Probate & Estate Management
Probate and Estate Planning in Surrey
At Partridge Muir & Warren, we understand that you want to protect yourself and do everything you can to ensure your loved ones are well looked after, whatever the future may hold. That is why we formed our sister company, PMW Trust, dedicated to probate administration, will writing & estate planning. Our purpose is to ensure that you are prepared for any eventuality and that you and your loved ones receive consistent, unbiased and professional advice when it is needed most.
With our comprehensive Private Client Management service you can trust PMW to protect you, your wealth and your family, no matter what the future may hold.
We offer a range of services, including:
- Estate Administration
- Probate Management
- Professional Trustee Service
- Professional Executor Service
- Lasting Power of Attorney
- Will Writing
- Setting up Trusts
- Trust Administration
Our in-house Solicitor and Tax Manager are able to assist on a one-off basis or alongside our Wealth Management or Investment Management Services.
Estate & Probate Management
Dealing with the death of a family member or friend is an emotional and complicated process. Where PMW Trust is not named as an executor of an estate, we can assist with the administration tasks on behalf of the executors, working with them to relieve the pressures and stress of ensuring the responsibilities are carried out in line with the wishes of the deceased. We can provide a bespoke service to meet your needs, ranging from simple tax advice to full support with organising the funeral, selling property and distributing the estate.
PMW Trust is licenced by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales to carry out the reserved legal service of non-contentious probate in England and Wales. Details of our probate accreditation can be viewed at www.icaew.com/probate under reference number C006446085. The probate regulations can be found at www.icaew.com/regulations
Lasting Powers of Attorney
It may be difficult to picture a time when you might not be capable of making your own decisions, and hopefully this will never happen. However, it is always important to make sure you are prepared for any eventuality and that is why it is recommended that you establish a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). When choosing a an attorney you should appoint someone that you trust and who will make the right decisions in accordance with your needs and goals. PMW Trust can guide you through the set-up and registration of a Lasting Power of Attorney for financial decisions and ensure that your wishes are carried out without bias. Most importantly, we can be available to your family and friends to help support them during this difficult time and provide them with professional advice and guidance.
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?
A Lasting Power of Attorney or LPA document enables you to appoint other people (your attorneys) to make financial decisions and decisions about your health and welfare in the event that you are no longer able to do so yourself. The document will need to be registered at the Office of the Public Guardian where it will become validated and the power can be granted to the Attorney.
Property and Finance LPA's
The purpose of a Property and Finance LPA is to give someone the power to make financial decisions for you. You can either choose to give this power as soon as the LPA is registered or at a time where you lose mental capacity. If you choose to give power to the Attorney as soon as they are registered this does not mean you lose the authority to manage your own finances.
Health and Welfare LPA
A Health and Welfare LPA deals with important decisions relating to your health and can only be used in the event that you lose the mental capacity to make decisions for yourself. They can also deal with decisions relating to life-sustaining treatment, such as life support machines, cancer treatments and artificial nutrition.
Professional Trustees
The role of trustee can be both complex and time-consuming. Appointing PMW Trust as your professional legal trustee, alongside another trustee, gives you peace of mind that the day-to-day administration and legal responsibilities will be carried out efficiently and with an all-important dose of professional judgement. A corporate trustee promises continuity and ensures that there is always someone available to deal with the requirements of the trust, taking time to fully understand and carry out the wishes and expectations of the settlor. Most importantly, we are in the position of being able to take an unbiased and holistic view of the often intricate needs of the beneficiaries.
Why appoint a professional trustee
There are many reasons to appoint a professional trustee and only you can decide if it is right for you. Many people who have established a trust decide to act as their own trustee during their lifetime and ask a family member to step in when it becomes necessary. We can act as a professional trustee alongside you or another trustee to give professional and expert advice when required and ensure neutrality.
By appointing PMW Trust as your professional Trustee you can rely on our experienced and dedicated team of professionals to ensure your trust is managed efficiently and in line with your wishes.
Will Writing
At PMW we understand that preparing for the future with the aim of protecting your wealth for your family, is important. That is why we offer a comprehensive and professional Will Writing service alongside our Wealth Management and Financial Planning services.
Having an up-to-date will reduces complications when distributing your estate and could help to reduce anxiety and stress for your loved ones during an already difficult time. Once you have a will in place, it can bring a massive sense of relief and reassurance, knowing that you have prepared for the future and officially set out your wishes.
With our expert Private Client Management service you can trust PMW to work with you to ensure your will is comprehensive and clear. Call us today to find out how we can help ensure you have the plans in place to assist your loved ones should they need it.
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Example Assignment Fees
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Probate Pricing Information
At PMW Trust we pride ourselves on providing a bespoke and personalised service to each and every client. Once we have had the opportunity to discuss your requirements in detail, we may indicate a fixed fee for the provision of specific services or an indicative range of fees for a particular assignment. Fees will always be communicated and agreed with you in advance of commencing work.
Our fees may depend not only upon the time spent on your affairs but also on the level of skill and responsibility and the importance and value of the advice that we provide, as well as the level of risk. As a result, fees for individual engagements will vary, however the scenarios below have been provided to give an indication of our likely fee ranges.
Obtaining grant of probate – simple, low value estate
Example:
- Valid UK will, not likely to be contentious
- One or two UK based executors
- Bank accounts and investments only
- Low value / non-taxable estate
£1,500 - £2,700 (excluding VAT)
Obtaining grant of probate – taxable estate
Example:
- Valid UK will, not likely to be contentious
- Small number of beneficiaries
- Valuation of assets straightforward
- One property (main residence)
- High value assets / investments
- Inheritance tax calculation / return (IHT400)
£3,000 - £6,000 (excluding VAT)
Full estate administration
In addition to the above scenarios:
- Take control and gather the assets of the estate
- Pay debts of the estate, including tax liabilities
- Finalise the estate tax
- Pay any legacies
- Transfer the remaining balance to the residuary beneficiaries; and
- Prepare the estate accounts
£5,000 + (excluding VAT) depending on complexity of estate and work required.
Disbursements
There are a small number of additional charges that may apply, such as probate application fees and search costs. Relevant expected costs will be outlined in our engagement letter prior to the commencement of work.
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Diversity Monitoring
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As part of our probate accreditation, we are required to collect, report and publish diversity data about our employees.
Full details of this requirement can be found at: www.icaew.com
Full details of this requirement can be found at: www.icaew.com
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Diversity Statement
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PMW Trust is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive culture amongst the whole workforce.
We support the principles of equal opportunities and recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce. The directors are committed to providing a working environment that is free from any form of discrimination and victimisation on any grounds.
Nobody is treated less favourably on the grounds of age, disability, gender/gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation in the provision of PMW Trust’s services.
Full details of our Equality & Diversity Policy can be obtained from the company by requesting this from our Director and Head of Legal Practice, Simon Lewis.
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Diversity Monitoring Report
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PMW Trust is a small firm and the directors do not want members of staff to feel they could be identified from the summarised results that we have collated. For this reason, only less sensitive data is disclosed below.
Of the directors and staff who responded to the survey, 14% are male and 86% are female. All staff are aged between 35 and 54.
Of the 7 members of staff, all 7 were considered not disabled as per the Equality Act, nor affected by any health issues.