Protecting you, your wealth and your family
Probate Services
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. This company is 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.
What is Probate?
Probate is the entire process of administering a deceased person's estate. This involves organising their money, assets and possessions and distributing them as inheritance (after paying any taxes and debts).
How we can help
Dealing with the death of a family member or friend is an emotional and complicated process. Even when PMW Trust is not named as an executor of an estate, we can assist with the administrative 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 also be named as an executor in your will.
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.
Will Writing
At Partridge Muir & Warren 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.
Updating a will is often one of those things that we know we have to do, but never quite get around to. If you haven’t reviewed your will in the last five years, even if you haven’t undergone any significant life changes, you should check that it still reflects your wishes and that it hasn’t been affected by any changes in the law.
In more recent years there have been a number of major changes to inheritance tax laws, which has resulted in the need for many people to review their wills, even if their wishes have not changed. If you have undergone a significant life change, then you should also review your will to ensure that it is still valid and that you have included all significant beneficiaries. Significant life events that might affect your will include (but are not limited to):
Ensuring your will is up to date could save your beneficiaries time and money when settling your estate and reduce the likelihood of any family disputes.
With offices conveniently located in Esher we cover all surrounding areas, including Claygate, Cobham, Oxshott, Weybridge and Walton-on-Thames. Our in-house solicitor, Julie Rowe, is a member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) with extensive experience of creating wills and setting up Lasting Powers of Attorney, as well as administering estates and advising on trusts. She has the knowledge and expertise to guide you through the will-writing process and would be happy to advise you in person or over the phone.
If you are an existing client of the PMW Wealth Management Service or Investment Service then there are also added benefits to using the same company to write your will(s). Many firms suggest talking to a financial planner before creating a will. With everything under one roof, we are able to provide relevant information required for your will quickly and discuss any considerations you may have with our in-house solicitor and tax manager. We are also able to set up trusts and administer estates, so you can be sure that we will be on hand to assist you in any way we can, should you or your family need us.
Probate & Estate 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.
There are two types of LPA's; Property and finance LPA's and Health and Welfare LPA's. We have outlined the differences below:
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.
A Property and Finance LPA can deal with the following affairs:
- Paying bills
- Dealing with tax affairs
- Buying or selling property under your name
- Managing your bank accounts
- Claiming benefits
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. You can leave these decisions to your doctors, although they may not always be familiar with your wishes.
A Health and Welfare LPA can deal with the following affairs:
- Medical and life-sustaining treatment, including refusal of certain treatments
- Where you should live
- Day-to-day care, including your diet
- Who can visit you in hospital or care
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. Here are some of the reasons for establishing a professional trustee that you might want to consider:
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.
Find out more
Complete the form and we will be in touch to discuss our services in more detail with you.
Diversity
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.
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, 16% are male and 84% are female. All staff are aged between 35 and 54.
Of the 6 members of staff, all 6 were considered not disabled as per the Equality Act, nor affected by any health issues.