Private Client

Private client work encompasses a variety of different areas:

Wills

A Will is one of the most important Legal documents that you can enter into for both you and your family. Yet so many people put off making a Will, and many don't even make one at all.

It is a common misconception that Solicitors are expensive for Wills and many Will Writers, who are unregulated promote this misconception. Here at Oak Tree, our Solicitor will prepare your Will for a fixed fee from £100.00 plus VAT which includes providing advice, assistance, drafting, execution and all administrative costs including providing a copy of your Will. We also provide free storage of your Will.

We are experienced in drafting fully valid and legal Wills. Our Solicitor has undergone extensive training, to be fully compliant in Will writing, so to ensure that your Will does what you want. We are fully regulated and insured, providing that extra peace of mind for you and your family.

It is correct that you could save a little money by buying a 'do it yourself' Will pack or by instructing a Will writer. However, you could be taking an unecessary risk which could leave your family with a huge headache and be very costly. Therefore the costs after your death to sort out the mess could far outweigh the initial saving made on the Will.

Probate

The death of a loved one is a very emotional and stressful time. It can be made even more difficult when you have to deal with the Estate and paperwork associated with the loved ones death. You may feel overwhelmed and not know where to turn for help and advice. Our Probate Solicitor can help, providing you with practical, helpful and friendly advice on how to proceed.

Our friendly and approachable Solicitor can provide a service that is tailored to your needs in respect of dealing with your loved ones Estate, whether it is to obtain the Grant of Probate only, deal with the house sale or complete the full administration of the Estate - thereby taking the entire pressure and stress away from you.

Whether your loved one left a Will or not, we can help.

At Oak Tree Solicitors we can relieve you of the stress and burden involved in administering an Estate and complete the whole process for you, thereby releasing you from your personal liability as an Executor. We ensure that the Grant is obtained, assets are collected and distributed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

It is often necessary to get help from the people you trust the most in respect of your financial affairs. Granting family members or other people you trust with a power of attorney means that they can make decisions and handle your affairs for you should you not be available to do it. However, the time that we will need help the most is unfortunately when your normal power of attorney will stop having effect.

No-one likes to think that one day they may not have mental capacity to look after their own affairs but unfortunately it is more common than we'd like to think. Give yourself peace of mind for the future. Choose the people in your life that you trust the most and appoint them as your attorneys in an enduring power of attorney. Unlike a normal power of attorney, once this is in place, if you loose mental capacity, your attorneys can still continue to act on your behalf to keep your affairs running smoothly.

If you don't have an enduring power of attorney, then your family or friends will have to go through a long and ardious process in the Court of Protection to get the power to deal with your affairs. This can be stressful and time consuming so why not save your family the hassle and make an enduring power of attorney today.

Enduring Powers of Attorney

It is no longer possible to enter into an Enduring Power of Attorney, as these have been replaced by the Lasting Power of Attorney. However, if you or a relative have entered into an Enduring Power of Attorney it will remain valid. If you would like to now register and Enduring Power of Attorney, or need advice in relation to these Powers then we can help.

Court of Protection

If you do find that a loved one has lost mental capacity to be able to deal with their own affairs, this can be a scary time for you and the family member involved.

Many people will have never made an enduring power of attorney or even knew that they existed but unfortunately, this doesn't stop the bills from coming in. Data protection laws now mean that utility companies, banks and anyone else who holds personal information, cannot disclose that information to anyone other than the named customer without their express permission. This can make it very difficult for you to deal with your loved one's affairs.

When you or a family member has lost their mental capacity and has not entered into a Lasting Power of Attorney or Enduring Power of Attorney then the Court of Protection can step in. The Court of Protection supervises and makes orders to help those that are mentally incapacitated to deal with their affairs.

The Court usually appoints a person to help make decisions for the mentally incapacitated person (known as a Deputy). We can help make an application to the Court for a Deputy to be appointed. We can also act as a professional Deputy if required, when there is no one able or willing to act in this capacity for the person concerned.

Living Wills

Some people are adamant that they do not want certain kinds of medical treatment should any illness or accident strike them. If you do have any such wishes you can make a Living Will which is an advance directive to refuse certain kinds of medical treatment, at a time when you are unable to communicate your wishes. We can provide you with advice and assistance on such Wills.