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Wills, Trusts & Probate

Good planning is key to ensuring the protection and smooth transition of assets and wealth from one generation to the next. Our private client solicitors specialise in the preparation of Wills, inheritance tax planning and the creation of trusts.

Harrison Drury’s Wills, trusts and probate team is one of the largest in the North West and act for both individuals and their families.

From wealth and trust planning to dealing with a bereavement, our highly experienced and solicitors will work with you to deal with the administration of the estate, protect your assets and ensure your property and possessions pass to those who you wish to benefit from them.

We assist individuals with the drafting of their Wills and inheritance tax issues in a wide range of circumstances, including business owners, landed estates, individuals with large estates, those with significant financial and property assets and others looking to protect the future financial security of their loved ones.

Our Wills, tax, trusts, probate and estate planning solicitors can help you with:
  • Writing and updating a Will, including complex Wills.
  • Work with you and your family to put an inheritance tax plan into place.
  • Prevent your family from paying unnecessary inheritance tax at the time of your death by making best use of trusts.
  • Reduce the risk of claims from people you do not want to benefit from your estate.
  • Help you to protect your financial and property assets.
  • Draft, set up and manage all types of trusts.
  • Look after children under 18 by setting up Wills and trusts.
  • Nominate guardians and make financial provision for children under 16.
  • Help children, spouses, ex-spouses and other dependents on death by bringing or defending family provision claims.
  • Protect elderly relatives and other vulnerable family members through the Court of Protection.
  • Appoint executors and trustees to look after your estate.
  • Deal with the administration of a large and complex estate.
  • Put a Lasting Power of Attorney in place to appoint someone to manage your financial affairs.
  • Put a Lasting Power of Attorney in place to appoint someone to look after your business.
  • Put a Lasting Power of Attorney in place to appoint someone to make decisions regarding your health and welfare.
  • Putting a Lasting Power of Attorney in place to appoint someone to look after your business.
  • Contest a Will where reasonable provision has not been made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Probate is the act of dealing with a person’s assets after they have died. We can advise on all aspects of this process, from obtaining the grant of probate, to full administration of the estate and setting up and administering any continuing trusts.

Our expert solicitors have experience in dealing with estates involving complex assets, such as a business or agricultural property, or where there are other complicating factors, such as when assets are held overseas.

Harrison Drury’s contentious Wills and probate solicitors can advise those looking to contest a will on the grounds that insufficient provision has been made for them, or those on the receiving end of a claim. Our expertise also includes challenging the validity of Wills in a range of other scenarios, such as loss of capacity, financial misfeasance, fraud and forgery. We can obtain freezing injunctions, and other types of urgent court relief. We also act for children and vulnerable adults where we have replaced executors and trustees acting unlawfully.

People will often want to give another person authority to make a decision on their behalf should they ever lose the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. A power of attorney is a legal document allowing them to do so.

There are two distinct types of Lasting Power of Attorney, one for property and financial affairs and one for health and welfare. We prepare both types and act as certificate provider, as well as arranging the registration of a Lasting Powers of Attorney with the

Office of the Public Guardian. In exceptional circumstances Directors in the firm may act as attorneys for property and financial affairs.

The Court of Protection exists to safeguard vulnerable people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. These decisions may relate to the person’s finances or their health and welfare.

At Harrison Drury, we act in matters that come before the court, including making statutory Wills on someone else’s behalf and making an application for a court-appointed deputy.

Harrison Drury has experience in advising high-net-worth individuals on the writing of complex Wills, particularly where trusts are used to mitigate inheritance tax.

Our complex Wills team also advises on the use of discretionary trusts where the person making the Will doesn’t want the beneficiaries to inherit immediately, perhaps where they are too young. We also advise on the use of trusts for other family situations, perhaps where there has been a second marriage and there are children from the first relationship, where assets are held in different jurisdictions, or with issues relating to the domicile status of the person making the will.

For wealthier people, a Will isn’t solely about ensuring the right people benefit from their estate when they die. Often there will be a range of other objectives, such as protecting their estate from having to pay for such things as local authority care home fees, divorce costs, or other unforeseen actions of beneficiaries.

All of these goals can be achieved by including carefully drafted trust provisions in the Will and arranging for the appointment of suitable people to hold the estate as trustees. As well as advising on the trust provisions, our expert lawyers can also assist with the general administration of trusts and with ten-year anniversary charges, tax returns and trust accounts.

Meet our Wills, Trusts & Probate team

Clare Fleming

Partner Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01772 428536

David Jefferies

Partner Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01253 746020
m: 07823 324519

Jan Wright

Partner Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01539 751268
m: 07795 312328

Charlotte Cooper

Senior Associate Solicitor Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01772 374738
m: 07425 111840

Victoria Hill

Senior Associate Solicitor Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01200 401121
m: 07896 836509

James Patterson

Associate Solicitor Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01253 579446
m: 07551 444971

Holly Radcliffe

Associate Solicitor Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01524 952720
m: 07551 445 034

Scarlett Richardson

Associate Solicitor Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01772 428541
m: 07786 185 894

Rachael McDonagh

Solicitor Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01995 508365
m: 07435 552728

Rebecca Mitchell-Smith

Solicitor Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01524 952718
m: 07789 267038

Donna Matthews

Chartered Legal Executive Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01253 489824
m: 07879 626457

Claire Bamber

Paralegal Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01772 208530

Sereena Clark

Paralegal Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01253 746257

Alexandra Brown

Legal Apprentice Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01772 374751

Shannon Martin

Legal Apprentice Wills, Trusts and Probate
t: 01253 742360
You have been an amazing support for me

Thank you so much for all your help over the last year, you’ve been an amazing support for me knowing that everything has been actioned correctly and keeping me updated every step of the way, I know it’s your job but I really do appreciate all the hard work you have done.

Friendliest staff. You feel at ease to discuss everything with them and take their advice. I’m really pleased to say that Harrison Drury are my solicitors.

I will refer my clients to Victoria and her team as I can trust that they will be well looked after.

Victoria has helped our clients write their Wills, register Powers of Attorney and put estate planning solutions in place, such as setting up Trusts. When I refer a client to Victoria, she always responds promptly. The feedback I get from my clients is that Victoria speaks their language, ensuring that they aren’t baffled with technical jargon, and they are left feeling confident in the work they have done with her.

Everything was always explained to us in great detail, and gave us plenty of time to take in and understand. Thanks Rachael.

Quality customer service

Rebecca explained the process to us so we could fully understand what was needed. A quality customer service with regular updates to put our minds at ease. Would fully recommend Harrison Drury & Co

Jan is the best I’ve ever come across in nearly 30 years.

As far as I’m concerned Jan is the best I’ve ever come across in nearly 30 years in the job! Doesn’t get much more positive surely!

Helpful, knowledgable, friendly.

A quality customer service!

Rebecca explained the process to us so we could fully understand what was needed. A quality customer service with regular updates to put our minds at ease. Would fully recommend Harrison Drury.

Victoria help clients feel at ease.

I have known Vicky for over 6 years, not only is she an exceptional Solicitor but also has the ability to help clients feel at ease when she is instructed because of her naturally warm personality.

Victorias attention to detail and knowledge is exceptional.

I have worked with Victoria Hill, firstly at the same firm and now, although we are no longer working together, she is my firm’s go to probate solicitor. Her attention to detail and knowledge is exceptional. She explains complex concepts with ease, her client care is second to none and I consider her to be at the very top of her profession already.

Rebecca was extremely professional and a credit to Harrison Drury.

Under difficult circumstances, Rebecca made the process of dealing with my mothers estate easy for me. Kept me updated all the way. Never had to chase thing with her. She was extremely professional and a credit to Harrison Drury. Outsanding service, thank you!

Victoria delivers an excellent service!

I have recommended Vicky to clients and colleagues and have always had great feedback. She is very quick to respond to calls/emails and delivers an excellent service.

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