Will writing & estate planning in Old Town, Swindon
Appointments across Old Town, Broome Manor, Coate and the Bath Road area — including evenings, at your kitchen table rather than an office.
Call 01793 228068Mon–Fri 9am–7pm · Sat by appointment · Home visits across Wiltshire
Why Old Town is different
Old Town estates tend to be property-heavy, and that changes the conversation. The Victorian and Edwardian villas around Bath Road, Devizes Road and The Lawn have appreciated far beyond what their owners paid, and a couple who bought in the 1980s can find that the house alone accounts for most of an estate that is now knocking on the inheritance tax threshold. Nobody feels wealthy because a house went up in value, but HMRC does not take feelings into account.
The arithmetic is worth doing properly before anyone starts giving money away. Between two nil-rate bands, two residence nil-rate bands where the home passes to children or grandchildren, and the allowances transferable between spouses, a married couple can often shelter considerably more than people assume. A good many Old Town families we sit down with turn out to have no liability at all, and we tell them so and stop there.
Where there is a liability, the options need to fit the fact that the wealth is in bricks. You cannot gift a bedroom, and continuing to live in a house you have given to the children is a gift with reservation of benefit that achieves nothing. Regular gifting out of surplus income, sensible use of both residence nil-rate bands, and life cover written into trust to fund the bill are usually more useful than anything dramatic.
Trusts, second marriages and older houses
A large share of our Old Town work involves second marriages and blended families. Where each partner has children from a previous relationship, leaving everything to the survivor outright means the entire house may eventually pass down one side of the family. A property protection trust or a life interest arrangement lets the survivor stay in the house for life while ring-fencing the first spouse’s half share for their own children. It is a common arrangement here and it is usually what people had in mind anyway.
Older properties bring their own quirks. Unregistered title, shared drives and rights of way, a converted flat with a short lease, or an annexe occupied by an adult child all need to be dealt with explicitly in the will rather than left to be argued about. We check the Land Registry position as part of the fact find.
We work around you, including evening appointments, and there is no charge for the first conversation or for a read-through of a will you already have.
What we can help with in Old Town
Wills
A clear, legally valid will that says exactly what you mean.
from £150
Trusts
Protect the family home and provide for the next generation.
from £400
Lasting Powers of Attorney
Property & financial affairs and health & welfare, registered for you.
from £150
Estate Planning
Everything pulled together into one clear, co-ordinated plan.
quoted after a free review
Executors
Make sure the people you appoint know what they are taking on.
Executor Pack £200
We also cover
Nearby villages include Wood Street, Bath Road, Devizes Road, The Lawn, Broome Manor, Coate — all within our normal visiting area.
Talk to someone in Old Town
The first conversation is free, and there is no obligation to go any further.