Jan 14 2022

Lodge Brothers Legal Services Serving the Community for over 200 years

What is a lasting power of attorney?

A Lasting Power of Attorney (“LPA”) is a legal document that lets you appoint another person, the attorney, to make financial and/or welfare decisions on your behalf, if in the future you become unable or unwilling to make your own decisions.

What is probate and why is it necessary to involve obtain a Lasting Power of Attorney Ashford? It may not be necessary for a person to use an attorney for this process however if this is something that you are not familiar with, it is highly recommended for you to let an attorney assist you in order to ensure that everything is completed and assessed as it should be. Without the appropriate experience in this area, the situation can be over-whelming and may end up cost you in the long run.

Lodge Brothers employees are not only familiar with the process, they have dedicated their life’s work to offering the best service and expertise to those who seek them out for assistance. After the passing of your family member or loved one, a person has many difficult decisions to make, least of which is dealing with the will of the person who has passed away. What happens if the will is not verified or is contested at court? Well this is the time when its better to hand over to the professionals.

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A Probate estate comprises of all the assets and liabilities that a person has when they pass away. These assets and liabilities are verified by proving that the Will that the person has left behind, if they have indeed left a Will and instructions therein, is a genuine instruction from the departed as to how they would like their estate to be dealt with and settled. Assets include everything that the deceased physically owned both specified and unspecified in the last Will and testament. All the possessions that a person has, must be dealt with correctly at the time of passing, no matter how big or small, no matter how valuable, be it emotionally or financially. Probate Ashford is an active process which helps to sort the estate of the passed individual out as intended.

The process of can sometimes be sorted out in as little as 6 months, in some cases.  can take as long as 2 years or more to assess and verify. The timeframe of the probate Weybridge process depends on the complexity of the estate which can also be affected when the Will is disputed by a family member. Some small estates are the rare exception to the process and may not require probate Sunbury at all.  A court supervised process, probates can be a complex procedure.

Lodge Brothers legal services, partner to the Lodge Brothers family of funeral directors, have the know-how of the legal process of probate to ensure a stress-free process. Once all is said and done there are only benefits to contact Legal Brothers Legal Service attorneys, Sophie, Emily and Hannah, to assist you with this emotionally draining process. Services for probate can be agreed to and paid for ahead of time that will ease the process at the end of the day and ensure that the estate is correctly and accurately handled as preferred.

Click here to find out more on Lasting Power of Attorney Feltham and Lasting Power of Attorney Guildford


Nov 13 2021

Lodge Brothers Legal Services decades of legal experience

If your parent, sibling or partner were to pass away unexpectedly tomorrow, would you know what is legally required in terms of handing their death? Did you know that all deaths must be registered within 5 days, including weekend and bank holidays? This is just the first step on the list of things to do when dealing with an individual’s passing.

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Once the event has been registered, a certificate of burial or an application for cremation, which ever the case is, must be processed. The certificate of burial must be provided to your funeral director after which you can begin the process of arranging the funeral or cremation. The funeral director should be registered and can help you to plan the funeral and will also be able to assist you how to make payment arrangements.

Bear in mind the updated Covid-19 restrictions which will be applicable at the time and how this will impact on the events of the funeral or the cremation. Scotland, Wales and Norther Ireland will have different restrictions for attending funerals and so these should be noted where applicable.

The UK government offers their “Tell us Once” service which allows a death to be reported to all government departments so as to save further bereavement for the family which could result from on-going reporting of the passing of their loved one. As yet, Ireland does not offer this service.

Other legal requirements include managing tax and benefits and applying for probate Sunbury. Applying for probate Shepperton is what must be done when requesting the legal right to deal with someone’s property, money and possessions, commonly referred to as their ‘estate’. If there is a Will, the grant of probate will be provided and letters of administration will need to be annexed. In the event that the individual concerned did not leave a Will, then letters of administration will be provided.

Lodge Brothers Legal Service is a specialist firm of solicitors who deal with wills, probate and lasting powers of attorney. Clients who require legal services have accessible, affordable legal advice across Middlesex, Surrey and Berkshire.

Probate West Byfleet services are offered at a fixed fee which are tailored to your needs regardless of the type of advice you are looking for. From consultations to ensure that probate paperwork has been completed correctly, to simply submitting the entire probate Walton process to Lodge Brothers Legal Service to handle.

It is common for clients of the firm to express their gratitude for the level of personal service, which is provided as our professional solicitors understand that clients are often going through a difficult emotional period of time, following the death of a beloved person. Lodge Brothers Legal Service are passionate about client care, and endeavour to make the process of providing clients with legal advice infinitely easier avoiding “legalise” language and rather taking a step by step approach to help guide clients through the legal obligations required of them at a most stressful time.


May 14 2021

Lodge Brothers Legal Services assist with all the legal matters around death

One thing that you can be guaranteed of when you engage with a Lodge Brothers Legal attorney is that you will receive the personal touch. Lodge Brothers Legal Services are affiliated with the Lodge Brothers Funeral Directors family of companies with a unique past. In operation for over 240 years, the Lodge Brothers managed to grow throughout the UK for 8 generations, making them the epitome of the family business. As part of the services offered to their client base which spans the breadth and length of the UK, Lodge Brothers looked to increasing their funeral director services, with that of legal Services specifically related to the needs of the families who came to them, to say goodbye to their loved ones.

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The complimentary services included probate Guildford assistance, drawing up of Wills and preparing Lasting Power of Attorneys. The Lodge Brothers name is one which you will be familiar with and this is because they are placed conveniently across the country, meaning that you and your family may well have already had dealings with them. Lodge Brothers Legal attorneys have followed suit and offer each individual service with the personal touch that you come to expect from the brand.

If you turn to social media you will notice that there are many competitors in the industry but if you are looking for experts in the field, with an elevated knowledge of probate Ashford, in your local area, then it’s the Lodge Brothers Probate Feltham services that will benefit you’re the most. Being able to meet with your personal attorney face to face makes it easier to have all of your questions answered, and it will be far easier to reach your Probate attorney when the time comes for you that you may need to meet with them face to face. Having a local solicitor gives you peace of mind, knowing that you are able to contact their offices in person, at any time.

Lodge Brothers probate Shepperton has access to over 40 offices across a vast area in the UK stretching from Surrey, through Middlesex and into Berkshire allowing for face-to-face meetings in all of these areas. Should you prefer to contact your attorney through online options, that is always an equally possible alternative.

Offering 3 service levels to ensure affordability and adaptability, there is a suitable option for everyone. Chose Bronze level, where the application remains with the appointed Executor of the estate, however our Executors will help to prepare all probate forms and make the application at the probate registry. With the Silver Service level, appointed Executors remain responsible for registering the death with all asset holders. Executors will establish the assets and liabilities at date of death while we complete the probate papers, Inheritance tax forms and apply for the Grant.  Our attorneys will register the death certificate with the asset holders.

Choosing a Gold level service, Lodge Brothers attorneys will ascertain the date of death assets, liabilities of the estate, complete all the probate papers, Inheritance Tax forms and apply for the Grant.

Lodge Brothers Probate Woking Services is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Speak to us today by clicking here Probate Weybridge, Probate Sunbury, probate West Byfleet and probate Walton


Feb 12 2021

Lodge Brothers Legal Services offer a free no obligation quote

The passing of a loved one can change your world in an instant. In one moment, everything is as it should be, and then within a heartbeat, it can all come crashing down. Sometimes we are prepared for the passing of our loved one in that we know it is coming but it does not take away the impact of that final moment when it actually happens. No matter how mentally prepared you may be, especially when a person has an illness for an extended period, there is always that sense of hope that things will be ok. When that call comes and hope dissolves, you need a support structure in place to help you navigate the unknown road ahead.

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Grieving loved ones, are advised to include, in their support system, a probate legal expert.

When it comes to the legalities associated with the end of life, Lodge Brothers Legal Services probate Guildford, probate Ashford and probate Feltham knows what is required for the executor of an estate and who is responsible for the probate process that authenticates a last will and testament of the deceased person.

Should the deceased have a will in place, Lodge Brothers Legal Services have the training and expertise required to facilitate the court-administered legal process of probate Woking. Even more importantly, when an individual does not have a last will and testament, the process can become significantly more difficult. While families deal with the immense emotional grief which they must face when their loved one passes, Lodge Brothers Legal Services solicitors take care of the legal logistics.

There are 4 steps to the probate process. Firstly, the will, should there be one, has to be proven for authenticity. This is required to make sure that the Will is the most valid and latest version. In order for this to happen, a case is filed at the court. Once the court has validated the Will, the court will be in contact with the relevant beneficiaries and creditors. Before the beneficiaries can inherit assess indicated in the Will, creditors will need to be paid. Thus clearing all debts and outstanding taxes, so that the court can process the remaining assets as stipulated by the Will. At this stage there may be objections raised because of either complicated family dynamics or resulting from the process whereby all debts were settled. Should the debts out-weigh the assets, beneficiaries may not be advised, this may cause financial, and emotions stress for the family. Should the estate be unaffected by the debtors payments, an inventory of the properties and other assets such as jewellery, furniture and other possessions. The assessment covers everything from bank accounts affected by joint-tenancy with rights of survivorship, to distinguishing between probate or non-probate assets and properties.

At the end of the probate process, the assets are distributed according to the instructions found within the Will. The process of executing probate Weybridge and closing an estate can be a long and difficult one and your Lodge Brothers Legal Services attorney will be available for consultation until all details are legally finalised.


Nov 13 2020

Lodge Brothers legal help you provide for your loved ones in the way you wish

Inevitably, life tends to have a way of getting away with us. We leave school as young adults, searching for incomes which will allow us the independence that we so covet. Earning money means we have the power to make the choices about our own lives that feel so important to us at the time. Whether our goals are to grow our careers, or to start a family, independence generally decreases as we become more financially viable. What begins as an endeavour to be the best person that we can be, results in the accrual of material things and people. The car you save for to empower freedom of choice in your life becomes an asset. The type of social interactions which you choose, leads to you meet likeminded individuals and perhaps eventually results in a joining of kindred spirits in matrimony or the like. Families grow, houses are built and the need for a more stable income grows. All of these things that you need to build to sustain your life, become your assets. You have a choice over them in life. So too, do you have a choice over them in death.

Life unwittingly takes hold of us and often, the administration of your life is left at the bottom of the list of things to do. Stats show that 38% of adults living in the UK passed away last year without a will. Your will is your last chance to make voice heard and to have your final choices carried out as you would have done if you were still able. Failing to plan for your estate your estate via your will, you leave a lot to chance. And if you have not lived your life leaving all things to chance, why let it be the case in your death. No one person knows your wishes and desires as well as you do so when you pass away without a will and your estate is then governed by the laws of intestacy which means that everything that you have worked your whole life to attain is now governed by a set of rules enforced by the courts. Only married or civil partners and some of your close relatives are able to inherit your estate under the laws of intestacy which means that the courts may assign your possessions to someone who you had never intended them to.

Lodge Brothers attorneys specialise exclusively in Probate, Wills and Power of Attorney. Probate Guildford is the process, which confirms who will handle a person’s estate after their death and it is important to have, as it is a legal requirement. Probate Feltham is a complicated system that is advisable to be handled by a competent probate attorney. Aspects of the probate Ashford process include, establishing the value of your assets and liabilities, finalising Inheritance Tax, applying for Probate Registry for the Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration. Lodge Brothers probate Woking offer caring and practical legal advice efficiently and professionally to make your life easier during distressing times.


Sep 18 2018

Wills and probate services

Lodge Brothers funeral services is always here to help. We know how unpredictable life can be on a daily basis and that things happen when you least expect it. This is why we make ourselves available at any time on any day, by phone or email. With 533,253 deaths in Wales and the UK in 2017. The office of National statistics shows that the provisional number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 31 August 2018 was 7,865. Yourmoney.com reports that “Around 60% of UK adults still haven’t made a will, according to new research from Unbiased.co.uk, leaving around 31 million people at risk of dying intestate. If you die without a will your estate will be distributed solely according to intestacy law, which may not reflect your wishes.”


Karen Barrett, CEO and founder of Unbiased, said “It’s clear that many people think they’re just not ‘rich enough’ to need a will. This ignores the fact that a will makes inheritance a far quicker process – do they really want to keep their loved ones waiting longer, when that money might be badly needed? It also doesn’t take into account the complexity of modern families, which intestacy law simply doesn’t address. Children from previous marriages could end up receiving nothing at all.”
At Lodge Brothers, we agree that this is the essential issue surrounding those who pass away without a will and encourage customers who we meet on a daily basis, not to find themselves in the same position as their loved ones who have gone before them. The financial consequences when a loved one dies affects the whole family and especially when there is a young family involved, this can have lasting and irreversible long-lasting effects on the family unit and extended family members. While you may not feel that you are rich enough to have a will, consider what the effects would be on your family should they have to love just one month or one week if you are a weekly paid individual.
At Lodge Brothers we have options to suit every pocket and take pride in extending a helping hand to our hundreds of clients in our local areas. You can find our offices in your local areas simply by visiting our website and searching by location. You will find that we have offices in all locations and we offer additional probate services. For example, should you be looking for probate in Chertsey, Ham or Guildford, simply search probate Chertsey, probate Ham or probate Guildford to find your local branch and contact telephone number or email address. Otherwise you can go to our branch locator search feature, capture your nearest branch, town name of post code, for ease of access to information concerning all services we offer. If you’d like to know a little more about our services, we can send our ‘Guide to Arranging A Funeral’ to your home, or you can view and download a PDF. Click here to obtain.


Aug 16 2018

Lodge Brothers professional services offer peace of mind to you and your family

Preparing a will for when you pass away is one of the most important things that you can do with your life, or so we have all heard… but is it really true that not having a will is going to cause problems for those you leave behind? Or is this just another fear-based threat designed to get us to jump into action and act by paying someone else to do our will for us, when in fact we could either do it ourselves or leave it all together? After all, there are rules in place which must be followed when we die, to ensure that the possessions we gather in life, are distributed amongst the family we leave behind. Why is the threat of not having a will shrouded in so many layers of alarming outcomes for those who are affected?

The fact is that there absolutely are rules which govern the passing of assets on to family once a person has deceased. These rules are fairly straight forward and not at all difficult to apply because as with everything based in the law, there is little to no room for personal interpretation nor much capacity for a person to manipulate the rules. And it does not necessarily require an attorney’s degree to construct a simple will which is easy to understand and follow in order to ensure that the assets are distributed as they were intended to be among the family members.

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However what if a person has a complicated or unknown scenario which only comes to light once the person has passed and they have not prepared a will? Or have prepared a Will which for some reason or another, such as it not being correctly witnessed, is invalid in the eyes of the law? The estate immediately considered as being intestate. Once a person’s possessions are intestate, the rules of intestacy apply. If that is the case then only married or civil partners, children and close relatives stand to benefit from the inheritance. The primary beneficiary is considered to be the husband, wife or civil partner (note: a civil partner differs from a “common law” partner).

Intestacy laws are there for substantially limiting and possibilities in life are infinite meaning that there are more scenarios under which a person may pass away, which cannot be covered by the rules governing wills. What is a parent has passed without a valid will and has 2 children, one estranged for decades and one who cared for that parent right throughout their life, up until they reached their death-bed, leaving that child cash-strapped due to the high costs of care and medicines, for the parent. By intestate law, both siblings would stand to inherit the estate equally and this is something, while difficult, that the parent would not necessarily want.

Wills can be drawn up quickly and inexpensively at any of our Wills Chertsey, Wills Guildford and Wills Ham offices of Lodge Brothers. Inquire today regarding your unique requirements for your will to ensure that your family members benefit properly from the distribution of your possessions and assets on your passing.


May 15 2018

Trust Lodge Brothers to guide you in your time of grief

Welcome to the offices of Lodge Brothers Legal Services where our long-standing professional reputation, sustained by our consistently proficient services, guarantees our clients and their families ultimate peace of mind. Lodge Brothers has been assisting families with funerals for over 230 years and it is our personal service which our clients have come to rely on over and above the consistently high levels of quality of legal advice which we provide. Our clients can turn to us for accessible and affordable legal advice in relation to Probate, Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

At Lodge Brothers we approach our Probate Walton on Thames services with the same high levels of quality advice and personal investment, as we do with all legal services. We know that when a person finds themselves in need of the services of a Legal firm, often the circumstances which surround this need, are inevitably highly stressful. When people find themselves in these stressful situations, quite often it becomes exacerbated by the fact that one doesn’t always know what to do for the best and make the right decisions.

Notwithstanding, often people do not know what needs to be taken care of, simply because they do not have experience with being in these types of situations previously. It is easy to understand how over-whelming certain life events can be, when someone realises all of the legal requirements involved. Legal compliance is not something that we believe a person should have to face on their own.

That’s why we partner with our clients during these times of excessive strain and guide them through the process. Lodge Brothers has firms across the UK, such as our Probate Weybridge office and its here that you can rest assured that you will always find empathetic professionals to offer you an efficient service when you most need it.

Probate is the process of authenticating a last will and testament and finalising all aspects of the estate of a deceased individual and at Lodge Brothers Probate Guilford, we offer 3 levels of Probate service to suit your personal requirements.  Regardless of which level of legal service you choose, you can be assured that you are receiving the very best especially if you chose our level 3 Gold Probate Service which comes highly recommended and is certainly the most comprehensive of all. Designed to relieve you of the heavy burden you face when dealing with the probate process, our level 3 Gold Probate services ensure that probate is obtained quickly and efficiently.

 


Feb 21 2018

Lodge Brothers professional services offer peace of mind to you and your family

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Lodge Brothers have been assisting the community with funerals for over 230 years offering a professional and personal service that their clients have come to rely on. Lodge Brothers legal arm of the business has helped hundreds of families with accessible, affordable legal advice in relation to Probate, Wills Twickenham and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

They have a highly qualified, strong legal team whom collectively have many years of experience in all aspect of Probate, Wills Ashford and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

MEET SOPHIE ANDREWS – DIRECTOR

Sophie

Sophie joined Lodge Brothers as Head of Legal Services in 2016 to develop and set up its legal services business. Lodge Brothers Legal Services is a separate company, which has been granted a licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, allowing Lodge Brothers Legal Services to provide professional Legal Services to its clients through its own legal team.

Sophie grew up in Surrey and studied law at University College London and the College of Law in Guildford qualifying as a Solicitor in 1997. Having trained at a leading Private Client Firm, Charles Russell, Sophie has specialised in Wills, Probate and Powers of Attorney and now has many years of experience in these areas. She is an affiliate member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and holds the Advanced Certificate in Will Preparation (passing with a distinction). Sophie lives in Surrey with her husband and three children.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING AN UP TO DATE WILL?

Only 30% of people in this country have made a Will. This is because we do not like thinking about death and we are unaware of the importance of having a professionally drafted Will. Once a person overcomes their fears and makes a Will they find that it is a positive step that gives them great peace of mind. They are reassured that their affairs are in order.

If you die without a Will you die “intestate” meaning the intestacy laws set out which of your family members inherit and the amount. Your spouse will not necessarily inherit all of your estate and if you are unmarried your Partner will not inherit anything.

A legally valid Will, carefully prepared by a qualified expert Solicitor, will ensure that:

you provide for your loved ones in the way you wish;

you choose the Executors who will administer your estate;

you choose the Guardians for your minor children; and

you can take steps to reduce the Inheritance Tax payable.

You can also choose to appoint Lodge Brothers Legal Services as the Executors of your Will. We will ensure that your estate is dealt with promptly and efficiently so that your loved ones do not have the responsibility but do receive their inheritance as quickly as possible.

Fixed fee for a single Will starting from £325 +VAT (£390 inc. VAT).

Fixed fee for mirror Wills starting from £500 +VAT (£600 inc. VAT).

All our fees are fixed and agreed in advance.

Our professional services offer peace of mind to you and your family.

If you don’t have an up to date will click here Wills Feltham and Lodge Brothers Legal Services will assist you.


Jan 20 2018

Lodge Brothers Probate Attorney London

Lodge Brothers Legal Services provide a free no obligation quote or initial advice.  With over 200 years experience their legal services are sought after. They offer many services one being Probate attorney and Will Writers. Below they explain why its so important to have a will and how they can assit.

Probate Attorney London

When a family member or loved one dies, dealing with estate administration is often the last thing on a person’s mind. We offer an efficient, professional and above all personal service to make your life easier at such a distressing time.

When a person dies leaving a valid Will, the appointed Executors need to apply for a Grant of Probate to administer the Deceased’s estate. If there is no Will, the laws of intestacy apply and the law sets out which family member is entitled to apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration and administer the estate.

The process of administering an estate is commonly known as probate and involves:

  • ascertaining the value of the Deceased’s assets and liabilities;
  • dealing with the Inland Revenue Inheritance Tax return;
  • preparing the probate papers;
  • applying to the Probate Registry for the Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration; and
  • collecting in the assets of the estate and settling the liabilities once the Grant is received.

Probate will be required to sell or transfer a house, sell or transfer shares and in most cases to close bank accounts. The assistance required by the Executors will depend on the finances of the Deceased, the terms of the Will, the family circumstances and how much work the Executors are willing or able to do.

OUR PROBATE SERVICES

Lodge Brothers Legal Services offer 3 levels of service to suit your requirements.

Fixed Fee from £250 (£300 inc. VAT):

  • Executors prepare all probate forms;
  • Executors make a personal application to the probate registry;
  • We will check the forms are completed correctly; and
  • Responsibility for the application remains with Executors.

Fixed Fee from £750 (£900 inc. VAT) plus disbursements:

  • Executors responsible for registering death with all asset holders;
  • Executors establish the assets and liabilities at date of death; and
  • We will complete the probate papers, Inheritance tax forms and apply for the Grant of Probate.

Fixed Fee from £1,500 (£1,800 inc. VAT ) plus disbursements: This is our most complete service which will relieve you of the heavy burden of dealing with the estate when your thoughts are elsewhere.

  • It ensures that probate is obtained quickly and efficiently.
  • We will register the death certificate with the asset holders;
  • We will ascertain the date of death assets and liabilities of the estate; and
  • We will complete all the probate papers, Inheritance Tax forms and apply for the Grant of Probate.