Three generations under one roof in Kenton: grandparents who bought the house in 1975, a son and daughter-in-law who paid for the loft conversion, and grandchildren who assume it will one day be theirs. Nothing is written down. Will solicitors in Harrow meet this family every week, and their first job is to establish who owns what, because the Land Registry may say one thing, the family another, and the intestacy rules, if the grandparents die without wills, a third. A will, a declaration of trust recording the son's contribution, and a frank conversation about widowhood can prevent a dispute that would otherwise end in court.
Inheritance tax is the second concern. Harrow's semis have risen in value far beyond what their owners paid, and a house in Stanmore, Pinner or Hatch End takes an estate well past the threshold on its own. Solicitors use the residence allowance, lifetime gifts and trusts to reduce the bill, and advise on the family pharmacy or surgery that may qualify for relief. Property in India, Sri Lanka or Romania raises the question of which country's law governs it; Romania, like most of continental Europe, has rules that reserve part of an estate for children regardless of the will.
Lasting powers of attorney for finances and for health matter in a borough with a large older population and many care homes; without them, families must apply to the Court of Protection, slower and costlier. After a death, the same Harrow firms handle probate: valuing the estate, dealing with HMRC, obtaining the grant and distributing to beneficiaries, including those abroad.
Wills and powers of attorney are almost always fixed-fee; probate may be fixed, hourly or a percentage of the estate.
Will and probate firms serving Harrow are listed below, verified firms first. See wills, trusts and probate explained, how much a will costs, how much probate costs, what a lasting power of attorney is and the general will solicitors page.
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