Questions, answered plainly

A solicitor is essential for some legal problems — disputes, court work, or highly complex litigation. Many families do not need that for a straightforward will or lasting power of attorney.

Cheshire Estate Planning is a will writing and estate planning practice, not a firm of solicitors. We are not SRA regulated. Dania is a member of the Society of Will Writers and a CILEX member, and the practice holds professional indemnity insurance.

If your situation needs a solicitor, we will say so and help you find the right next step rather than stretch beyond our role. For most people putting a will, LPAs or a sensible plan in place, a specialist will writer is a clear, often more approachable option.

It is a conversation, not a test. We ask about your family, what you own, and what you want to happen. You can say “I’m not sure yet” — that is a normal starting point.

You will leave with a clearer picture of the documents that would help, and a fixed price if you want to go ahead. There is no obligation to instruct us.

Yes. Most people who get in touch are not looking for a named product. They want their family looked after and are not sure which documents do that.

Tell us your situation in ordinary language. We will explain the options — will, LPAs, a trust, or simply a review of what you already have.

Yes. Business owners often need a will that deals with shares, an LPA so someone can keep the company running, and a conversation about how the business and the family fit together.

We explain this in practical terms. Where company law or accountancy advice is needed, we will say so.

We publish indicative “from” prices so you can see the starting point. A straightforward single will is listed from a fixed fee; mirror wills (a pair for partners) and trust wills cost more because the work is different.

You will always get a confirmed price in writing before any work begins. No hourly rates, no percentage of your estate, no commission.

If your circumstances are unusual we will explain why, rather than surprise you later.

The law of intestacy decides who inherits. It follows a fixed order — typically a spouse or civil partner first, then children, then more distant relatives.

It does not include an unmarried partner. It does not let you choose guardians for young children. It does not let you leave specific gifts or thank people who have cared for you.

That is why a will is less about paperwork and more about making sure the people you love are the people the law recognises.

Mirror wills are a pair of wills, usually for partners, that largely reflect one another. Each person still has their own will.

They are common for couples who want the same plan: typically each other first, then children. They are not a joint will. Either person can change theirs later.

A review every few years is sensible, and sooner if life changes — marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, a house move, or a business sale.

We can look at an existing will, including one drafted elsewhere, and tell you honestly whether it still does what you think it does.

Yes. Home visits are available across Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales. Many people find it easier to talk at their kitchen table than in an office.

We also meet by video or phone if that suits you better. Say what you prefer when you get in touch.

A straightforward will can often be drafted soon after we have understood your wishes. Lasting powers of attorney take longer because they must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian, which has its own processing time.

At the first conversation we will give you a realistic timeline for your documents. We will not rush you into signing anything you have not had time to read.

We are a will writing and estate planning practice. We are not solicitors and we are not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

We are a member of the Society of Will Writers (membership ID JU68100911/24). Dania is a CILEX member. The company is ICO registered and professionally indemnity insured.

Those memberships come with codes of practice and a complaints process. We would rather be precise about this than use language that sounds grander than the facts.

No. A will speaks when you have died. An LPA is for while you are alive, if you cannot make decisions — or, for a financial LPA, if you want someone able to help.

They complement each other. Many families put both in place at the same time.

A health and welfare LPA can only be used if you lack capacity to decide for yourself.

A property and financial affairs LPA can be used with your permission while you still have capacity, or if you lose capacity later. It must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian first.

Someone you trust with money, or with your care, depending on the type of LPA. Many people appoint a partner, adult children, or a mix.

We will talk through replacements, how joint attorneys must act, and what happens if someone cannot or will not take it on. There is no prize for appointing lots of people.

Not automatically. Trusts are useful in particular situations — young or vulnerable beneficiaries, second families, or where you want assets held rather than handed over in one lump.

They add administration and are not a magic shield. We will only recommend one if it solves a problem you actually have.

It depends on the value of your estate, who inherits, and which reliefs apply. Many estates pay nothing. Some pay a substantial bill.

We can talk through the current nil-rate band, the residence nil-rate band where a home passes to descendants, and whether gifts or will structure might help. This is general guidance, not a tax return.

Yes. The process is a little different — often called letters of administration rather than probate — but families still need to value the estate, apply for authority, and distribute according to intestacy rules.

We can explain who is entitled to apply and what the law says must happen.

No. We agree a fixed fee once we understand the work. We do not charge a percentage of the estate and we do not take commission on products.