Dealing with someone’s affairs when they die can be complicated, confusing and lengthy, often taking months to complete. Not what you need at a distressing and emotional time. We can help you through what is a difficult time. Whether you need some advice on what steps to take in dealing with the estate of a loved one or you are looking for someone to carry out services on your behalf, we are here to help you.

Being named as an Executor of a Will brings with it complicated and sometimes onerous duties when someone dies and often takes months to complete. It is important to get it right because the Executor is legally responsible for administering the estate according to the wishes of the Will. They are responsible for everything they do or fail to do in this regard.

This can be a very daunting prospect, especially once you come to realise that the role carries with it considerable administrative, legal and tax responsibilities. If you find yourself in this situation don’t worry, we are here to help.

Some of our most frequently asked questions are listed in the following pages but each case is unique and you may have your own questions to ask. Our team can help, providing free initial advice and guidance on these responsibilities and if required, we’ll take on the role on your behalf.

Rest assured, we’re here to provide personal, confidential and expert advice to you.

If you die without a Will your estate is distributed in accordance with the Rules of Intestacy. The Rules of Intestacy state who will inherit your property when you are gone. The Rules were created a considerable time ago and do not reflect the diversity of our current relationships and don’t make provisions for unmarried partners, step children and friends.

It’s not easy to think what would happen to your children if you were to die. However a Will can give you the peace of mind of knowing that they’d be protected and cared for.

Apart from your partner, children or stepchildren, you may want to provide for others in your Will including friends, vulnerable or disabled loved ones or even pets.

Taking care of loved ones who are mentally or physically disadvantaged is a particularly important responsibility. You can protect vulnerable loved ones by leaving clear instructions in your Will, so you know that they’ll be properly taken care of.

Many people wish to leave money to their favourite charity, and make this known in their Will.

Unfortunately not every family gets on and sometimes rifts will mean that you won’t want a particular person in your close family to benefit from your property and possessions when you’re gone.

Although it may be difficult to accept, it is possible that you might become unable to understand situations or communicate your own thoughts because of an illness or an accident. This could have wide-ranging implications for you and your family.

Put simply, your ‘estate’ is the total value of all your property and possessions after any debts that you owe are paid. So once your debts are paid, what’s left is your estate which contains all the assets you can pass to your loved ones either under your Will or under the Rules of Intestacy.

Currently, the maximum amount anyone can leave without having to pay Inheritance Tax (on death) is £325,000.  Writing an appropriate Will during your lifetime could legitimately reduce the impact inheritance tax has upon your estate.

Your home may well be your most significant asset, and of great emotional importance, so you’d probably go to great lengths to protect it. But if you don’t have the right plans in place now, being unable to deal with your own affairs because of mental or physical incapacity in future could affect your ability to keep your home running effectively (mortgage, insurance, bills etc). With an CPA, you’ll ensure someone can transfer income into the right account to cover the mortgage or insurance. They could also access your savings accounts if an unexpected expense occurred – or they could make an insurance claim on your behalf.

When protecting your home, it’s not only financial matters that are relevant – healthcare is also an important factor. Often, when people need residential care, they must sell their home to meet the costs involved. A CPA can record your specific wishes as to where and how you’d like to be cared for, should this become necessary. So you could be cared for at home instead of in a care home, in which case you could protect your property for you and your loved ones.

If you lose the ability to act or express yourself independently, you need to consider how you’ll support yourself financially. If you’re working when you lose your physical or mental independence, you might continue to receive salary, so it needs to be accessible for payment of your outgoings and for family support. Or you may need to restructure your finances to deal with changing circumstances, perhaps investing a lump sum payment or moving existing assets so as to generate more income.

If you don’t have an CPA and can’t deal with these matters yourself, there’ll probably be delay and expense whilst an application is made to the courts. An CPA allows you to appoint someone to deal with these matters for you – and they can take control immediately if you become incapacitated

You might have saved up retirement funds by the time you become incapacitated – but you may no longer need those assets, so careful tax planning now could reduce the impact of Inheritance Tax on your estate, helping to preserve the value of your estate for future generations.

If you’re self-employed, you should consider what would happen to your business if you lost the ability to deal with your own business affairs. You might have a business account in your sole name, joint accounts with other business owners, or shares in your name which would need to be sold or managed on your behalf. And have you considered what would happen if you couldn’t pay your employees? Having a CPA could mean the difference between your business continuing to operate and ceasing to operate altogether.