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Expert advice on taking control of your estate

Making a Will

Making a Will is one of life’s most important decisions, yet many people delay this crucial step. Without a valid Will, your family faces unnecessary stress, financial hardship and legal complications. Our Will writing service ensures your assets go exactly where you want whilst minimising inheritance tax and protecting vulnerable beneficiaries.

We’ve helped families across Leicester, Nottingham and Derby plan their estates for over 40 years. Don’t leave your family’s future to chance – our Will solicitors make the process straightforward and legally secure.

Get professional Will writing advice today on 0800 024 1976 or via our online enquiry form.

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Watch our video on making a Will, presented by Helen Salisbury, Partner and Solicitor…

Will writing services we provide

Our Will solicitors provide complete estate planning services designed to protect your assets, minimise tax and ensure your wishes are carried out exactly as intended.

  • Simple Wills for standard requirements – Even ‘simple’ Wills need expert drafting to avoid costly problems later. Our straightforward Will writing service covers asset distribution, executor appointments, guardianship for children, and specific gifts to family and charities. We ensure your Will meets all legal requirements whilst clearly expressing your intentions. Simple Wills are perfect for people with standard family structures and modest estates, but we still include comprehensive protections and tailor each Will to your specific circumstances whilst preventing common problems like unclear beneficiary descriptions and inadequate witness arrangements.
  • Complex Wills for high-value estates – High-value estates need sophisticated planning to minimise inheritance tax and protect family wealth. Our complex Will writing service incorporates business succession planning, multiple trust structures, and advanced tax mitigation strategies. We work with your accountants and financial advisers to ensure your Will integrates with broader wealth planning. Complex Wills often involve multiple properties, business interests, overseas assets, and family trusts requiring careful coordination whilst addressing family companies, agricultural property relief, and charitable giving strategies. 
  • Mirror Wills for couples – Couples need coordinated estate planning ensuring consistent provision whilst allowing individual preferences. Mirror Wills typically leave everything to the surviving partner initially, with agreed arrangements for distribution after both deaths. We ensure these Wills work together effectively whilst maintaining flexibility for changing circumstances. Mirror Wills can incorporate trust arrangements to protect the surviving spouse whilst ensuring children ultimately inherit as intended, addressing potential complications like remarriage and changed family circumstances.
  • Trust Wills and tax planning – Trusts within Wills provide flexible arrangements for future generations whilst minimising inheritance tax. We create discretionary trusts giving trustees flexibility to support beneficiaries as circumstances change, life interest trusts providing income to surviving spouses whilst preserving capital for children, and protective trusts safeguarding assets from creditors. Trust planning requires careful consideration of tax implications, trustee selection, and beneficiary provisions whilst understanding complex inheritance tax rules and structuring arrangements maximising available reliefs.
  • Guardianship and child protection – Appointing guardians for children is crucial but often overlooked. We help you choose suitable guardians considering their values, financial capability, and family relationships. Guardianship provisions should address both legal guardianship and financial arrangements, ensuring guardians have adequate resources whilst protecting children’s inheritance until appropriate ages. We create trust funds for children’s benefit with flexible provisions for education, health, and general maintenance whilst considering complex family situations including step-children and previous relationships.
  • Business succession planning – Family businesses need careful succession planning to ensure continuity whilst protecting your family’s interests. Our business succession specialists handle shareholder agreements, partnership arrangements, and key person insurance coordination. Wills must address business asset valuation, succession timing, and tax implications including business property relief. We work with business advisers to create comprehensive succession plans addressing management transition and ownership transfer whilst ensuring business continuity and providing for family members not involved in the business.
  • Charitable giving and tax benefits – Charitable bequests support causes you care about whilst providing significant tax advantages. Gifts to registered charities are inheritance tax free, and substantial charitable gifts can reduce the inheritance tax rate on your entire estate from 40% to 36%. We structure charitable giving to maximise tax benefits whilst ensuring charities receive intended amounts. Charitable planning can involve immediate gifts, remainder interests, and charitable trusts providing ongoing support to chosen causes whilst understanding complex rules around charitable status.
  • International Will planning – Overseas assets complicate estate planning and may require additional Wills in relevant jurisdictions. We handle Will planning for UK residents with foreign assets, foreign residents with UK assets, and complex situations involving multiple jurisdictions. International Wills must consider foreign inheritance laws, tax treaties, and practical issues around asset location and administration whilst working with overseas lawyers to ensure comprehensive coverage and avoiding conflicts between different legal systems.

Our Will writing process

We handle Will writing systematically, ensuring every aspect of your estate and family circumstances is properly considered and documented.

  1. Personal consultation and needs assessment 
    We conduct comprehensive consultations to understand your family situation, assets, and personal wishes. Our solicitors explore your family structure, identify potential complications, and discuss priorities while explaining legal implications and available options. We consider your relationships, financial circumstances, and values to create Wills that reflect your true intentions and address inheritance tax planning opportunities.
  2. Comprehensive estate review
    Our specialists review your assets, property, investments, business interests, pensions, and debts to identify tax planning opportunities. We assess current estate values, consider future growth potential, and evaluate available tax reliefs while ensuring adequate provision for beneficiaries. Reviews identify assets requiring special treatment and potential coordination requirements with existing arrangements.
  3. Expert Will drafting 
    We draft your Will using precise legal language that incorporates all requirements while ensuring compliance with current legislation. Our solicitors use proven precedents adapted to your circumstances, incorporating trust provisions, tax planning structures, and protective clauses. We consider potential challenges and changing family circumstances to create robust, flexible documents that clearly express your intentions.
  4. Execution and secure storage
    We oversee proper Will signing and witnessing according to legal requirements, ensuring validity while providing secure storage and ongoing support. We arrange suitable witnesses, explain execution requirements, and ensure all formalities are completed correctly. Our services include secure storage, Will registration, and regular review reminders.

Why choose Nelsons Will writing service?

  • Unless Orders Probate ClaimsProfessional legal expertiseOur Will solicitors bring over 40 years of estate planning experience, ensuring legal validity, tax efficiency, and comprehensive family protection. We stay current with inheritance tax changes and estate planning innovations while maintaining expertise in traditional Will drafting principles. 
  • Comprehensive estate planningWe provide complete estate planning solutions integrated with probate, tax, and family law expertise. Our Will writing service forms part of comprehensive strategies that protect your family’s interests while minimizing future complications and supporting broader wealth planning objectives. 
  • Transparent fixed-fee pricingWe offer competitive fixed fees with no hidden costs, making professional Will writing accessible. Our transparent pricing covers initial consultation, Will drafting, execution supervision, and secure storage, providing comprehensive value for professional estate planning services. 
  • Ongoing support and review – We provide regular Will reviews, updates for changing circumstances, and ongoing estate planning advice throughout your lifetime. Our continuing relationship ensures your Will remains current and effective while adapting to changing family circumstances and evolving tax legislation. 

Ready to protect your family’s future? Get professional Will writing advice today on 0800 024 1976 or via our online enquiry form.

Offices in Leicester, Nottingham and Derby.

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Testimonials...

  • "Nelsons Solicitors Limited has an extensive offering, with practitioners having experience of trust administration, Court of Protection work, investment management, wills and probate..."

    The Legal 500
  • "The legal work has been excellent and on time. A major difference between Nelsons and other major law firms we have dealt with is that they focus on a personal touch..."

    The Legal 500 2023
  • "...Knowing they are there and can check up on any changes we need to make on legal issues is comforting."

    The Legal 500 2023 (Continued)
  • "Nelsons...acts on matters ranging from wills and estates, lifetime and tax planning, asset protection and care fee planning, through to trust structuring, with a focus on high net-worth individuals and those with international assets."

    The Legal 500 2023
  • "Key strengths and capabilities in my opinion are: – the ability to visit clients at home which reduced anxiety for our family..."

    Referee feedback provided to The Legal 500 2024
  • "...– professionals who are knowledgeable, approachable and respectful – Clear and accurate information regarding the processes involved – Efficient delivery of paperwork, etc."

    Referee feedback provided to The Legal 500 2024 (Continued)
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Making a Will FAQS

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