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We provide access to various types of Trusts in order to protects you and your assets, please call us to discuss your exact requirements and any questions you may have, the following a just three of the types of Trust we can provide.

Property Trusts
This is usually included to ensure: 1. For married couples or joint owners - that your children will definitely inherit your share of the home in the event that you should die first. 2. That children from a previous relationship will definitely inherit a share of your estate. 3. That you ensure that someone living with you still has a home if you should die. 4. Protection for at least half the property value if the survivor is unable to look after him/her self and has to go into residential care in later life. Without a Trust the authorities could force the sale of the home to pay for care fees. Owners of Park homes also face at the same risk and could benefit from a Property Trust. 5. There are variations for Property Trusts that could also allow the survivor to access any funds in the Trust.

Discretionary Trusts
This is usually included to ensure: 1. That any incapacitated or disabled beneficiary who is unable to manage his or her own affairs have their inheritance managed sensibly on their behalf. 2. If there is a problem beneficiary (drink, drugs etc) their inheritance is managed sensibly on their behalf. 3. The Trustees have the authority to use the funds at their absolute discretion for the benefit of the beneficiary. The Trustees must manage any funds properly and professionally.

Protective Trusts
This is usually included to ensure that specific needs are catered for depending on what is required.

General Considerations
It is important that there are at least two Trustees (three would be best with a Discretionary Trust), one of whom can be the surviving spouse/partner. Trustees can be children/friends/family/legalrepresentatives. •Some Trusts may require that Severance of Tenancy and HM Land Registry work is carried out, we are happy to complete this work on your behalf at additional cost.

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A Power of Attorney is a legal document whereby a person gives another person or persons the power to take decisions with regard to their financial affairs and/or their health and personal welfare. There are significant differences between powers of attorney in England (and Wales) and Scotland, including different terminology.

The Differences
In England the person giving another person the power to act on their behalf is called the "Donor"; in Scotland he/she is called the "Granter". The person or persons to whom the powers are granted are called "Attorneys". Both jurisdictions allow you to set up either a temporary power of attorney (for things like letting someone manage your bank account for you while you are travelling) or something more permanent (should you ever become unable to manage your affairs for yourself).

Why is it worth having an LPA?
Making an LPA is money well spent because the alternative is costly and time consuming. If no Attorney has been appointed and you become mentally incapable relatives or some interested person would have to apply to the Court of Protection for a Deputy to become appointed. This requires a doctors certificate, a mass of paperwork and a Hearing to prepare an Order. The costs of this can be significant. There is a Court fee of £400.00 to commence the application and further Court fee of £400.00 on each application. There are administration costs to pay including annual administration charges up to £800 per annum, plus annual accounts have to be prepared and so possibly paid for if you use a professional. When the person dies a further charge is levied to wind up the finances along with an annual charge until the final receivers account is issued. Professional service fees will also need to be paid. All of these costs will be taken out of your resources – effectively removing financial control from your family.

You can or purchase documents individually or order a full package from us, please call us to discuss your requirements. The different types of powers of attorney and related documents are described below. England and Wales Ordinary Power of Attorney An Ordinary Power of Attorney is usually created for a set period of time in cases where the Donor is going abroad or is unable to act for some other reason and wishes someone else to have the authority to act on his or her behalf. The authority granted can be general or limited to specific affairs. An Ordinary Power of Attorney will usually end either at a specified time or upon the request of the Donor at any time using a Deed of Revocation and will automatically be revoked if the Donor loses mental capacity. There is no requirement for an Ordinary Power of Attorney to be registered. Enduring Power of Attorney The Mental Capacity Act 2005 replaced Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) with Lasting Powers of Attorney from 1 October 2007. From this date it is no longer possible to create a new EPA. Existing but un-registered EPAs can continue to be registered after 1 October 2007.

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It's important to consider all of the implications when you are deciding whether or not bankruptcy makes sense. Because the Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) was introduced by the government specifically as an alternative to bankruptcy, it is often the best choice, assuming that you meet some conditions and an arrangement is possible.

The table below also shows some of the principal ways in which bankruptcy and an IVA differ.

Preparation of a legal Will is important to ensure that your assets are distributed in the manner you wish after your death and so you can make financial arrangements for your close relatives.

What if I Don't Make a Legal Will?
If you don't make a Will, the law decides what happens to your estate and it may not be what you would have wanted. Wills can be quite complex, especially if you have complicated financial or family situations. However, in many cases a standard format of legal Will can be appropriate for the task. We offer access to the following standard Wills, suitable for different family circumstances and designed for use in estates where inheritance tax advice is not required and where the legacies are straightforward: If the Will is more complicated then contact us to discuss your requirements.

This reduces your own wealth and thus your exposure to inheritance tax - or maybe even wealth tax should that become a reality. By creating a discretionary trust in your will for the benefit of your spouse and children, you can take advantage of the nil rate band of inheritance tax, consequently making considerable savings against tax.