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Wills & Probate

Making a Will

We have experienced lawyers to draft your will with single wills from £180 + vat and mirror wills from £300 + vat.

Our costs include an appointment to discuss your will in person*, drafting the will using the latest real-time drafting software, an appointment to approve and sign your will and free storage.

*During the COVID-19 restrictions, we can prepare your will remotely and discuss by telephone or video conference and arrange for your will to be signed while respecting the social distancing guidelines.

Whatever your circumstances it is important to seek professional advice.

Making a will ensures that your property and possessions pass to your beneficiaries, makes provision for young children, appoints executors and saves inheritance tax.

If you have complex family circumstances or business interests we can review these with you and consider inheritance tax planning and tax reliefs.

We can prepare property trust wills and discretionary trust wills to protect assets.

Rebbeca Taylor
Rebecca Taylor

For more information, to arrange an appointment, or for a no-obligation telephone discussion please call 01827 311411.

Home appointments available.

We are able to attend clients in hospital and care homes.

Areas of specialism:

  • Drafting a will
  • Review an existing will
  • Property trust wills
  • Discretionary trust wills
  • Asset protection
  • Inheritance tax

Probate and Estate administration

After a bereavement it is necessary for someone with authority (`the personal representative`) to deal with the estate.

Our probate lawyers are experienced at providing help at this difficult time.

We can apply for the grant of probate and complete additional work such as completing tax returns, contacting beneficiaries, holding client money (as an executors account), preparing estate accounts and corresponding with HM Revenue & Customs to pay any inheritance tax.

We aim to make our pricing policy as transparent as possible and comply with the Law Society guidelines. We can provide fixed prices rather than charging hourly rates if you prefer.

To assist executors and administrators we offer a free 30 minute consultation with one of our helpful private client team.

Tony Illsley
Tony Illsley
Rebbeca Taylor
Rebecca Taylor
Lorraine Burkey

For more information or to arrange an initial no obligation appointment please call 01827 311411.

Areas of specialism:

  • Applying for grants of probate
  • Acting as professional executors
  • Advising on intestacy (if no valid will)
  • Estate administration and distribution to beneficiaries
  • Inheritance tax
  • Accounting to charitable beneficiaries
  • Preparing estate accounts for executors
  • Inheritance Act claims

Meet the Team

Rebbeca Taylor
Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx)

Rebecca Taylor
Tony Illsley
Partner

Tony Illsley
Support secretary

Melanie Pearson
Legal secretary

Maxine Witton
Private Client Paralegal

Michelle Green
Locum solicitor

Lorraine Burkey
Gemma Marshall
Legal Secretary

Gemma Marshall
Rebbeca Taylor

Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx)

Rebecca Taylor

Rebecca joined Rutherfords in 2018, as part of the expansion of our Private Client Department.

Rebecca has a wealth of experience working in Wills & Probate for over 11 years and qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2015.

Rebecca deals with all aspects of Private Client work such as Wills and Powers of Attorney but specialises in Administration of Estates (including farming estates and BPR/APR tax relief), Inheritance tax planning, Probate (including Grants of Probate, full administration and letters of administration) as well as deeds of variation and trusts.

Rebecca also has extensive experience in dealing with transfers of property to beneficiaries and trustees.

Tony Illsley

Partner

Tony Illsley

Head of Private Client

Tony qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and has a background of litigation experience including defending clinical negligence claims for healthcare professionals and panel membership of the Medical Defence Union. Tony became the partner in charge of the Private Client Department in 2007 and now specialises as a probate solicitor.

Tony deals with all aspects of private client work while managing the department including inheritance tax and tax reliefs, estate planning and will trusts, appointment of deputies, and dealings with the Court of Protection and Office of the Public Guardian. Tony acts as a professional executor and trustee on many estates, and as a professional deputy and attorney receiving referrals from the local adult safeguarding team.

Appointed the panel solicitor for the South Staffordshire area for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, Tony regularly attends meetings at the Air Ambulance headquarters in Stourbridge and is proud to support and raise funds for this charity. Tony is also a panel member of the National Free Wills Network supporting over 70 local and national charities. 

With a litigation background, he also continues to deal with contentious probate cases including Inheritance Act claims, contesting a will, claims regarding lack of mental capacity, and claims for and against executors.

Tony is the compliance officer for legal practice (COLP) for Rutherfords LLP, the designated partner for the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the compliance partner for the firm`s COVID-19 policy and strategy during the national restrictions for the safety of staff and clients.

Support secretary

Melanie Pearson

Melanie is a legal secretary with over 25 years experience and works as a support secretary for Michelle Green in the Private Client Department

Legal secretary

Maxine Witton

Maxine is an experienced private client legal secretary who joined the firm in 2021.

Maxine provides support to Tony Illsley, Rebecca Taylor and locum solicitor Lorraine Burkey in the probate department.

Private Client Paralegal

Michelle Green

MIchelle has recently joined the Private Client Team at Rutherfords LLP as an experienced Paralegal dealing with wills and lasting powers of attorney for finance & property and health & welfare.

Locum solicitor

Lorraine Burkey

Lorraine is an experienced locum solicitor who specialises in large value estates, particularly farming estates, agricultural property relief, probate, tax and trusts. Lorraine also provides lifetime tax planning for working farmers.

Lorraine is providing locum support during Rebecca`s maternity leave.

Gemma Marshall

Legal Secretary

Gemma Marshall

Gemma is an experienced legal secretary who has recently joined the Private Client Team at Rutherfords LLP

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    Contact us on: 01827 311 411 or [email protected]