Will writing, LPAs and probate in Crowborough

I cover Crowborough itself and the surrounding High Weald villages, including Eridge, Groombridge, Hartfield, Rotherfield and Withyham. Because Crowborough is the largest town in the East Sussex side of my catchment, most of my work in the area is either in the town itself or in the smaller villages immediately around it. There's no extra travel charge for visiting any of these — the signing visit is included in the quoted price, whether you're in the centre of Crowborough or out towards Ashdown Forest.

Most high-street solicitors charge probate fees as a percentage of the estate, plus VAT and hourly add-ons, which means nobody can tell you the final figure at the point you instruct them — and on a Crowborough estate dominated by a family home, that percentage tracks the value of the house rather than the work the estate actually needs. 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 doing it yourself, or hand the wider administration over for a fixed quotation given once I know what's involved — the Grant application itself stays with you as executor, since preparing it for you is a reserved legal activity. For a typical Crowborough estate, that certainty matters. The work itself is the same paperwork either way — what changes is who does it, what they charge, and whether they'll come to your home to talk it through.

Yes — I'm available seven days a week, including evenings, with no extra charge for out-of-hours visits. That matters in Crowborough because so many of my probate clients are juggling work, family, and helping older relatives at the same time. An evening appointment after work or a Saturday morning visit often makes the conversation easier than trying to fit it into a weekday. I'd rather come to you in Crowborough when it genuinely suits than rush you into a weekday slot that doesn't quite work for the family.

For most Crowborough estates the family home is by far the largest asset, and that has two practical consequences. First, it pushes the estate value over the nil-rate band, so inheritance tax may be in play — though the residence nil-rate band can bring a home-dominated estate back below the threshold where a direct descendant inherits. Second, the property usually has to be valued, sometimes sold, before the estate can be fully distributed. I handle the HMRC paperwork, coordinate the valuation, and keep the executors informed at every stage.

Yes. We always start with a free no-obligation phone call, and the detail after that comes on paper and over the phone rather than in a formal appointment — which suits older clients in Crowborough, Rotherfield and the surrounding villages who may have mobility difficulties or would find a solicitor's office daunting. When the documents are ready I come out to them to sign, at home, at whatever time suits. Family members are welcome to sit in if that's helpful, and I'm happy to coordinate around relatives travelling in from further afield. If they'd rather see me face to face before anything is drafted, I can arrange that for a separate consultation fee.

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.