What we do

We see the role of Barrett Law solicitors as helping, advising and providing support to our clients during different key stages of their lives through a personal and friendly service. We pride ourselves on lateral thinking, quick response times and quality service.

Wills and Probate

By making a Will you are not tempting fate. Everyone over 18 who owns land/buildings or other assets should consider making a Will. Dying without a will (known as intestacy) can cause unnecessary problems and heartache for your family and friends at a difficult and emotionally challenging time.

Making a Will is the most important way of ensuring your assets and belongings are passed on in just the way that you want. It is vital if you have children, as you need to nominate guardians to care for them should the worst happen.  It is also very important if you are not married to your partner because the law does not accord partners the same automatic inheritance rights as spouses.

Drawing up a will is something that most of us dread, but making a Will does not have to be complex, time-consuming or costly, despite it being such an important and valuable document.  Contact us today to ensure your family’s security after you’re gone.

It is always difficult when a loved one passes on. We appreciate the need for sympathetic and unobtrusive help at such times.  We try and complete the various steps which have to be taken as quickly as is possible.

There are a number of complexities involved in administering an estate, which is why most Executors and Personal Representatives prefer to engage a firm of solicitors for expert advice in this field. Barrett Law have the required expertise in this field and can carry out all the hard work for you, from dealing with the general administration, completion of the necessary tax forms, asset valuation and eventual distribution to the beneficiaries entitled. We will take you through the whole process step-by-step, making it as painless for you as possible.

Probate Legal Fees:

Obtaining a Grant only

We offer a Grant of Probate service which if appropriate can be a cost effective way of obtaining a Grant of Probate for a simple estate. The Grant only service is only available where no inheritance tax is due. The Executor will be responsible for dealing with the estate once the Grant has been received.
Our fees for this service are:
• Where a simplified estate form (IHT205) is submitted – £1,500 plus VAT (VAT is currently 20%)
• Where a full estate form (IHT400) is submitted – £2,500 plus VAT

There will also be chargeable disbursements, such as Court Fees, (currently in the region of £150-170 and these are not subject to VAT).

Full Estate Administration Service

Our full estate administration service will provide you with expertise throughout the entire Probate process. This could include:
• Giving initial advice
• Collating the information required for the Probate application
• Applying for the Grant of Probate
• Collecting in the assets of the Estate
• Paying tax, liabilities and any legacies
• Dealing with HMRC
• Preparation of Estate accounts and tax returns
• Distributing the residue of the estate

Our fees for this will vary depending upon the terms of the Will (or if the deceased died intestate), the size and complexity of the estate and the type of assets involved. As a guide, the fees for full estate administration will typically start from £2,500 – £5,000 plus VAT for a very straightforward estate whilst fees for complex estates can exceed £15,000 plus VAT.
Costs can be reduced considerably if family members are prepared to help with the non-legal tasks such as clearing personal items, meeting with estate agents and transferring utilities. These aspects can often be time-consuming but do not usually require legal expertise.
Before undertaking any work, we will meet with you to review the Will and discuss the estate. We will then give you a fees estimate – which is a range of costs that we believe we could incur when dealing with the estate. We can also give you a fixed fee alternative. If you chose a fixed fee option you’ll know exactly how much the estate administration will cost. Probate Court fees and the costs of selling property are payable in addition to our fees.

Timescales obviously depend upon the individual Estate, but as a guide most estates are dealt with within 6-18 months.

The work is carried out by Colin Rowland and supervised by Jamie Barrett.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

There are many reasons for deciding to make a Lasting Power of Attorney.  You may be suffering from an illness that means that day to day decision making will become more difficult in time; as you get older you may decide that you would like help managing your affairs. You can appoint someone as your attorney to assist you.  There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)­­ – a Personal Welfare LPA which authorises someone as your attorney to make decisions about your personal welfare which includes healthcare and medical treatment and a Property and Affairs LPA which  authorises your attorney to act in relation to your property and financial affairs.

Barrett Law are experienced in preparing LPAs and we are happy to visit clients at home or in hospital or a hospice if required.

General Property Issues

We are able to provide advice on all general property matters such as:

• lease extensions
• ownership of boundaries
• rights of way
• enforcement of covenants
• buying or selling a property at auction
• creating declarations of trust
• advising on joint home ownership
• powers of attorney

Lease Extensions

If you currently own a leasehold residential property, it is important to understand the implications of your ever decreasing term length to stop your property becoming a ‘wasted asset’. As the number of years left on a lease decreases, so does its value, however getting a lease extension may not have to be expensive if you act early.  At Barrett Law we are experienced at lease extension work both on behalf of property owners and landlords; to reduce costs for our clients we are prepared to offer special rates for acting for multiple property owners within one development.

Residential Landlord and Tenant

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, we can negotiate and prepare the relevant leases and tenancy agreements. We will provide personal and comprehensive advice on the creation or renewal of residential agreements, and we will make certain that these are drafted in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  We will ensure that your interests are protected and that the final agreement reflects both the latest law and your individual requirements.