A terrace in Anfield or Wavertree bought for a few thousand pounds in the 1970s may now be the whole of a family's wealth, and Liverpool solicitors see what happens when nobody wrote down who should have it. Brothers who stopped speaking over a kitchen, a partner of twenty years who inherits nothing because the couple never married, a grandchild who was promised the house and gets a share of the furniture: these are the ordinary consequences of the intestacy rules, which follow bloodlines and marriage and ignore everything else.
A will solicitor in Liverpool starts with the people, not the property: who depends on you, who should be guardian of young children, whether a second marriage means the first family needs a trust to protect their share, whether a relative with a disability should inherit through a trust that does not disturb their benefits. Gifts to the city's hospices and to Alder Hey are common. Inheritance tax planning concerns fewer families here than in the south, but a house in Woolton or Blundellsands plus a pension and savings can cross the threshold without anyone noticing.
Lasting powers of attorney are usually prepared alongside the will. One covers money and property, the other health and care decisions, and together they spare a family the Court of Protection if dementia or a stroke takes away capacity.
When someone dies, the same firms handle probate: valuing the estate, dealing with HMRC, obtaining the grant and distributing to the beneficiaries, including tracing relatives who emigrated from Liverpool decades ago.
Expect a fixed price for a will or a power of attorney; estate administration is quoted as a fixed sum, an hourly rate or a share of the estate.
The firms below write wills and administer estates across Liverpool, verified firms at the top of the list. The general guide to will solicitors sets out the basics; see also wills, trusts and probate explained, the cost of a will and lasting powers of attorney.
