ASK THE PROFESSIONALS
Leaving a will ensures that assets are divided among the family, friends and charities of your choice. A wills and probate expert can help, says Stephanie Sparrow. Photography: Paul Currie
Nearly two-thirds of British adults admit to not having a will. Revealed by a YouGov survey, this reluctance to admit to mortality is best overcome.
“Writing a will might seem a daunting prospect, but it is important to make sure that your loved ones have something they can rely on, so that there are not going to be any disputes, and so that your wishes are attended to in the right manner,” says Martin Garry, director of chartered accountants and business advisers McDade Roberts.
Access to such professional and sympathetic advice has become easier in recent years. Non-solicitors are now allowed to administer probate (the process for dealing with a deceased person’s estate), and so Martin, who combines extra qualifications in wills and probate with experience in inheritance tax advice, has taken the opportunity to help people through this difficult time.
From its four offices in the Preston area, McDade Roberts has built a reputation for high standards in client care in accountancy and business advice. Customer surveys rate the firm above average for friendliness, speed and clarity of advice, and Martin instils these qualities into its wills and probate service.
He has made the first step – sitting down for professional advice – easy. The first consultation meeting, up to an hour long, is free of charge. “We work out the roles and responsibilities and guide them through the process. This means reviewing the assets and liabilities of the estate and all the tax positions, income tax, capital gains and inheritance taxes,” he says.
It is helpful to have a professional’s advice about the potentially beneficial changes to inheritance tax (death duties), which have increased the amount which can be passed on without having to pay an inheritance tax, as long as the estate includes your home.
Another service is managing probate. “We’d obtain probate or administration as required, and then we’d distribute the assets to the beneficiaries in accordance with the wishes of the deceased,” he says.
And existing wills can be updated. “If there has been a trigger point in someone’s life, be it a marriage, child, divorce, or they have sold the business, it could be time to review it,” says Martin.
Consultation meetings are available to everyone, but are also proving popular with existing clients, who see them as an extension of the professional care offered by McDade Roberts in its accountancy role.
“We like to look after clients throughout their business life,” says Martin. “We help them achieve their business and personal goals, and the final step we can do to help is to look after their family when they are gone.”
McDade Roberts
316 Blackpool Road, Fulwood PR2 3AE
01772 717110
www.mcdaderoberts.co.uk
