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Wills & Probate Solicitors

When planning for the future or saying goodbye to a loved one, we’ll be by your side

Making a Will is one of the most important things you can do, but it is something that many never consider and are often put off by. As expert Wills and probate solicitors, we have been helping the residents of the North West for over 200 years.

At Bell Lamb & Joynson, we help people plan for the future and sort out final affairs. Whether you need advice about making a Will or handling probate after someone has died, we are here for you.

We understand that this is often a very daunting task and aim to make the process as simple and hassle-free as possible.

When you instruct us, you can expect the following:

  • Bespoke advice from a team of friendly, skilled and highly reviewed Wills & probate solicitors.
  • A sensitive, personal service and a supportive shoulder to lean on during hard times.
  • Quick responses to your calls and emails.
  • Clear, fixed costs so you stay in control of your legal spending at all times.
  • For probate clients, a free 30-minute consultation (where we are storing the original Will) to provide advice and answer your initial questions.

No need to take what we say at face value – you can read our excellent reviews from some of our clients about their experiences with us.

Our Wills & probate service is consistently ranked in the top 3 in Liverpool, Maghull, Runcorn, and Warrington by independent client review site, Review Solicitors.

Get in touch with our Wills & probate solicitors in Liverpool, Maghull, Runcorn and Warrington

For simple, straightforward advice about putting your final affairs in order or handling probate and estate administration after someone has passed away, get in touch with our Wills & probate solicitors in Liverpool, Maghull, Runcorn or Warrington:

Call 03444 124348 | Ask us a Question

We are happy to communicate in whatever way is most convenient for you. As well as the classic phone calls and emails, you can pop into your local Bell Lamb & Joynson office or speak to us via WhatsApp or video conferencing software such as Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and Microsoft Teams.

How our Wills & probate solicitors can help you

Making a Will is essential for so many reasons. As you’re here, chances are you already know exactly why you want to make a Will, but just in case you’re on the fence: As well as make sure that everything you have worked for during your life is passed on to your loved ones exactly as you wish, a professionally drafted Will can:

  • Ensure your estate is tax-efficient – it could reduce or eliminate the amount of Inheritance Tax that falls due, allowing your loved one to inherit as much as possible.
  • Make sure your unmarried partner or stepchildren inherit – they won’t be able to if you don’t leave a Will because the rules of intestacy only allow married spouses, civil partners and biological or adopted children to inherit.
  • Protect vulnerable family members – make provisions to set aside money for the care and education of children and adults who need extra support (e.g. due to a disability).
  • Protect some of your property from being used to pay for care – making sure your children’s and grandchildren’s inheritance is protected from local authority care assessments.
  • Leave money to charity – without a Will, legacy donations cannot go to your favourite charities, even if you supported them all your life.
  • Create trusts to protect your assets and control how they are passed on and used after you pass away.
  • Put your funeral wishes in writing – making sure your loved ones can quickly and easily find your wishes.
  • Appoint guardians for your children – set out who you would like to look after your minor children if you pass away before they turn 18.
  • Say who should look after your pets – make sure your four-legged loved ones go to the right home.
  • Avoid family disputes and heartache – setting out your final wishes means your family will know exactly what you want and there’s less risk of arguments arising over an inheritance. Making a Will also means that the probate process is more straightforward, saving your loved ones time and stress.

Our friendly staff are on hand to discuss your circumstances and pose questions you may not have considered to ensure that your Will covers several eventualities. We also help people change their Wills or make additions (called ‘codicils’).

Wills must fulfil strict legal criteria to be valid, so it is worth getting legal advice to avoid any future issues.

Our costs are clear, transparent and fixed. Full details of our fixed costs are available here. Can you afford not to take action and leave your estate to chance?

Put your mind at rest, speak to a member of our team today and tick one of those items off your to-do list.

At what age should you make a Will?

The right time to make a Will is now. Making a Will isn’t just for older people. We never know where life will take us so it is always important to be prepared just in case.

At the very least, you should consider making or updating your Will around every important life event, including:

  • Marriage or civil partnership
  • Divorce or dissolution
  • Having a baby
  • Adopting a child
  • Buying a home
  • Making a large investment
  • Getting a significant promotion
  • Retirement

Some events, such as marriage and divorce, will even impact the validity of your Will.

You should also consider making a Will if you have people who depend on you financially and emotionally, including:

  • Your partner
  • Your children
  • Other family members
  • Vulnerable loved ones

Our probate solicitors can assist with probate matters to help you sort out the final affairs of someone who has passed away. We can offer a free 30-minute meeting (where we are storing the original Will) to discuss the estate administration process and provide initial advice.

The loss of a loved one is always difficult, and we can help with the legal work, easing the burden of challenging paperwork and processes.

We can help with as little or as much of the administration of an estate as you wish and will provide realistic estimates of our costs from the outset and believe in transparency in this regard.

Visit our price lists to find full details of our costs together with time scales and the individuals who deal with these matters, including our fees for obtaining a Grant of Probate. Fees for probate and estate administration can usually come out of the deceased person’s estate.

Should you need any advice, speak to a member of our team on 03444 124348 or contact us via the website and we will be happy to help.

As well as making a Will, we can help you plan for the future in other ways. One way we can help is by providing advice about making a Power of Attorney to appoint people you trust to make decisions for you in case you lose the capacity later on, for example, because of an accident or an illness such as dementia.

Visit our Power of Attorney Solicitors page for more information.

Why choose our Wills & probate, lawyers?

We know that choosing the right solicitor isn’t easy. Your experience with us is just as important as the results we achieve. This is a principle we apply to every aspect of our work, but we believe it is especially important when helping you with something as important as your Will or the final affairs of your late relative or friend.

But we don’t expect you to just take our word for it. So why choose us over all those other firms you are considering?

200 years of heritage, a modern approach

For 200 years, we’ve been the law firm of choice for people across our local communities in Liverpool, Runcorn and Warrington as well as across the North West of England.

While technically a ‘traditional’ law firm, we don’t let that label hold us back. We use the very latest in legal technology to streamline our services and enable us to work as efficiently as possible. This means we can save you money and complete the work you need us to do as quickly as possible.

Our technology solutions include a simple-to-use client portal where you can:

We have received the Law Society Lexcel Accreditation for our high standards of client care. We are also Cyber Essentials certified which means we’ve put in place strong IT infrastructure and policies to protect your personal data. We can communicate online and transfer important legal documents safely with no risk to you.

Excellent client feedback

Our Wills & probate service is consistently ranked in the top 3 in Liverpool, Maghull, Runcorn, and Warrington by independent client review site, Review Solicitors.

Here are just a few great reviews we’ve received from clients:

“The video meeting was very straightforward and enabled us to discuss our needs with Bell Lamb & Joynson. They then prepared the Wills and sent them for us to check. We had to delay our final signing of the Wills after Bell Lamb & Joynson had prepared them as we had just moved house. They were very understanding and arranged the signing to suit us.”Review Solicitors, Liverpool office.

“Bell Lamb & Joynson acted on my behalf concerning probate for my late Auntie's Will. I was always treated with the utmost respect and professionalism, I could not recommend them more highly.”Review Solicitors, Liverpool office.

Helping people through the generations

We feel incredibly proud to be the law firm of choice for families who trust us to deliver the same high-quality advice time and time again.

We’re always delighted to support clients through some of the happiest experiences of their lives. From marriage or civil partnership to buying your first home to having your children or grandchildren – we can help you plan for the future to protect what is most important.

We’re also here to provide a shoulder to lean on when things aren’t so happy. From divorce and dissolution to the loss of a loved one, we can help you weather the storm and sort out the legal consequences.

Clear on costs

Our Wills & probate lawyers are upfront and honest about fees from the get-go so you stay in control of how much you spend at all times. On our website, you can find all our pricing information for obtaining a Grant of Probate, estate administration, and our costs for making a Will or Mirror Wills.

You can also get in touch with us if you have any questions about costs or would like a tailored quote and we will be more than happy to help.

Get in touch with our Wills & probate solicitors in Liverpool, Maghull, Runcorn and Warrington

For simple, straightforward advice about putting your final affairs in order or handling probate and estate administration after someone has passed away, get in touch with our Wills & probate solicitors in Liverpool, Maghull, Runcorn or Warrington:

Call 03444 124348 | Ask us a Question

We are happy to communicate in whatever way is most convenient for you. As well as the classic phone calls and emails, you can pop into your local Bell Lamb & Joynson office or speak to us via WhatsApp or video conferencing software such as Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and Microsoft Teams.