. Lasting Powers of Attorney and Living Wills are also available, with their fees and purposes explained below.
Three simple steps to put your Will in place
1 – Tell me what you need
Call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete the short online form. I will arrange a convenient, no-obligation consultation to discuss what you need.
2 – Talk through your choices
We talk through your family, assets and priorities. I explain the suitable options and agree the fixed fee with you.
3 - Your documents are personally prepared
I personally prepare your Will and normally aim to provide the draft within seven days of receiving all the information required.
The same guided process can cover a Will, one or both types of Lasting Power of Attorney, a Living Will or a suitable combination of documents. You will also receive guidance about signing and witnessing your Will correctly. A Will becomes legally effective only once it has been properly signed.
Why choose Wise Owl Wills
27 years of legal experience focused on you and your family.
Wise Owl Wills was founded by Stephen Rhodes, who was called to the Bar in 1999 and has 27 years of legal experience. Having drafted Wills and dealt with disputes arising from poorly prepared or unclear Wills, Stephen understands both how these important documents should be prepared and what can go wrong when someone’s wishes are not expressed properly. You deal directly with Stephen throughout, from your first conversation to the completion of your documents.
Wise Owl Wills is an independent Will-writing and estate-planning business, not a barristers’ practice, and Stephen does not provide these services in the capacity of a practising barrister. Instead, you receive the benefit of his extensive legal knowledge and experience through a personal, approachable service, with clear explanations, fixed fees agreed in advance and no unnecessary legal jargon.
Whether you require a Will, Lasting Power of Attorney or Living Will, Stephen will take the time to understand your circumstances, explain the available options and prepare documents tailored to your needs and wishes. His aim is to make planning for the future feel straightforward and reassuring, while ensuring that you can make informed decisions with confidence.
A clear Will that reflects your life and your wishes
A Will gives you control over what should happen to your estate, who should deal with it and how the people you care about should be provided for. Without one, the intestacy rules decide who inherits. Those rules cannot take account of informal promises, personal relationships or the individual reasons behind your choices.
I help people throughout Trafford put properly considered arrangements in place. This includes individuals and couples making their first Wills, parents choosing how children should be provided for, homeowners considering trust provisions and families whose circumstances do not fit a standard template.
Every Will is prepared personally. I take time to understand your family, property and priorities, explain the available options in plain English and agree the fee before any drafting begins. You will not be directed through an automated Will builder or left to choose legal clauses without guidance.
A Will deals with what happens after your death. If you also want to choose who could make financial, health or welfare decisions during your lifetime, or record particular medical treatments you would refuse, I can prepare Lasting Powers of Attorney and a Living Will as part of the same planning exercise.
Will-writing advice for different families and circumstances
Wise Owl Wills provides assistance to: –
- Individuals making a first Will or replacing an out-of-date Will
- Married couples, civil partners and unmarried couples who want clear provision for one another
- Parents who want to appoint guardians and plan how children will inherit
- Blended families balancing the needs of a partner, children and stepchildren
- Homeowners considering whether straightforward or trust-based provisions are appropriate
- People wishing to provide for a vulnerable beneficiary without handing over an unrestricted inheritance
- Families whose pensions, death-in-service cover and life insurance need to work together with their Will
- People who want to appoint trusted attorneys to deal with financial, health or welfare decisions if needed.
Not sure which type of Will you need?
You do not need to decide before contacting me. I will explain the relevant options and their costs so that you can make an informed choice.
Professional Will writing across Trafford
Trafford contains many different communities and family arrangements, but the important question is personal: if something happened to you, would the law produce the result you actually want? A professionally drafted Will can address the people, property and responsibilities that matter in your own life.
Trafford is a borough of families. At the 2021 Census, 23.6% of Trafford households were couples with dependent children, well above the England figure of 18.9%, and that share rose over the previous decade while it fell across the North West. The number of children aged 5 to 14 grew by around 15% in ten years. Trafford also has more married adults than the national average (48%, against 45%), 69% of households own their home, and Trafford had the highest employment rate of any local authority in the North West.
That combination shapes the Wills I prepare here. Many Trafford households are not simply leaving a house to their children. They are balancing a valuable family home with workplace pensions, death-in-service cover, life insurance, savings and sometimes a business, and they need those pieces to work together. Much of that wealth sits outside a Will altogether, and from April 2027 most unused pension funds will count towards inheritance tax for the first time.
Trafford is also increasingly diverse, with 14.9% of residents born outside the UK in 2021, and there are clear differences between neighbourhoods, from the young and fast-growing population of Old Trafford to the settled, older communities of Bowdon and Hale. The right structure depends upon your circumstances, which is why the consultation comes before the drafting.
Will Writing in Altrincham
Altrincham has become one of the most sought-after town centres in the North West, built around its revived market and served by both Metrolink and rail. It is also growing: on current ward boundaries, the Altrincham ward’s population rose by around 13% between 2011 and 2021, and neighbouring Broadheath by a similar amount, as new homes have been built on the edge of the town.
That growth brings a mix of households. Younger couples and families are buying in and around the town centre, often with a sizeable mortgage, death-in-service cover through work and young children. For them, a Will is where guardians are named and where it is decided how money for the children will be held. It is also worth checking that pension nominations and any life insurance point the same way as the Will, because they do not pass under it.
For established Altrincham homeowners, the priorities are usually protecting a home that has risen significantly in value and making sure the Will uses the inheritance tax allowances available.
I offer free home visits throughout Altrincham and Broadheath, as well as telephone and video appointments, all at fixed fees agreed before any work begins.
Will Writing in Hale
Hale is a village of large family homes around its station and independent high street, bounded to the south by the River Bollin, with Hale Barns just to the east. It is among the most affluent parts of Greater Manchester: Trafford Council’s analysis of the 2021 Census found that around two in three households in the Hale area were not deprived on any of the measures used, the lowest level of deprivation in the borough.
For many Hale households, inheritance tax is a real consideration. A couple can pass on up to £1 million between them with the right planning, but the residence allowance reduces once an estate is worth more than £2 million, and pension funds are due to count towards the estate from April 2027. The way your Wills are written affects how much of those allowances your family actually receives.
Many Hale Wills also need trusts, whether to protect children from a first marriage, to delay when young adults receive a large sum, or to keep an inheritance separate from a child’s own marriage.
I provide a personal, discreet service throughout Hale and Hale Barns, with free home visits, telephone and video appointments and fixed fees that do not change because an estate is larger.
Will Writing in Bowdon
Bowdon sits on the hill above Altrincham, next to the National Trust’s Dunham Massey estate, with a conservation area of large Victorian and Edwardian houses around St Mary’s Church. It is one of Trafford’s most settled communities: the ward’s population barely changed between 2011 and 2021, and Trafford’s own data has recorded Bowdon as having the oldest median age of any ward in the borough.
An older, established community means many Bowdon residents already have Wills. The question is whether those Wills still work. A Will written twenty years ago may contain a trust designed for tax rules that have since changed, name executors who are no longer able to act, or leave out grandchildren. If you have been widowed, it is also important to know that your late spouse’s unused inheritance tax allowances can often be claimed on your death, but only if the right records exist.
Many Bowdon clients also want to make gifts to grandchildren or to charity, and a Will is where those wishes can be set out clearly.
I offer free home visits throughout Bowdon, together with telephone and video appointments and fixed fees.
Will Writing in Timperley
Timperley, between Altrincham and Sale, is a residential suburb of largely 1930s and later family houses, with a Metrolink stop and a village centre of its own. It had a population of around 11,300 at the 2021 Census, and its wards were broadly stable in size over the previous decade.
Timperley is family territory, and for many households with children at local primary and grammar schools the essentials are the same: naming guardians, deciding at what age the children should inherit, and choosing trustees to look after the money until then. Many couples also want to know whether mirror Wills are right for them, and what stops the survivor changing everything after the first death.
For older Timperley homeowners, the concern is usually making sure the family home passes cleanly and that an existing Will is still up to date.
I provide free home visits throughout Timperley, as well as telephone and video appointments, all at fixed fees.
Will Writing in Sale
Sale is Trafford’s largest town, with the Bridgewater Canal running through its centre, Sale Water Park on its edge and several Metrolink stops placing Manchester within easy reach. The Sale Central ward grew by around 7% between 2011 and 2021.
Sale’s housing ranges from terraces and flats near the centre to larger family homes in Brooklands and Ashton upon Mersey, and the Will-writing needs vary accordingly. Younger households often need to protect a partner and name guardians. Families further along want to make sure workplace pensions, death-in-service cover and life insurance fit with the Will. Older homeowners frequently have a Will made years ago that has never been reviewed.
If you are self-employed or own shares in a family company, it is worth knowing that the rules on business relief from inheritance tax changed in April 2026, and your Will should be drafted with that in mind.
I offer free home visits across Sale, Brooklands, Sale Moor and Ashton upon Mersey, together with telephone and video appointments and fixed fees.
Will Writing in Urmston
Urmston, with neighbouring Flixton and Davyhulme, is a settled residential area in the west of the borough, known for its independent shops and cafés and its rail link into Manchester. Unlike most of Trafford, its population fell slightly between 2011 and 2021: Trafford’s analysis of the Census shows the two Urmston neighbourhoods each losing around 2% of residents.
A stable or slightly shrinking population usually reflects long-term homeowners staying put as their children grow up and leave. For those households, the questions are practical ones: whether the Will made when the children were young still reflects the family as it is now, whether the executors named are still the right people, and how the family home should pass.
Urmston also has plenty of younger families moving in, for whom guardians, trustees and protecting a partner are the priorities.
I offer free home visits throughout Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme, as well as telephone and video appointments, all at fixed fees.
Will Writing in Stretford
Stretford sits between Sale and Old Trafford, with Longford Park at its centre and a town centre being redeveloped around the old Stretford Mall. The Stretford and Humphrey Park ward grew by around 4% between 2011 and 2021, and the neighbouring Gorse Hill and Cornbrook ward, which takes in new apartment developments towards the city, by around 13%.
Many Stretford households are first-time buyers and young families who have chosen the area for its transport links and prices compared with the south of the borough. If you have bought with a partner you are not married to, a Will is the first thing to put in place, because the law gives an unmarried partner no automatic right to inherit. If you have children, a Will is the only document in which you can appoint a guardian.
Stretford also has long-established residents, many of whom own their homes outright and want to make sure they pass to the right people.
I offer free home visits throughout Stretford, along with telephone and video appointments and fixed fees agreed upfront.
Will Writing in Old Trafford
Old Trafford, home to both Manchester United and Lancashire County Cricket Club, is the youngest and fastest-growing part of the borough. Trafford Council’s analysis of the 2021 Census found that the Old Trafford neighbourhood grew by around 15% between 2011 and 2021, more than anywhere else in Trafford, and Trafford’s own data has recorded Clifford, in Old Trafford, as the ward with the youngest median age in the borough.
Old Trafford is also one of Trafford’s most diverse communities. For some families, it is important that a Will reflects religious principles, for example on how an estate is divided among family members or how a funeral is arranged. A Will can do that, provided it is drafted within the law of England and Wales. For families with relatives or property abroad, a Will also needs to take account of how assets in other countries will be dealt with.
Young families here share the same essential needs as anywhere: guardians for children, protection for a partner, and a clear choice of executor.
I offer free home visits throughout Old Trafford, as well as telephone and video appointments, all at fixed fees.
Will Writing in Partington
Partington sits in the far west of Trafford, between the Manchester Ship Canal and the open land around Carrington. It is a close-knit community, but a very different one from the south of the borough: Trafford Council’s analysis of the 2021 Census found that around two in three Partington households were deprived on at least one measure, and the neighbourhood’s population fell slightly between 2011 and 2021.
A Will is not only for people with large estates. If you have children, it is the only place you can choose their guardian. If you live with a partner you are not married to, it is the only way to make sure they inherit anything. If you rent your home, it still decides who receives your savings, your belongings and anything of sentimental value, and who deals with your affairs.
My fees are fixed and start at £130 for a Single Will, and the first consultation is free, with no obligation to go ahead.
I offer free home visits throughout Partington and Carrington, together with telephone and video appointments.
Free home visits and remote Will appointments in Trafford
The areas named above are examples rather than an exhaustive list. Free home visits for Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Living Wills are available throughout Trafford and the wider Greater Manchester area. Telephone and video appointments are available wherever you live.
A home appointment provides the same opportunity to discuss your circumstances and ask questions as a remote appointment. If you want more than one service, your Will, LPA and Living Will requirements can usually be discussed together.
Which type of Will might you need?
The following summary explains the available services. The final recommendation will depend upon your instructions and the protection you want to achieve.
| Service | When it may be suitable |
|---|---|
| Single Will | For one person whose wishes can be dealt with through straightforward provisions |
| Mirror Wills | For a couple making separate Wills in broadly corresponding terms. |
| Trust Will | Where additional control or protection may be required, including some blended-family arrangements, young or vulnerable beneficiaries, or carefully structured property planning. |
| Codicil | For a limited amendment to an existing Will where a complete replacement is not the better option. |
| Letters of Wishes | To give non-binding personal guidance to executors or trustees alongside the legal provisions of a Will. |
| Notice of Severance | To change jointly owned property from a joint tenancy to a tenancy in common when this forms part of appropriate estate planning. |
Lasting Powers of Attorney and Living Wills
Many clients first contact me because they need a Will and then ask whether they should make arrangements for decisions during their lifetime. I also prepare Lasting Powers of Attorney and Living Wills. These can be arranged alongside your Will or as separate services.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Lasting Power of Attorney allows you to appoint trusted people to make particular decisions or act for you. A Property and Financial Affairs LPA can cover matters such as bank accounts, bills, investments and property. A Health and Welfare LPA can cover care, medical treatment and where you live, but it can be used for a particular decision only when you lack capacity to make that decision yourself.
Lasting Power of Attorney fixed fees
Choose a Property and Financial Affairs LPA, a Health and Welfare LPA, or both, and give people you trust the authority to act if you can no longer make particular decisions yourself.
Office of the Public Guardian registration fee: £92 for each LPA, payable to the OPG when you register your LPA. A reduction or exemption may be available depending upon the donor’s income or benefits.
Living Wills
A Living Will, formally called an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment, records specified medical treatments that you wish to refuse in defined future circumstances if you cannot make or communicate the decision at that time. It serves a different purpose from a Health and Welfare LPA, although the two documents are sometimes considered together.
Living Wills fixed fees
Choose the Will that provides the right protection for you and your family. Every Will is personally prepared for your circumstances, with clear guidance and a fixed fee agreed before drafting begins.
Frequently Asked Questions in Trafford
Do you provide Will writing services in Trafford?
Yes. I provide professional Will-writing services across the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, including free home visits to clients in Altrincham, Hale, Hale Barns, Bowdon, Timperley, Sale, Urmston, Stretford, Old Trafford and Partington. Telephone and video appointments are also available for clients who prefer to arrange their Will remotely. I work with young families, established homeowners, company directors and business owners, and couples in second marriages across the borough. My service is built on clear advice, transparent fixed fees and professionally drafted documents tailored to your individual circumstances, whether you are making a Will for the first time, updating an existing one or looking for more specialist estate planning advice. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
Can you visit me at home in Trafford?
Yes. I offer free home visits to clients across Trafford. Whether you live in Altrincham, Hale, Hale Barns, Bowdon, Timperley, Sale, Urmston, Stretford, Old Trafford or Partington, I can come to you at a time that suits you. A home visit means you can discuss your wishes, ask questions and give your instructions in the comfort and privacy of your own home, with no need to travel to an office. This is particularly convenient for older residents, those with mobility considerations, carers and anyone with a busy family or working schedule. If a home visit isn’t convenient, telephone and video appointments are also available, so you can arrange a professionally drafted Will without leaving home. To book your free home visit, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
Can I make my Will by telephone or video call?
Yes. Your instructions can be taken by telephone or video, and you’ll receive the same personal discussion and tailored drafting as you would during a home visit. I’ll also explain exactly how your completed Will needs to be signed and witnessed to be legally valid.
What is the difference between a Will, a Lasting Power of Attorney and a Living Will?
A Will records what should happen to your estate after your death. A Lasting Power of Attorney appoints people you trust to make decisions or act on your behalf during your lifetime, if you’re ever unable to do so yourself. A Living Will (formally an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment) records specific medical treatments you would refuse in defined future circumstances. Many clients arrange a Will on its own; others choose to put an LPA or Living Will in place at the same time. Find out more about Lasting Powers of Attorney and Living Wills.
How much does a Will cost?
A Single Will costs £130 and Mirror Wills for a couple cost £200. A detailed Will including a trust costs £200, or £300 for detailed mirror Wills for a couple. I’ll explain which option suits your circumstances and confirm the total fee before you decide whether to go ahead. The price shown is the total fee, no VAT is added.
How quickly can my Will be completed?
I normally aim to provide your draft within seven days of receiving your complete instructions. The process starts with a consultation, either a free home visit anywhere in Trafford, or by telephone or video, which most clients find takes less than an hour. I take your full instructions, explain your options in plain English and confirm the fixed fee. Once you’re satisfied your draft reflects your wishes, you sign it in the presence of two witnesses and it becomes legally valid. For clients requiring a trust-based Will, the drafting process may take a little longer to ensure every provision is precisely right, and I’ll tell you straightaway if that applies to you. There’s no pressure to rush at any stage: a Will that doesn’t accurately reflect your wishes provides no protection at all.
Do I need an LPA as well as a Will?
A Will and an LPA deal with different situations, so it’s worth thinking about both rather than treating them as alternatives. Your Will only takes effect after your death. A Lasting Power of Attorney allows people you choose to make decisions or act on your behalf while you’re still alive, if you’re ever unable to manage your own affairs. You can arrange either on its own, or both together at the same time as your Will.
We're buying a family home together before we marry. Are we protected if one of us dies?
Only partly, and possibly not at all. Until you marry or form a civil partnership, the law treats you as unrelated for inheritance purposes. If one of you dies without a Will, the intestacy rules pass the estate to parents, brothers and sisters or other relatives. A partner receives nothing under those rules.
How you buy the house matters. If you own it as joint tenants, the whole property passes to the survivor automatically. If you own it as tenants in common, perhaps because one of you put in a larger deposit, each share passes under that person’s Will, or under the intestacy rules if there is no Will. The survivor could end up co-owning the family home with their late partner’s parents. Savings, investments and belongings in one name follow the same rules.
It is also worth knowing that when you do marry, any Wills you made before the wedding are automatically cancelled, unless they were written in expectation of that marriage. A Will can be drafted now to protect you both and survive the wedding.
Most Trafford adults are married, but 35% have never married or formed a civil partnership, and many couples here buy their first family home before the wedding. Read more in my article on unmarried partner inheritance. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
Who would raise our children if we both died, and who would look after their money?
Those are two separate decisions, and your Wills should deal with both. The first is guardianship. If you both die while your children are under 18, the guardians named in your Wills take on parental responsibility. Without a named guardian, the family court decides who looks after them.
The second is money. Children cannot hold an inheritance directly, so it has to be managed for them. Your Wills can appoint trustees for that purpose and set out how the money may be used, for example on school fees, university or a first home. Many parents choose different people for the two roles, so that the person raising the children is not also solely responsible for the finances.
Your Wills can also decide when your children receive their inheritance outright. Without a Will it is 18. With one, you can choose an older age or release it in stages. That matters most where life insurance or death-in-service cover could produce a substantial sum.
At the 2021 Census, 23.6% of Trafford households were couples with dependent children, against 18.9% across England, and that share rose over the decade while it fell across the North West. Read more in my article on appointing guardians for your children. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
I'm in a second marriage. How do I protect my children from my first marriage without leaving my spouse short?
A second marriage creates a genuine tension. You may want your spouse to be secure for the rest of their life, and you may also want your own children to inherit your share of the family’s wealth in the end. Leaving everything to your spouse achieves the first but puts the second entirely in their hands, and they are free to change their Will after you have gone.
The usual solution is a life interest trust. Your spouse can live in the home, or receive the income from your share of the estate, for life. When they die, the capital passes to your children. Because a life interest for a spouse is usually treated for inheritance tax as if it had passed to the spouse, the spouse exemption can often still apply on the first death.
There are other points to address too. Pensions and life insurance may be paid to whoever the nomination form names, which may still be a former spouse if it has never been updated. And the intestacy rules do not recognise stepchildren at all, so if you want to include your spouse’s children, your Will must name them.
Read more in my article on how to write a Will for a blended family. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
How can I stop an inheritance harming a child who is vulnerable, or who isn't ready for it?
“Vulnerable” covers more than disability. It can mean a child with a learning disability or long-term illness who relies on means-tested support, but it can also mean an adult child with an addiction, one in financial difficulty, or one whose marriage is unstable. In each case, leaving money outright may do more harm than good.
A discretionary trust in your Will lets you leave the inheritance to trustees rather than directly to the child. The trustees decide how and when to use it for the child’s benefit, taking account of your wishes in a Letter of Wishes. Because the child does not own the money, it is not normally counted as their capital for means-tested benefits, it is harder for creditors to reach, and it is less exposed if their marriage breaks down.
For families with a disabled child, this is usually the most important part of the Will. For others, it is a sensible safeguard where a large sum could pass to a young adult.
Read more in my article on protecting vulnerable beneficiaries in a Will. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
My pension, death-in-service cover and life insurance are worth more than my house. Does my Will deal with them?
Usually not, and that surprises many people. Most of this money is paid outside your Will.
Pension death benefits are normally paid at the discretion of the pension scheme trustees, guided by the nomination or expression of wishes form you completed. Death-in-service lump sums work the same way. Life insurance written into trust is paid to the trust’s beneficiaries; a policy that is not in trust is paid into your estate and then passes under your Will. If your nomination forms are out of date, a large sum could go somewhere you no longer intend, such as to a former partner, whatever your Will says.
The tax position is also changing. From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and pension death benefits will count as part of your estate for inheritance tax. Death-in-service benefits paid from a registered pension scheme will remain outside it, and pensions passing to a surviving spouse or civil partner will still be exempt. For couples with substantial pensions, this may push the second estate above the available allowances for the first time.
Part of making a Will properly is making sure all of these pieces point in the same direction. I will ask what pensions and policies you have and explain how they fit with your Will. For children, that may mean nominating a trust in your Will rather than the children themselves, so that a large lump sum is not paid to them outright at 18.
To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
My husband or wife has died. Can I use their inheritance tax allowances?
Very often, yes. When a husband, wife or civil partner dies and does not use their full nil-rate band of £325,000, the unused percentage can be transferred to the survivor and claimed when the survivor dies. The same applies to the residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000, which can be transferred even if your spouse died before it was introduced in 2017. Used fully, the two allowances let a surviving spouse pass on up to £1 million, where the home goes to children or grandchildren.
Whether the allowances are available depends on what happened on the first death. If your spouse left everything to you, their allowances were probably unused and can be transferred in full. If they left money or property to children or others, part of their nil-rate band may already have been used. The claim is made by your executors after your death, so they will need information about your spouse’s estate. It is worth keeping the relevant paperwork with your Will.
There are limits. The residence allowance tapers away for estates worth more than £2 million, and the allowances are frozen until April 2031. If you have remarried, you can only benefit from one extra set of allowances, however many times you have been widowed.
Read more in my guide to inheritance tax. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
I own shares in a family company. Has anything changed for my Will?
Yes. Until April 2026, most shares in an unlisted trading company qualified for 100% business relief from inheritance tax without any limit. From 6 April 2026, 100% relief applies only to the first £2.5 million of qualifying business and agricultural property. Value above that receives 50% relief, which means an effective inheritance tax rate of 20% on the excess. Any unused part of the £2.5 million allowance can be transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner, so a couple may be able to pass on up to £5 million of qualifying assets at full relief.
Your Will now has more work to do. Which assets pass to your spouse and which pass to your children can affect how much relief is used or wasted. Your Will should also fit with the company’s articles and any shareholders’ agreement, which may give other shareholders the right to buy your shares, and with any cross-option or insurance arrangements between co-owners.
Trafford has one of the highest employment rates in the North West and a large number of company directors and self-employed professionals. If you own part of a business, it is worth making sure your Will reflects the current rules rather than the old ones.
To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
Can my Will reflect my religious beliefs about inheritance?
Yes. The law of England and Wales gives you freedom to leave your estate to whoever you choose, so a Will can follow the principles of your faith, provided it is properly drafted and signed. For Muslim families, for example, a Will can divide the estate according to the fixed shares set out in Islamic law, and make separate provision, within the limits your faith allows, for people who would not otherwise inherit. Other faiths have their own traditions about who should inherit and how funerals should be arranged, and a Will can record those wishes too.
Two points need care. First, if you die without a Will, the intestacy rules apply, and they take no account of religious principles. Second, English law allows certain people, such as a spouse or a dependent child, to ask the court for reasonable financial provision if a Will does not provide for them. A faith-based Will should be drafted with that in mind.
Trafford’s population is increasingly diverse. At the 2021 Census, 8.7% of residents were Muslim and 2.0% Hindu, both above the England average, and Trafford has an established Jewish community. If your faith shapes how you want your estate divided, that should be part of our discussion from the start.
To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
We want mirror Wills. What stops the survivor changing everything?
Nothing, in most cases. Mirror Wills are two separate Wills that say broadly the same thing: each partner leaves everything to the other, and then to the same people on the second death. They are simple and work well for many couples. But after the first death, the survivor owns everything outright and can make a new Will at any time.
For most couples, that flexibility is exactly what they want. The survivor may need to adapt to circumstances nobody could predict. The risk arises where you each have particular people you want to benefit, for example children from an earlier relationship, and you are relying on the survivor to honour an informal promise.
If that concerns you, there are two options. The more reliable is to leave your share of the home or estate into a life interest trust, so that the survivor benefits during their lifetime but cannot redirect your share. The other is mutual Wills, where both partners agree that the Wills will not be changed. These are rarely recommended because they are inflexible and can lead to disputes. I will explain which approach suits your circumstances.
See more about Mirror Wills and Trust Wills. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
Who should I choose as my executors and trustees?
Your executors deal with your estate after your death: collecting in your assets, paying debts and tax, and distributing what is left. Your trustees look after any money held in trust, for example for children, possibly for many years. They can be the same people, but they need not be.
Good executors are organised, trustworthy and willing to act. They can be family members, friends or a professional. Many people choose two, with a back-up in case one cannot act, and no more than four can apply for probate. An executor can also be a beneficiary. A witness to your Will, or the witness’s husband or wife, cannot benefit under it, so executors and beneficiaries should not witness your signature.
Where an estate is more complex, for example with a business, overseas assets or long-term trusts, some people appoint a professional alongside a family member. It adds cost, but it can reduce the burden on your family and the risk of disagreement.
To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
Do I need a solicitor to make a Will in Trafford?
No. You don’t need a solicitor to make a Will in Trafford. In England and Wales, Wills can be drafted by a professional Will-writer who isn’t a solicitor.
I founded Wise Owl Wills after being called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1999, bringing 27 years of experience in the legal profession. As an independent Will-writing business rather than a solicitors’ practice, I’m able to offer a modern, approachable and affordable service, with documents explained in plain English and appointments available at home, by telephone or by video.
What matters is not whether your Will-writer holds a solicitor’s qualification, but whether they have the knowledge, experience and attention to detail to produce a document that’s legally valid and genuinely tailored to your circumstances. The Will-writing industry in England and Wales isn’t currently regulated in the same way as solicitors, which makes choosing one with demonstrable legal expertise all the more important. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
Arrange your free Will consultation
If you live in Trafford and want a professionally drafted Will that reflects your family, property and wishes, contact me for a free initial consultation. If you also want to discuss a Lasting Power of Attorney or Living Will, these can be considered during the same home visit, telephone appointment or video call.
TrustpilotNo obligation. Tell me what you need and I will explain the suitable options and costs before you decide. All information you provide is treated confidentially, and I aim to respond within one working day.