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Estate planning

What is estate planning?

Estate planning makes sure you have the correct and up to date legal documents in place when it comes to you and your estate. In other words, it's a clear plan that shows how you'd like your estate to be managed when you die or are unable or unwilling to make decisions for yourself.

  • Estate planning helps safeguard your wishes so that your estate is taken care of by those you trust, and as you intended
  • It can help protect your family and any other beneficiaries from the impact of inheritance tax
  • Estate planning makes sure that when the person looking after your estate applies for probate they'll know what your wishes were
  • There are a range of options, including wills, lasting powers of attorney (LPAs), trusts and living wills

Estate planning without the guidance and advice of a professional can be both overwhelming and complicated; our specialists are here to help.

Our estate planning services and guides

Wills

A legal document which confirms who you want to inherit your money, property and possessions (your estate)
More on wills

Lasting power of attorney

An LPA gives the person(s) of your choice the power to deal with your affairs when you're unable to do so
More on LPAs

Make a will or LPA

Some useful information on how to make a will or LPA and the importance of expert guidance
See our tips

Trusts

Additional legal wording within your will to protect your estate for your beneficiaries after your death
More on trusts

Living wills

A document that makes your wishes known regarding life sustaining treatments in a life and death situation
Read more

Download our free guide

Get your free estate planning guide to get the facts you need to get your estate in order
Get started

How does estate planning work?

​Creating your legal documents is important and you should carefully consider how it affects your loved ones

Step 1: Get advice

  • Speak to one of our qualified estate planners who will help you plan for the future
Book a free call

Step 2: Talk to your family

  • Some discuss their plans with their family, while others keep it private; get the facts to help you
Get a free guide

Step 3: Your documents

  • You confirm your wishes and we create your documents (we can store and amend them too)
How it works

Why is estate planning important?

Thinking about the future and discussing your plans with your loved ones can be hard. It may never seem like the right time to have such a difficult conversation, though planning for the future offers you and your family complete peace of mind.

A will, for example, is one of the most important documents you'll arrange in your lifetime. Without a will you'll have no control over what happens to your estate and your assets will be distributed according to the laws of intestacy, which may not be the way you planned. There may be a time in the future when you don't have the mental capacity to make decisions, or you would prefer for loved ones to do so on your behalf.

If you haven’t got a valid lasting power of attorney (LPA), the Court of Protection may need to get involved. This can be a lengthy and costly process, and your appointed attorney may not be the person you would have chosen to make decisions when you can't. 

It's never nice to think about death and how you'll arrange your affairs after you’re gone – but it’s crucial if you want to mitigate inheritance tax for your loved ones. When you have arranged estate planning early on, you can be sure that your loved ones will have the freedom to carry out your wishes. The earlier you can start planning for the future the better.

At Key, our personal service gives you the help and expertise you need to make sure you’re prepared, no matter what the future holds.

How Key can help

Peace of mind your estate is in the right hands

What you can expect from Key

  • Expert advice: With years of experience and care, our estate planners are fully qualified and members of the Society of Will Writers
  • Honesty: We won’t recommend anything that isn’t right for you and your family and everything is in plain English
  • A hassle-free, personal service: You'll deal with the same estate planner throughout the process
  • Attention to detail: We'll ask the right questions to make sure your wishes are fully documented

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Estate planning, arranging your personal affairs, and getting the correct documentation in place can feel like a daunting task; but Key are here to help you through the entire process. Here are some answers to the most common questions we get asked:

Are there any annual fees?

There are no annual fees with our estate planning service.

How long does the process take?

For your will documents to be created we generally allow for a 28 day completion period. For an LPA, the typical turnaround time is eight weeks.

Are your estate planners qualified?

All of our will writers are certified members of The Society of Will Writers. This means they're qualified to set up your will in accordance with The Society's strict Code of Practice and with the appropriate training to make sure your wishes are correctly documented.

How many attorneys can I have?

You can choose to appoint more than one attorney. We recommend that you have at least two in place should anything happen to one of your attorneys.  

Are the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) fees included?

Fees by the Office of the Public Guardian are charged separately and are dependent on your financial circumstances. For example, people on income support may be entitled to a discount or this service free of charge.

Things to consider

These pages give a general overview of the issues surrounding estate planning and are based on our understanding of the current law and tax regulation in England and Wales, which may be subject to change.