Trustpilot
Will Writing Services in Tameside
Professionally drafted Wills, personally prepared using 27 years of legal experience. Fixed fees are agreed upfront, with free home visits throughout Tameside 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 Tameside 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 15 days ago
We used Wise Owl Wills to prepare our…
We used Wise Owl Wills to prepare our mirror Wills and Health and Welfare Lasting Powers of Attorney. Stephen explained the options in plain English and helped us understand how the documents would reflect our wishes. We wanted to provide for each other in our Wills and appoint people we trust to make decisions about our care and medical treatment if we lose the capacity to decide for ourselves. Stephen took time to answer our questions, making the process feel straightforward and reassuring. We appreciated the personal attention and would recommend Wise Owl Wills to other couples looking for help with Wills and LPAs.
about 14 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.
Fixed Will-writing fees in Tameside
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 Tameside 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
- Separated and divorced parents who need a Will that reflects their new family arrangements
- 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 Tameside
Tameside 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.
Family life in Tameside looks different from the national picture, and that matters for Wills. At the 2021 Census, 13.8% of Tameside households were headed by a lone parent, compared with 11.1% across England, and the borough saw the third-largest rise in lone-parent households in the North West over the previous decade. Tameside also has more adults who are divorced (9.7%) or separated but still legally married (2.6%) than the England average, and fewer who are married: 40.8%, against 44.7% nationally.
Each of those groups is poorly served by the intestacy rules. A lone parent without a Will has not chosen who would raise their children or who would control the money left to them. Someone who is separated but not divorced may find that their estranged husband or wife is still first in line to inherit. A new partner, however long the relationship, receives nothing. These are exactly the gaps a Will is designed to close.
At the same time, Tameside’s population is ageing: the number of residents aged 65 and over rose by almost 19% between 2011 and 2021. For many older homeowners the priorities are keeping an existing Will up to date and making sure the family home passes as intended. The right structure depends upon your circumstances, which is why the consultation comes before the drafting.
Will Writing in Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is Tameside’s largest town and its main centre, at the end of the Metrolink line from Manchester. Its central St Peter’s ward was the fastest-growing part of the borough between 2011 and 2021 on current ward boundaries, rising by around 17% to roughly 13,500 residents.
Ashton has a genuinely mixed population, with long-established families alongside younger households and a diverse range of communities. For many Ashton families, the most pressing reason to make a Will is children: naming a guardian, deciding who looks after any money left to them, and making sure a former partner does not end up controlling it by default.
For Ashton homeowners, a Will also makes sure the house passes directly to the people you choose. And if your family has particular religious or cultural wishes about how your estate is divided or how your funeral is arranged, your Will can record them, provided they sit within the law of England and Wales.
I offer free home visits throughout Ashton-under-Lyne, including Hurst, Waterloo, Hartshead and Taunton, as well as telephone and video appointments, all at clear fixed fees.
Will Writing in Hyde
Hyde sits in the south of the borough beneath Werneth Low, and takes in communities from Gee Cross and Godley to Newton, Flowery Field and Hattersley. Across its three wards the population grew between 2011 and 2021, most noticeably in Hyde Newton, which rose by around 14% to roughly 12,700 on current boundaries.
Many Hyde households own their homes, and for those homeowners a Will is how you make sure the house and your savings reach the right people. For couples who are not married, it is also the only way to protect each other. The intestacy rules give an unmarried partner nothing, however long you have been together.
Parents in Hyde, including those bringing up children on their own, need a Will for a further reason: it is the only document in which you can appoint a guardian for your children.
I provide free home visits throughout Hyde, as well as telephone and video appointments, with fixed fees agreed before any work begins.
Will Writing in Stalybridge
Stalybridge has the Huddersfield Narrow Canal running through its centre, with a compact town centre and residential areas climbing towards Buckton Vale, Carrbrook and the Pennine edge. Its two wards were broadly stable in population between 2011 and 2021, with around 12,000 to 13,000 residents each.
A settled town usually means many long-term homeowners and married couples, and the Will-writing questions reflect that: making sure the survivor is properly provided for, that the house eventually passes to the children, and that an older Will still reflects the family as it is today. Many married couples assume the surviving husband or wife inherits everything automatically. Under the intestacy rules, that is not always the case.
For younger households moving into the town, including first-time buyers and young families, a Will protects a new home and names guardians from the start.
I offer free home visits across Stalybridge and the surrounding villages, together with telephone and video appointments and fixed fees throughout.
Will Writing in Dukinfield
Dukinfield lies between Ashton, Stalybridge and Hyde, with the Peak Forest Canal running along its edge. Its two wards were broadly stable between 2011 and 2021, with the Dukinfield ward growing by around 2% to roughly 12,700 residents.
Dukinfield has a mix of households: couples living together without marrying, older residents living alone, and families at every stage. For cohabiting couples, a Will is essential, because a partner has no right to inherit under the intestacy rules. For older residents, especially those who have been widowed or divorced, the priority is often reviewing a Will written years ago that may name executors who have since died or beneficiaries whose circumstances have changed.
If you live alone, a Will is also how you choose who deals with your estate and who inherits it, rather than leaving that to a fixed list of relatives.
I offer free home visits throughout Dukinfield, along with telephone and video appointments and transparent fixed fees.
Will Writing in Droylsden
Droylsden, on the Manchester side of the borough, is served by the Metrolink and includes the historic Fairfield Moravian Settlement and the marina on the Ashton Canal. Droylsden East grew by around 6.5% between 2011 and 2021, to roughly 11,800 residents on current boundaries.
Changing family structures are a common thread in Droylsden Wills. If you have separated from a husband or wife but not divorced, they may still be entitled to most of your estate if you die without a Will. If you have a new partner, they are entitled to nothing. If you have stepchildren you want to include, they must be named, because the law does not treat them as your children.
A properly drafted Will can deal with all of those situations at once, protecting a new partner while making sure your own children are not left out.
I offer free home visits across Droylsden, with telephone and video appointments and fixed fees agreed upfront.
Will Writing in Denton
Denton sits at the south-western corner of the borough where the M60 and M67 meet, and includes Haughton Green, Denton North East, Denton South and Denton West. Unlike much of Tameside, Denton’s population barely changed between 2011 and 2021, with its three wards together home to around 34,500 people.
That stability points to a large number of long-established homeowners, many of whom bought decades ago and now own their homes outright. For them, a Will is the single most important document for making sure the house and savings pass exactly as intended. It is also worth checking that an existing Will still works: executors, beneficiaries and family circumstances all change over time.
Denton also has plenty of younger families, for whom appointing guardians and protecting a partner are the priorities.
I offer free home visits across all parts of Denton, together with telephone and video appointments, all at fixed fees.
Will Writing in Mossley
Mossley is a Pennine town on the northern edge of Tameside, split between Top Mossley and Bottom Mossley in the Tame valley, with stone terraces and converted mills. The Mossley ward grew by around 6% between 2011 and 2021, to roughly 11,600 residents.
For Mossley homeowners, a Will ensures that a home which may have risen considerably in value passes to the right people without delay or dispute. Some properties come with outbuildings, land or a separate annexe, and a Will should make clear exactly what is included and who receives it.
Families with children need a Will to appoint guardians, and couples who are not married need one to protect each other.
I offer free home visits throughout Mossley, along with telephone and video appointments and fixed fees agreed upfront.
Will Writing in Audenshaw
Audenshaw lies just under five miles from Manchester city centre, beside the Audenshaw Reservoirs, with a Metrolink stop on the Ashton line and quick access to the M60. It is one of the faster-growing parts of Tameside: the ward’s population rose by around 13% between 2011 and 2021, to roughly 12,600 on current boundaries.
Growth has brought younger working households and families to an area with many long-established homeowners. For couples buying their first home, particularly if they are not married, a Will is the first thing to put in place alongside the mortgage. For parents, it is where guardians are named.
For older homeowners in Audenshaw, the priority is usually making sure the house passes cleanly to children and that the Will reflects the family as it is now.
I offer free home visits throughout Audenshaw, as well as telephone and video appointments, all at fixed fees.
Will Writing in Longdendale
Longdendale stretches along the valley of the River Etherow towards the Peak District, and includes the villages of Mottram in Longdendale, Hollingworth and Broadbottom, each with its own identity. It is one of the older parts of the borough: at the 2021 Census, around one in five residents of the Longdendale ward was aged 65 or over, above the Tameside average.
Many Longdendale households have owned their homes for a long time, often character properties in the valley villages, and want them to pass smoothly to the next generation. For older couples, it is worth checking what would happen to the family home if one of you later needed residential care, and whether the way you own the house and the way your Wills are written could protect part of its value.
For families with younger children, a Will appoints guardians and sets out how any inheritance should be held until the children are older.
I offer free home visits throughout Longdendale, including Mottram, Hollingworth and Broadbottom, together with telephone and video appointments and fixed fees.
Free home visits and remote Will appointments in Tameside
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 Tameside 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 Tameside
Do you provide Will writing services in Tameside?
Yes. I provide professional Will-writing services across the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, including free home visits to clients in Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Droylsden, Denton, Mossley, Audenshaw and Longdendale. Telephone and video appointments are also available for clients who prefer to arrange their Will remotely. I work with lone parents, separated and divorced clients, couples in new relationships, established homeowners and families at every stage. 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 Tameside?
Yes. I offer free home visits to clients across Tameside. Whether you live in Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Droylsden, Denton, Mossley, Audenshaw or Longdendale, 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 Tameside, 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.
Will my partner inherit if we live together in Tameside but aren't married?
No, not under the law as it stands. When someone dies without a Will, the intestacy rules divide their estate among a spouse or civil partner and blood relatives, in a fixed order. A cohabiting partner does not appear anywhere in that order. Twenty years together, a shared mortgage and children in common make no difference.
A surviving partner may receive some assets outside the Will, such as a home or account held as joint tenants, or a pension paid out under a nomination. Anything in your sole name, and your share of a property owned as tenants in common, goes to your relatives instead. The partner’s only route is then a court claim for reasonable financial provision, which is expensive, stressful and not guaranteed to succeed.
In Tameside this affects a large number of households. At the 2021 Census, 40% of Tameside adults had never married or formed a civil partnership, above the England figure of 38%, and only 41% were married or in a civil partnership, compared with 45% nationally.
A Will is the simple solution. 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.
Can I choose who would bring up my children?
Yes, and your Will is the place to do it. By appointing a guardian, you decide who would take parental responsibility for your children if you died while they were under 18. Without that appointment, where there is no surviving parent with parental responsibility, the decision is made by the family court.
Choosing a guardian is a personal decision. Most parents think about who shares their values, who the children already have a bond with, and who is practically able to take them on. It is sensible to name a substitute in case your first choice cannot act, and to talk to the people you have in mind before you name them.
Your Will can also appoint trustees to look after any money you leave your children. They need not be the same people as the guardians, and many parents prefer to split the roles.
Tameside has a higher than average proportion of lone-parent households, and the number of children under 15 in the borough rose by 8.5% between 2011 and 2021. 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 have children from a previous relationship and a new partner. How do I provide for everyone?
Carefully, because the simplest arrangement is often the one that goes wrong. If you leave everything to your new partner and trust them to pass it on to your children, that only works if they never change their Will, never remarry and never need the money themselves. Once you have died, the law allows them to leave your estate to anyone they choose.
A Will with a life interest trust gets around this. Your partner can stay in the family home, or receive an income from your share of the estate, for the rest of their life. When they die, the capital passes to your children. Your partner is protected, and so is your children’s inheritance.
Stepchildren are a separate point. The intestacy rules do not recognise them, so if you want a stepchild to inherit, your Will must say so.
Blended families are common in Tameside, where 9.7% of adults are divorced, above the England average. 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 do I leave money to someone who is disabled or can't manage their own finances?
Usually through a discretionary trust in your Will, rather than by leaving it to them directly. A direct inheritance can reduce or stop means-tested support such as Universal Credit or local authority funding for care, and it may be difficult for a vulnerable person to manage or protect.
With a discretionary trust, trustees you choose hold the money and use it for your relative’s benefit as and when it is needed, for example on equipment, holidays, adaptations to their home or anything else that improves their life. Because the money is held by the trustees rather than owned outright, it does not normally count as your relative’s own capital.
This is a particular concern for families in Tameside. At the 2021 Census, 3.2% of residents were providing 50 or more hours of unpaid care a week, above the England figure of 2.7%, and the share of residents whose daily activities were limited a lot by disability was higher than the national average. Many of those carers are parents or partners who need to know their relative will be provided for after they have gone.
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.
I'm a lone parent in Tameside. Why is a Will so important for me?
Because if you die without one, three decisions are taken out of your hands at once: who looks after your children, who controls their money, and when they receive it.
If your children’s other parent is alive and has parental responsibility, they will normally take over their care. If there is no other parent involved, or they could not take on your children’s care, a Will lets you appoint the guardian you would want. In some situations, for example where a court order says your children live with you, a guardian named in your Will can share parental responsibility with the surviving parent.
Money is a separate question. Without a Will, your children inherit everything at 18, whatever their circumstances at that age, and until then the money has to be managed on their behalf. A Will lets you choose trustees to look after it, which means you can keep control out of the hands of a former partner if you wish, and you can decide whether your children should receive it at 18, 21, 25 or in stages.
Lone-parent households make up 13.8% of homes in Tameside, well above the England figure of 11.1%. If you are bringing up children on your own, a Will is one of the most important things you can do for them.
To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
I'm separated but not yet divorced. Could my husband or wife still inherit?
Yes. Separation, however long ago it happened, does not change your legal status. Until a final divorce order is made, your husband or wife is still your spouse in law.
If you die without a Will while separated, your spouse is first in line under the intestacy rules. If you have no children, they could inherit your whole estate. If you have children, they take your personal possessions, the first £322,000 of your estate and half of anything above that. A new partner would receive nothing. If you made a Will during the marriage leaving everything to your spouse, that Will still stands until you change it or the divorce is finalised.
Even after divorce, a Will is still needed. A final divorce order removes your former spouse from an existing Will, but it does not create a new plan for your estate, and it does not name guardians or protect a new partner.
Tameside has more adults who are separated but still legally married than the England average (2.6% against 2.2%), and more who are divorced. If your relationship has ended, making a new Will should not wait for the paperwork. It is also worth checking your pension nomination forms and any life insurance policies, which are dealt with separately from your Will.
Read more in my article on when you should update your Will. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
I'm married. Doesn't everything go to my husband or wife anyway?
Not necessarily. Many married couples assume that, but the intestacy rules only give everything to the surviving spouse or civil partner if there are no children or grandchildren.
If you have children and die without a Will, your spouse receives your personal possessions and the first £322,000 of your estate. Anything above that is split: half to your spouse outright and half to your children. If your children are under 18, their share is held for them until they reach 18, when it becomes theirs outright. That can mean part of the family home or savings being set aside for the children at a time when the surviving parent needs it most.
Assets held jointly are treated differently. A home owned as joint tenants and joint bank accounts pass straight to the survivor. But not everything is usually held that way, and couples who have been married before, or who have children from earlier relationships, may not want everything to go to the survivor in any case.
A Will lets you decide. Read more in my article on what happens if you die without a Will. To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
I rent from the council or a housing association. Can I leave my tenancy in my Will?
Usually not. Council and housing association tenancies are not normally passed on through a Will. Whether anyone can take over your home depends on the succession rules for your type of tenancy and on the terms of your tenancy agreement. In many cases, only a husband, wife, civil partner or partner who was living with you can succeed, and usually only once. Your landlord can confirm what applies to you.
That does not mean a Will is pointless for tenants. Your savings, any money in your bank accounts, your car, your furniture and your personal belongings all pass under your Will. Without one, they follow the intestacy rules, which leave nothing to an unmarried partner, a friend or a stepchild. A Will also names the person who will deal with your affairs, including clearing and returning the property, which avoids delay and extra rent charges.
More than one in five Tameside households lived in social rented housing at the 2021 Census, compared with 17% across England. If you are one of them and have children, a Will is also the only way to appoint a guardian.
To arrange a free consultation, call me on 0161 524 1033 or complete my contact form.
Can I protect my Tameside home from care home fees through my Will?
Your Will can protect your share of the home after your death, but it cannot protect your own home from being taken into account if you need care during your lifetime.
The approach many couples use is this. If you own your home jointly, you can change the ownership to tenants in common, so that each of you owns a separate share. Each of you then makes a Will leaving your share into a life interest trust. When the first of you dies, the survivor can stay in the home for life, but the share held in the trust does not belong to them. If the survivor later needs residential care, the local authority cannot count that share when assessing what they must pay, and it passes to your children in due course.
Without that planning, the first share usually passes straight to the survivor, and the whole value of the home can then be taken into account.
Two points of caution. Deliberately giving away assets during your lifetime in order to avoid care costs can be treated as deprivation of assets, and the local authority can treat you as still owning them. And this kind of planning is only effective if it is put in place in good time, while both of you are well. With Tameside’s population aged 65 and over growing by almost 19% in ten years, this is a question more families are asking.
Read more in my article on how to protect your home from care fees. 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 Tameside?
No. You don’t need a solicitor to make a Will in Tameside. 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 Tameside 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.