First class Wills, written for you
Thank you for paying us a visit. We are specialist Will writers serving the Will writing needs of people nationwide. We think you will find us easy to deal with, and our prices easy to swallow.
Meaning to get round to it?
Over 60% of adults with young children have not made Wills, even though they have most reason to. Many people without a Will have good intentions, but never quite get round to it…
- “We need the money for a holiday”
- “I’m too busy right now”
- “We’re not sure what we want”
But without a Will, your loved ones suffer your loss, then suffer the stress and distress of sorting out your affairs with no instructions from you.
Without a Will…
- If your spouse remarried and had a new family, you could not prevent them leaving part or all of your estate to their new family – with your children potentially missing out.
- Your unmarried partner would get nothing.
- Your children might be cared for by relatives you would not have chosen.
- Your friends would miss out.
With a Will, there’s a way…
…to reduce the suffering of your loved ones
Administering an estate with a Will is cheaper, easier and quicker. It minimises the risk of tension or misunderstanding in the family – a time for pulling together, not pulling apart.
…to reduce what the Government takes
Don’t pay more Inheritance Tax at 40% than you have to. With a correctly drafted Will, you can reduce the tax your estate pays.
…to reduce what a care home takes
Safeguard more of your estate against paying for long-term care, should your spouse need that care after you have died.
…to fulfil your wishes
Your estate goes to the people you choose, and your children are cared for by the people you trust.
I’ve already got a Will
Good – but is it up to date? You should amend your Will if, since you made it, there has been a major ‘life event’ such as:
- You have had children.
- You have come into or out of a long-term relationship.
- You have lost a loved one.
- One of your executors or beneficiaries has died.
- Your assets have increased – you bought a house, your property rose significantly in value, or you received an inheritance.
Even if none of these apply, does your Will still fully reflect your wishes? We recommend a review after any major life event, or every three years or so. That doesn’t mean you must change it – just get it out, dust it off, and check it still reflects your wishes and any changes in the law.
We do more than Wills!
At Osmonds we offer a ‘one stop’ service to help you put your affairs in order: estate planning, drafting your Wills (including trust provision where appropriate), Lasting Powers of Attorney and more.
Andy works with other professionals too, such as Financial Advisers, to provide related services.
So whether death or loss of mental faculty occurs, you have the legal documents in place to give effect to your wishes – and your loved ones have the satisfaction of knowing they are fulfilling them.
See our servicesOur services
Everything you need to put your affairs in order, handled personally by Andy from first conversation to final signature.
Wills
A standard (non-trust) Will might be sufficient for your needs, and is cheaper. However, it does less for you than a trust Will. Among other things, a Will can:
- Provide flexibility, so decisions about your estate can be made in the light of circumstances at the time of your death rather than when you made your Will.
- Keep your assets safe, in trust, until your children are old enough and/or sensible enough to inherit.
- Help reduce your estate’s Inheritance Tax liability.
- Safeguard your assets if your spouse or partner enters a new relationship or is made bankrupt after your death.
- Reduce your estate’s exposure to residential care fees if your surviving spouse needs care after your death.
- Give a ‘life interest’ in some or all of your assets (such as your home), rather than an ‘absolute’ (unconditional) gift.
Severance
Without severance of a joint tenancy, your whole property passes automatically to the surviving joint owner under the rules of survivorship – bypassing your Will. Severing it lets each of you pass your share (usually half) of your home into trust by your Will, while the surviving spouse can carry on living there for the rest of their life.
How this protects your home
With a suitably drafted Will, half of the house is ‘protected’ if the surviving spouse:
- Needs long-term care. The deceased’s half share is in trust, so it is beyond the reach of any long-term care provider, who must disregard the surviving spouse’s life interest.
- Remarries. The trustees can safeguard the half share for the deceased spouse’s family, preventing it being given to a new family.
- Goes bankrupt. The half share in trust is safe from the surviving spouse’s creditors.
Severance can be done whether your property is registered or unregistered. It has no effect on the value of your property, and does not put your mortgage or home insurance at risk – it doesn’t change who owns the property, only the way you both own it.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
If an accident or illness means you can no longer make your own decisions about your property and affairs or your health and welfare – which can happen at any age – the loved ones you nominate as attorneys can make those decisions for you, with minimal delay and cost.
Two common misconceptions
Without an LPA, your loved ones must apply for the power to make those decisions – stressful, inconvenient, lengthy and costly at an already difficult time. Contact us for a quote to draw up finance and health LPAs and register them with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).
Secure document storage
Your executors cannot obtain a grant of probate with only a copy Will – it has to be the original. Store your documents with us and we’ll send you copies of everything we have prepared. Your Will can be returned promptly on request to any authorised person, whether that’s you or your executors.
Estate planning
Andy will help you organise your assets so they pass to your chosen beneficiaries efficiently, legally and with minimal tax, using your Inheritance Tax allowances and trusts. He will guide you through choosing executors and trustees, appointing guardians for young children, gifts to friends and charities, and making sure the rest of your estate is distributed as you wish.
Andy also works with excellent Financial Advisers who can help with lifetime financial planning.
Why choose Osmonds?
Four ‘P’s – professional, personal, practical and price sensitive – that lead to a fifth: peace of mind.
Professional
Most Will writers fall into one of two camps. Andy’s unique selling point is that he is both:
Solicitors
Legally trained, but you go to their town-centre office between 9am and 5pm.
Home visitors
Convenient, but not legally trained beyond the basics.
Osmonds
A trained solicitor who comes to you, or works by phone, email and post – daytime, evening or weekend.
Andy obtained a law degree from a top Russell Group university and qualified as a solicitor in 1989, going on to become a partner in the same firm. He studied alongside the former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and instructed him as a barrister for several clients early in their careers. Andy also spent time at Henmans solicitors in Oxford, the firm started by Tim Henman’s father.
Personal
Andy will fit in with you – you come to us, we come to you, or we do it all by phone, email and post. As a sole practitioner, your work is never delegated to someone more junior. Our Wills are tailored to you, not ‘one size fits all’, and there is no such thing as a silly question.
Practical
Our Wills are written in user-friendly language, and we explain any unavoidable legal terms. When we send documents for signing, we include clear instructions on how to complete them.
Price sensitive
Value – a good price for a good service. Certainty – you know the cost at the outset, with no hidden extras.
Peace of mind
Andy has been running his own Will writing business for over twenty years. His clients tell their own tale – and so do our Google reviews.
Very reassuring and comforting, that in a legal field we know nothing about Andy explained it all beautifully – thank you so much
Andy, it was a great service and you prompted us to think of things we had overlooked in our previous Wills
Thanks for a truly first class service
Simplified a difficult subject, always an essential objective but hard to achieve
We were both very impressed by your clear, easy-to-follow manner at both the meeting and in the documentation. Many thanks
Very empathetic, professional and efficient
The whole procedure was handled most efficiently and I was consulted over various alternatives aimed at making life easier in the future
Excellent, simple and on budget!
The meeting was friendly and informal which put us at ease
Done in a reassuring manner – and very pleasantly too!
…an excellent service provided at a very convenient time
Extremely pleased – thank you very much!
We would always recommend you
Thank you for being so understanding throughout our meeting
Very pleasant and to the point. Good to have the meeting relaxed at home
A pleasure to deal with you
We much appreciated the speed with which our new Wills/Powers of Attorney were prepared
A very professional service and we would not hesitate in referring you
We found your service excellent. It was easy to ask questions and we were given clear explanations on what was required
You offered a very good, clear and quick service and I would definitely recommend you to others. Many thanks!
We were impressed with your presentation and enjoyed your company. Best wishes.
Thank you for your help and guidance. We will recommend you
What happens next?
Get in touch, ask any preliminary questions you have, then make an appointment. Here’s what to expect.
Where and when?
Everything can be done by audio or video call, email and post. Or we can come to your home, or you can come to us, if you prefer to meet in person – during the day or in the evening after work or once the children are in bed.
How should I prepare?
If time allows, think about:
- Your executors and trustees
- Guardians for children under 18
- Any financial legacies
- Your beneficiaries – who receives the rest of your estate
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers – Andy will guide you, and you can send them on afterwards.
Your appointment
Andy himself takes your instructions and drafts your Wills, so every issue that affects you is covered. Ask as many questions as you like. A couple doing Wills only typically takes about 60 minutes.
After the appointment
Your documents are usually with you within a week, often sooner. For Wills, we email draft versions for you to check and approve first, and only post them to you once you’re happy.
Get in touch
Why not ring us for a ‘no obligation’ chat, or email us for more information? Everything can be done by phone, email and post.
By email
enquiries@osmondswills.co.ukBy post
11 Sandhurst RoadGloucester
GL1 2SE
We hope this will be the start of a working relationship you find friendly, personal, easy and comprehensive – and we’re confident it will give you peace of mind.