Guide
Inheritance conversations before the solicitor drafts anything
Practical questions families can settle around the kitchen table so legal documents reflect real wishes.
Wills and lasting powers of attorney belong with a solicitor. Before that appointment, families often benefit from a quieter conversation about who relies on whom financially, and which assets are meant to stay in the family business.
List jointly owned property, life policies written in trust, and pensions with nominated beneficiaries. Those items may sit outside the will. Surprises at probate usually come from assets people assumed would follow the will automatically.
If adult children have different needs — a disabled dependant, a child who already received help with a house deposit — note that openly. Equal shares are one choice, not the only fair one.
From a planning perspective, we help clients understand the cash-flow effect of gifts, the tax timing of certain transfers, and how lifetime gifts interact with the residence nil-rate band. We do not draft the documents themselves.
Bring the notes from that family conversation to both your solicitor and your financial adviser. Aligned paperwork saves months of correction later.