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Wills Solicitors

Making a Will is something many people put off for a variety of reasons, including not thinking they need a Will, intending to get around to it later and simply preferring not to think about their own death. We try to make things as simple as possible for you and with us you can even Start Your Will Online.

Adrian Sharpin
Andrew Morgan
Rebekka Hayles
Sophia Oarton
Christine Bateman
Meet the team

While this is understandable, failing to have a valid Will in place when you pass away can mean your estate is not dealt with as you would have liked, and it can make things much harder for your loved ones when the time comes.

At Stephen Rimmer, our dedicated Will writing solicitors can provide clear, practical guidance in a friendly, sensitive way, making it straightforward and much less stressful to get a sensible Will in place. We can also assist with matters such as Inheritance Tax planning and trusts, as well as advising on disputes over Wills where required

How we can help you with making a Will

Our Wills solicitors offer sensitive, practical support for matters including:

We can also assist with contesting a Will and defending Will disputes.

Why choose Stephen Rimmer for your Will?

Our Private Client team is headed by Andrew Morgan, a highly experienced solicitor and partner in the firm. Andrew’s expertise includes Wills and lifetime planning for high value estates, foreign assets, business assets and large families.

Andrew is supported by a very able team who are members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). STEP is the leading global association for solicitors specialising in inheritance, trusts and estates, with membership requiring rigorous training and examination.

As a firm, we have very high customer satisfaction rates, with a large percentage of our new business coming via recommendations from current and former clients.

Book a free 30-minute consultation with our Will solicitors in Eastbourne or Hastings or Start Your Will Online today

We offer a free, no obligation 30-minute chat with one of our specialist Wills solicitors to all new clients.

To arrange your initial consultation, you can:

Our Will writing services

Making a Will

When making your Will, there are many issues to consider, including who you wish to benefit from your estate and what provisions you need to make for any dependants who may require ongoing support should you no longer be around.

Our Wills solicitors write Wills across East Sussex and can assist you with creating a valid Will tailored to your concerns and priorities, with advice on issues such as minimising your estate’s Inheritance Tax liability and setting up trusts to provide for dependants.

You can even start your Will online using our easy questionnaire

Updating your Will

Where you have an existing Will, it is important to make sure it stays up to date. You should review your Will at least every five years and after any change in circumstances, e.g. if you get married or divorced, have children, start a business or acquire significant new assets.

Our Wills solicitors can go over your Will with you and advise you on where an update is required. In some cases, updating your Will can be achieved with the creation of a supplementary document known as a codicil, which modifies your Will. In other cases, it may be necessary to create a whole new Will.

Inheritance Tax planning

For many estates, Inheritance Tax can be a significant issue with the potential to substantially reduce the value passed to your beneficiaries. However, with good tax planning, the Inheritance Tax burden on your estate can be minimised or avoided entirely.

Our team can advise you on your options, including making best use of nil-rate bands and tax-efficient vehicles such as trusts.

Will trusts

A Will trust is a special type of trust which will only be created at the time of your death. These types of trusts can hold property, money, and other assets and are typically used to provide for children under 18 and vulnerable dependants.

Our trusts solicitors can assist you with setting up and managing Will trusts, as well as providing advice for trustees and trust beneficiaries. We can also advise on other types of trusts, such as interest in possession trusts, which allow you to specify that someone such as a spouse or partner can benefit from your home or other assets during their lifetime, while still allowing your children or other loved ones to ultimately inherit.

Will disputes

Should you find yourself involved in a dispute over a Will, it is important to get specialist advice as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary conflict and expense. In many cases, Will disputes can be resolved amicably with the right expertise and a sensible, pragmatic approach.

Our dispute resolution team can advise on all types of Wills and inheritance disputes, helping you to find a fair solution that matches your needs and priorities.

Find out more about our dispute resolution services.

Our Will writing fees

Fixed fee Wills

Simple Will

Single £225 + VAT £270 inclusive of VAT
Joint (mirror) £350 + VAT £420 inclusive of VAT

Codicil

Single £175 + VAT £210 inclusive of VAT
Joint (mirror) £275 + VAT £330 inclusive of VAT

Hourly rates for our Will writing services

For more complex matters involving estates, our Wills solicitors will charge according to agreed hourly rates. We will tell you the hourly rates charged by everyone we expect to work on your case and give a realistic estimate of your likely overall costs.

Start Your Will Online.

Wills FAQs

Making a Will is extremely important. Unfortunately, we never know what might be round the corner, and that is why if you have considerable assets, such as savings, investments and property, and/or you are married and have children, you should consider making a Will. There is certainly no right or wrong age.

Once a Will has been made, you are unable to make any changes unless you make an official alteration known as a codicil or make an entirely new Will.

A codicil must be witnessed in the same way as a Will is witnessed when made. There are no limitations of how many codicils you can make on a Will.

If you need to make any major changes to your Will, it is advisable to make a completely new Will and state in it that any previous Wills are revoked.

We would recommend updating your Will every five years or if there are any major changes to your life, such as:

  • Getting divorced/separated
  • Having a child
  • Moving home
  • If the named executor in your Will dies

It is also crucial to know that once you marry any Will previously written is automatically cancelled unless it contains some very specific wording.

Executors of Wills carry out your wishes once you have died. They will be responsible for winding up your affairs and the administration of your estate. If a grant of probate is needed, they will be responsible for the application. Anyone can be an executor of a Will so long as they are at least 18 years of age at the time of your death and are of sound mind.

We would always recommend choosing an executor who you trust, which could be a close family member, friend or even a professional, such as a solicitor.

It is possible that a Will can be challenged should a person believe there are factors that make it invalid. The grounds for contesting a Will include:

  • The deceased did not have mental capacity needed to make a Will
  • The deceased did not properly understand and approve the contents of the Will
  • Undue influence
  • Forgery
  • Fraud
  • Rectification

When a person dies without a legitimate Will, they are known as an intestate person, and their estate will be distributed according to the rules of intestacy. This means only spouses or civil partners, and other close relatives will be entitled to inherit the estate. The rule of intestacy applies even where the deceased wrote a Will, but it is not legally valid.

If the deceased has a spouse/civil partner and surviving children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren, the spouse/civil partner will inherit the following:

  • All personal property and belongings
  • The first £270,000 of the estate
  • Half of the remaining estate

If there is no surviving children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren, the spouse/civil partner will inherit the following:

  • All personal property and belongings
  • The full estate

Speak to our Wills solicitors in Eastbourne and Hastings

From our offices in Eastbourne, our Wills solicitors work with clients all across East Sussex, including in Hastings, Bexhill-on-Sea, Hailsham, Polegate, Battle, Pevensey and St Leonards-on-Sea.

To arrange a free, no obligation 30-minute interview with our team, you can:

How can we help you?

Call us today on 01323 644222 to get the specialist help you need.