Will writing, LPAs and probate in Battle

I cover Battle itself and all of the surrounding villages, including Sedlescombe, Mountfield, Bodiam, Westfield, and Brede. There's no additional charge for visiting any of them — the signing visit is included in the quoted price, and I'm happy to travel to whichever address makes the conversation easiest. For executors dealing with a probate matter that's particularly important, since there are often boxes of paperwork at the family home that are far simpler to work through in situ than to box up and bring anywhere else.

Most estates around Battle are dominated by a family home in a desirable part of East Sussex, which means an estate that feels modest to the family is often well above the inheritance tax nil-rate band. Solicitors typically charge a percentage of the estate with hourly fees billed on top, so the final figure isn't knowable at the point you agree to it — and it rises with the value of the house rather than with the work involved. I don't charge a percentage at all. You can start with a fixed-fee executor and estate review, take as much or as little practical help as you want alongside running the administration yourself, or hand the wider administration over for a fixed quotation given once I know what's actually involved — with the same careful handling of HMRC, asset valuations, and beneficiary distribution. The Grant application itself is one you make to HMCTS as executor; it's a reserved legal activity, so I guide you through it rather than submit it for you.

Yes — I'm available seven days a week, including evenings, with no extra charge for out-of-hours visits. Families dealing with probate often need to coordinate around working children travelling down to Battle from London or further afield, so a Saturday morning or a weekday evening can work better than office hours. If you're an executor juggling probate alongside your own job and family, I'll always fit the appointment around your schedule rather than the other way round, and I'll travel to whichever address in the area works best on the day.

Probate timelines have stretched since HMCTS centralised the service — straightforward applications currently take around 16 weeks from submission, longer if HMRC inheritance tax is involved. The Grant itself has to be in hand before the family home can be sold or transferred. The application is one you make yourself to HMCTS as a personal applicant — preparing it for you is a reserved legal activity I'm not authorised to carry out — but I'll walk you through what it asks for and make sure HMRC is settled first, so it goes in early and cleanly. In the meantime I deal with the bank accounts, life policies, and utility companies so the smaller pieces of the estate are moving forward while we wait for the Grant to arrive.

Yes. Most of the groundwork is done by questionnaire and phone, which spares an older parent a formal appointment altogether, and then I come out to sign in their own front room — which matters for anyone with mobility difficulties or who finds an unfamiliar office stressful. Adult children are very welcome to be present, and I'll happily coordinate a time when a son or daughter can travel down to Westfield, Brede, or wherever your parent lives. If they'd rather sit down with me before anything is drafted, that can be arranged for a separate consultation fee. There's never any pressure to decide on the day — everything goes out in writing so families can talk it over before committing.

Most couples choose the Complete Peace of Mind Package — mirror wills, both types of LPA for both partners, and letters of wishes. That's six professionally drafted documents in one process, and it works out cheaper than arranging each piece separately. I'll give you the exact figure on our first phone call, and OPG registration fees are payable separately to the government.