Will writing, LPAs and probate in Chatham

I cover Chatham itself and the residential districts around it, including Walderslade, Lordswood, Luton, Princes Park, and Bredhurst. I'm based in Aylesford, so the whole of Medway is a short run down the M2 rather than a trek across the county, and there's no additional travel charge for any of it — the signing visit is included in the quoted price, whether you're at the bottom of the hill or right up at Lordswood. If you're just outside that list, ring me anyway. I cover Kent and East Sussex more widely, and I'll tell you on the phone whether I can help and exactly what it would cost.

A single will with me is a flat fee, fixed and quoted in writing before you commit rather than billed by the hour, and it covers the signing visit as well as the drafting — and you won't be taking a morning off to sit in an office to get it. The difference is regulation: I'm a will writer, not a solicitor, and Kent Legacy Planning isn't regulated by the SRA. What I bring is a law degree and over twenty years in the legal sector. For a straightforward will that's exactly what the job needs, and if your circumstances turn out to need a solicitor I'll say so on the phone.

Yes — I work seven days a week and there's no extra charge for an out-of-hours appointment. Most of my Chatham clients are working, often with a commute on top of the day, and having to book time off is exactly the sort of obstacle that leaves a will sitting on the to-do list for years. A visit at seven in the evening or on a Saturday morning suits far better. It also means both partners can be there properly, which matters if you're doing mirror wills, and it's easier to work around childcare or a relative who needs someone with them.

It's the most common reason people put it off, and I'd gently argue it's the wrong way round. The smaller and simpler the estate, the more disproportionate the disruption when there's no will: whoever steps in has no authority until they've applied for it, and the intestacy rules rather than you decide who eventually receives what. A will lets you appoint executors you actually trust, say who should have particular belongings — including the ones worth nothing at all in money terms — and set down your funeral wishes. It's a single flat fee, quoted before you commit, and for most people a fortnight's work from first phone call to signing.

Yes. We start with a free phone consultation, and the detail is gathered afterwards by questionnaire and phone, which spares an elderly parent a formal appointment — you're welcome to help them fill it in, as long as the answers are genuinely theirs. Then I come to them to sign, and that visit is part of the quoted price, so there's nothing extra for travelling to Walderslade, Bredhurst or anywhere else around Chatham. Signing at their own kitchen table matters more than people expect, particularly for anyone with mobility difficulties or who'd find a formal appointment daunting. If they'd rather meet me before I draft anything, that can be arranged for a separate consultation fee, and I'll tell you what it is first. You're welcome to be present, and I'll always make sure the instructions are theirs. If you're travelling in from further afield, I'll work around your dates.

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.