Valley Willwriting

Where can you go to draw up a will or a Lasting Power of Attorney if you live in Calderdale or West Yorkshire?

If you want to talk to someone who lives in the area, then Sally Helm at Valley Willwriting is the best person for you. I live in between Halifax and Hebden Bridge and I set up VALLEY WILLWRITING as I recognised that despite making a Will being one of the most important things you can do for your family & loved ones, at least 60% of us aren’t doing so. Wills are often ignored for a variety of reasons – people think they’re too young, they don’t like being reminded about death, they don’t think they have anything valuable to leave, or simply that they don’t need to make one because “it will all go to my wife/husband/Civil Partner/children/partner”.

VALLEY WILLWRITING can help you overcome these misconceptions and make life easier for your family & loved ones in the future. It need not be a painful or expensive experience. VALLEY WILLWRITING is a truly local service for Calderdale and West Yorkshire where I can come and visit you at home or a place and time of your choosing. I will take time to explain in plain English what a Will and LPAs are all about and how you can best prepare for the future security of your family & loved ones. I will encourage you to talk about what you would like to happen to your money, property and possessions after you die and give you advice on how this can be arranged. If you have children, I can also advise on how they might be cared for by the appointment of guardians and making adequate financial provision for them.

You might think you have to consult a solicitor or a bank to make a Will. You don’t, but if you do go down that route, it can be costly and over-complicated. Professional, qualified willwriters are an excellent choice for making a Will as they have the knowledge and the time to take you through the process and explore options that are right for you as an individual. However, not all willwriters are the same. Many are unqualified & uninsured, and many try to sell you products that you might not need. I am a member of the Institute of Professional Willwriters which means I’ve passed formal examinations, undertake annual CPD, operate under a Code of Practice, have full professional indemnity insurance and am committed to providing the best service, at a reasonable cost, with details of fees stated at the outset. I have a background in law and live with my family in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire.

VALLEY WILLWRITING is all about ensuring peace of mind for you, your family and loved ones. I take care to ask you all the information necessary so I can draw up a Will that fits you, your family’s needs and your financial circumstances, and importantly, a Will that is compliant with the Law so there are no nasty surprises in the future.

Services Offered

There is no such thing as a standard Will or trust – everyone’s circumstances are different and your Will should be tailored to your own situation. These are some of the services Valley Willwriting provides.

WILLS

Wills can be tailor-made to whether you are single, married/Civil Partnership or co-habiting. Consideration such as provision for children, step-children or grandchildren under 18, disabled or vulnerable dependents, care of elderly relatives, ownership of the house, etc., are all taken into account when drawing up a Will.

These can either be Single Wills or a pair of Mirror Wills (2 documents drafted as a “matched pair” for a married/co-habiting couple/Civil Partnership) all with or without trusts and guardianship clauses (see below).

Appointment of Guardians

If you have children under the age of 18 you need to set out clear instructions as to who you would want to take care of them after you die. Failure to do this will lead to the decision being taken by Social Services and the courts. By appointing guardians you can ensure that your wishes are followed, not their’s.

WILL TRUSTS

A trust is a simple arrangement in a Will to ensure your assets (usually money and property) are looked after properly after your death. A trust is created where you entrust your assets to responsible people of your choosing (the Trustees) for the benefit of someone (usually children or vulnerable adults).

Life Interest Will Trust – A trust drafted into a Will that passes money to named beneficiaries but allows someone to take the income from the money while they need to.

Occupational Will Trust – A trust drafted into a Will that passes property to named beneficiaries but allows someone-else to occupy the property while they need to.

Discretionary Will Trust – A trust drafted into a Will that allows trustees to decide who of a group of beneficiaries can inherit, when and by how much.

LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) gives a person of your choice the legal authority to look after your financial affairs and/or health and care should you lose the mental capacity to do so.

An LPA is not just for older people – it’s a hard thing to contemplate, but younger people may become incapacitated through serious accident or illness and without an LPA in place, no-one is legally allowed to make decisions on your behalf. Also, if you spend long periods of time abroad, you may wish to appoint an attorney to oversee and manage your financial affairs at home.

If you don’t have an LPA, it means relatives may face long delays and expense applying to the Court of Protection to take control of your assets and finances.

Financial Decisions LPA

This can be used while you still have mental capacity. Your Attorney can take decisions relating to matters such as your bank accounts (even a joint bank account is frozen if one of you loses mental capacity), buying and selling your property, managing any investments, benefits and paying your bills and mortgage.

Health and Care Decisions LPA

This can only be used if you no longer have mental capacity. Your attorney can take decisions relating to matters such as your level of care, where you live, consenting to or refusing medical treatment or life-sustaining treatment or even deciding what you wear or eat if necessary.

OTHER SERVICES

Reviews of your Will

It’s important to update your Will to reflect your changing circumstances. Wills which have been previously prepared by Valley Willwriting can be updated depending on the level of change needed.

Severance of a Joint Tenancy

Changes joint ownership of property into ‘Tenants in Common’ which enables the owners to pass their share of property in their Will to someone else.

Letter of Wishes

This is a separate document which can sit alongside your will where you set out a little more information and guidance for those you’ve chosen as Executors, Trustees or Guardians.

Advance Decisions (or Living Wills)

An Advance Decisions is a document which gives you the option of deciding in advance whether you would want to refuse life-sustaining treatment if you were faced with a certain set of medical circumstances. It would mean that relatives and doctors would not be able to make the decision for you.

Will storage

As a legal document, your Will should be treated with care and securely stored to prevent damage by fire or water, loss, theft or tampering. . Your home is not the right place to store your Will, unless you have a fireproof (not fire resistant) safe. Valley Willwriting can explore with you the many options for how your Will can be registered, stored and accessed.