KTP Solicitors is a law firm based in South Wales. We have a team of specialist solicitors that are highly experienced in everything to do with planning your estate and dealing with tax issues; ensuring your estate passes to the right people when you die and working alongside executors or estate administrators when the time comes to distribute the assets amongst the beneficiaries.

Fulfilling your Wishes and Protecting your Assets

Making sure your wishes are fulfilled, your estate is protected during your lifetime and your assets distributed properly when you die takes some planning and it is wise to do this planning as early as possible in your life, for example when you buy your first property, start living together, get married or have your first child. There are a number of ways in which this can be done:

Will Writing

A professionally drafted will is imperative if you want to ensure your estate falls into the hands of the right people when you die. In order to eliminate disputes and manage tax issues, KTP’s specialist will writing solicitors will advise you fully and then draft a will to see your wishes carried out and eliminate disputes, even in the most complex of situations.

Keep Your Will up to Date

Keeping your will up to date is vital. If you have experienced any changes in your circumstances, such as divorce, marriage or civil partnership, the addition of children or grandchildren to your family or the death of a beneficiary then you should contact KTP Solicitors right away as a change to your will may be necessary.

Estate Planning and Planning Ahead for the Future

Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax are two important factors that could have serious connotations on the value of your estate but other things to consider when planning ahead for the future are:

• How will your children be cared for – financially and socially - should you die whilst they are still young?
• Will you be able to meet the costs of long term care without having to sell your home?
• What will happen if you become mentally incapacitated and unable to manage your own finances?

Planning ahead is vital, and the specialist estate planning lawyers at KTP Solicitors will provide tailored advice to help you minimise any tax payable on your estate when you die; set up Trusts to safeguard children’s future and provide advice on Guardians. They can also advise you on setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney (see below).

Lasting Power of Attorney

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) will safeguard your interests – financial and welfare related - if you become unable to look after your own affairs through mental incapacity.

There are two types of LPA; one deals with property and affairs and the other with health care and life sustaining medical treatment. With an LPA you get to appoint the person or people of your choosing to handle your affairs at the point when you can no longer do so, or no longer wish to. The alternative? If you do not make an LPA and if you become mentally incapacitated it will fall to the Court of Protection to appoint someone to handle your affairs.
Probate and Estate Administration

The financial and legal matters that lay ahead when someone dies – known as ‘estate administration’ - can often become all-consuming for those left behind. The probate and estate administration specialists at KTP Solicitors offer practical, expert advice delivered in a sensitive and sympathetic manner.

If you have been appointed Executor of a will or Administrator of an estate and do not feel up to handling the responsibility then our specialists can help. We can work with you, or take over the task completely if you wish. Whatever your choice, you can rest assured we will expedite all the necessary legal, financial and tax-related procedures, including obtaining a Grant of Probate if necessary, without you having to worry about a thing.

Do you want to make sure your estate is in order?

Reduce tax liabilities and provide for your loved ones in the future?

Do you need professional assistance in administering an estate?

Wills and Uncontested Probate

People

The partner in charge is Jeffrey Kitchen, a Solicitor of 30 years post qualification experience. He trained with KTP Solicitors and is a partner in the firm.

Jeff has dealt with a substantial number of Wills and Probate matters over the years, and spends 90% of his working time dealing with such matters.

Jeff’s work is supervised by Rhian McTiffin.

Other people in KTP Solicitors carrying out Wills and Probate work are:

Rhian McTiffin,  a Chartered Legal Executive  who has over ten years experience, primarily within  rconveyancing. She is a partner in KTP Solicitors.

Rhian McTiffin qualified as a Legal Executive in 2013, having worked towards her qualification whilst working  as a Trainee Legal Executive with KTP Solicitors.

Rhian specialises in conveyancing, and spends 95% of her time working in that area and the remaining time in Probate and Wills. Her work is supervised by Elizabeth Hinton.

Elizabeth Hinton, an Assistant Solicitor. Elizabeth qualified as a Solicitor in July 2019, having graduated in law from the University of Bristol and having completed the Legal Practice Course at  Cardiff University .  She completed her training contract  with  KTP Solicitors and since then has continued to assist numerous people with their conveyancing and probate needs. She spends 15% of her time working in Wills and Probate, and the remainder in conveyancing. She is supervised by Rhian McTiffin.

Costs Information, Key Stages and Time Scales

Wills

Costs Information

These fixed fees include an attendance upon you to take instructions regarding your Will, the drafting of the Will in accordance with those instructions and overseeing the execution of the Will.

These fixed fees do not include any additional attendances you require us to make nor any amendments by you to the initial instructions you provide. They also do not include any amendments you request after the Will is executed by you. For any such additional work you will be charged at a rate of £100 plus VAT per hour

Further charges are likely if you require home visits in order for us to carry out the above  work.  These will be determined by the distance we are required to travel, the time it takes us to travel and the number of times we have to travel to see you. For travelling to and from your home, and any additional attendances you require us to make above and beyond those covered by the fixed fee you will will be charged at £100 plus VAT per hour.

The fuel costs of travelling to and from your home address will be charged in addition to any other fees and at the rate of 0.45p per mile.

Key Stages

We attend upon you and take your instructions for preparation of the Will.

We prepare the Will in accordance with your instructions.

We send you a draft copy of the Will either by post or email.

Once you have approved the draft we attend upon you again to oversee execution  of the Will.

Time Scales

We would ordinarily expect to have arranged execution of the Will within one week of taking instructions from you.

Uncontested Probate

Costs Information

1. We need to obtain a grant of probate if the deceased left a valid will, or letters of administration if they didn’t;
2. We then need to realise all the assets from the estate by contacting banks, building societies etc., and, if appropriate, by arranging the sale of the deceased’s property;
3. We then distribute the estate in accordance with the deceased’s will, or under the rules of intestacy if there is no valid will.

Time Scales