Here are Case Studies about some of our clients and how we have been able to help them. We have divided them into different sections i.e. Wills and Powers of Attorney, but some clients have instructed us for both so there may be relevant information for you in different sections.
We have included Case Studies of relatively straightforward cases so you can get an idea of how we have helped the majority of our clients. We have also included Case Studies of clients who have provided feedback to us so you can see what clients thought of the process and the service they had received.
Therefore, the cases featured below don’t cover the range of clients we have helped or the different types of issues we deal with so it may be that your particular issue isn’t covered within these Case Studies. If that is the case, please call us on 0161 749 9000 or contact us via the website for a friendly, informal chat. We’re sure that we will be able to help you whatever the issue, but if we can’t, we will find someone suitable who can.
Wills
To find out about Wills i.e. what they are for, how they help you and your family, what happens if you don’t have one etc, please see here or call us on 0161 749 9000 and speak to one of our friendly team for an informal chat.
Below are some case studies so you can see how the process of putting a Will in place works and how we can help you make the whole process straightforward, easy to understand, quick and affordable. We will always come to see you at your home or workplace so you don’t need to come to our office for your appointments.
Case Study 1: Updating a Will
We were instructed by Mrs K (53), Urmston, Manchester, to draft an updated Will for her.
Mrs K had had a Will before, but then she divorced. The divorce meant the old Will was no longer valid and therefore she decided to make an updated Will. Mrs K was spurred on to do this by the death of her younger sister who died without leaving a Will. Dealing with her sister’s estate without a Will in place made a difficult and painful time for Mrs K even worse and Mrs K didn’t want her children to have to deal with a similar situation when she eventually died.
Mrs K wanted to ensure that her assets passed to her children, her family and friends appropriately and as she would wish and also that they were not left with any issues to deal with following her death.
We spoke to Mrs K on the phone to talk with her, discuss her options and provide some initial advice and ideas about what she might want to include with her Will. We then visited Mrs K at her home to talk with her further and confirm her instructions. We discussed her life and what she wanted to happen following her death. Following this appointment, Mrs K changed her mind about a couple of points and had made firm decisions about certain others. We confirmed these further instructions with Mrs K over the telephone and then prepared updated documents for her.
The draft copy of the Will was provided to Mrs K, she confirmed she was happy with the draft so we arranged to return to Mrs K’s home to supervise the signing of the Will. The Will is now safely and securely stored in our Will Bank and Mrs K has a copy at home.
Mrs K said the major factor that persuaded her to instruct Leech & Co was the fact they would visit her at home and fit in with her busy schedule and she did not have to make an appointment at their office. She said this made things so much easier for her.
Mrs K also said that the whole process was made easy for her – she saw the same person for each appointment who was friendly and efficient, each appointment and telephone call was followed-up with an e-mail and all documents were sent to her very quickly.
Mrs K said that Leech & Co were “helpful, clear, detailed and easy to chat with” and we were “efficient, well organised and friendly”. Mrs K has already recommended Leech & Co to her friends and family.
We charged Mrs K a fixed fee for her Will which was agreed at the outset so that she knew exactly the cost of the whole process. This fixed fee included all home visits, telephone calls and the drafting, signing and storage of the Will.
N.B. We also advised Mrs K about a Funeral Plan and we have since arranged this for her.
Case Study 2: Making a first Will
We were instructed by Mrs C (44), Urmston, Manchester, to draft her Will.
Mrs C Had not drafted a Will previously. Mrs C had recently divorced and moved to a new home. She was determined to plan for, and protect, her future and her childrens’ future and part of that was to make her Will. She wanted to ensure that if the worst happened to her, her children would be cared for and provided for. She had put off making a Will for some time, but then the Coronavirus happened and she decided to get her Will done.
Mrs C made some enquiries about Solicitors and how to draft a Will and she was recommended to Leech & Co by a friend. Mrs C called us and we had a chat about what Mrs C wanted to do with her Will. She was provided with advice and ideas as to how she could do this. At the time, we were all in Lockdown, so we couldn’t visit Mrs C at home as we would have liked, but we carried out a full follow-up telephone interview to confirm her instructions. A draft Will was then sent to Mrs C which she wanted to update and amend having thought a bit more about what she wanted. We discussed the Will again and prepared a further draft. Mrs C was happy with the updated and amended Will and so we arranged to visit her home and, observing all social-distancing guidelines, we supervised and helped her sign and witness her Will.
Mrs C was happy and relieved that, if the worst should happen to her, her children will be looked after and provided for and her assets will be divided between her family, friends and chosen charity. Mrs C said this was a weight off her mind. She also said that Leech & Co had been “really friendly” and “very helpful and patient when I had lots of questions”. She was “amazed at the speed in which the whole process was completed … despite everything having to be completed over the phone”.
Mrs C commented that “yes, you can do a Will online for free, but I’d recommend leech & Co any day for the peace of mind you get knowing it’s done properly. The advice I received was clear and easy to understand, the whole service was value for money and I would recommend Leech & Co to my family and friends”.
We charged Mrs C a fixed fee for her Will which was agreed at the outset so that she knew exactly the cost of the whole process. This fixed fee included all telephone calls and home visits and the drafting, signing and storage of the Will.
Power of Attorney
To find out about Powers of Attorney i.e. what they are for, how they help you and your family, what happens if you need one and don’t have one etc, please see here or call us on 0161 749 9000 and speak to one of our friendly team for an informal chat.
Below are some case studies so you can see how the process of putting a Power of Attorney in place works and how we can help you make the whole process straightforward, easy to understand, quick and affordable. We will always come to see you at your home or workplace so you don’t need to come to our office for your appointments.
Case Study 1: Both types of Power of Attorney for Mr and Mrs C
We were instructed by Mr and Mrs C (both in their 80s) in Stretford, Manchester, to draft their Powers of Attorney. They lived together and were active and independent, but they were concerned about their general health and their ability to look after themselves should their health deteriorate. Their adult children were also concerned about how they would look after them if they were needed to especially as one of the children did not live locally.
We initially spoke with Mr and Mrs C on the telephone to discuss their general concerns, what they wanted to do and how they wanted us to help. We provided them with a Factsheet about Powers of Attorney so that they could think about what they wanted and needed before their appointment with us. We then met Mr and Mrs C to confirm their instructions. We spent a couple of hours with them, chatting to them, getting to know them and finding out exactly what they wanted. We then took all the details necessary to draft their Powers of Attorney. (Mr and Mrs C already had Wills in place, but we reviewed them without charge to ensure they were valid and that they did not need to be updated.)
Mr and Mrs C instructed us to prepare both types of Powers of Attorney for them i.e. Finance and Property and Health and Welfare. The draft documents were provided to Mr and Mrs C within 7 days and they confirmed they were happy with them. The final documents were drafted and we returned to see Mr and Mrs C to supervise and help them with the signing of the documents. This is more complicated than many people may think and it has to be done correctly.
The documents were then sent to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to be registered. Due to Covid-19 , it took some time for the registered documents to be returned to us, but as soon they were, we provided them to Mr and Mrs C. We also provided advice and information to Mr and Mrs C’s Attorneys to ensure they were aware of their responsibilities and what the role of an Attorney involves.
We charged Mr and Mrs C’s a fixed fee for their Powers of Attorney which was agreed at the outset so that they knew exactly the cost of the whole process. This fixed fee included all home visits, telephone calls and the drafting and registration of the documents.
Mr and Mrs C and their family now have the protection of fully registered Powers of Attorney. They are safe in the knowledge that, should Mr and Mrs C’s health deteriorate and they need help and assistance in relation to their health, finances or property, their family is able to provide them with all the help they need.
Mrs C has since commented that our advice to them in relation to the Powers of Attorney was “clear and easy to understand” and that Leech & Co were “knowledgeable, understanding, informative and efficient”. We provided a “very personalised service, without any pressure” and that she would “highly recommend” us to friends and family. She also commented that she considered she had received value for money.
Case Study 2: One type of Power of Attorney for Mr W
We were instructed by Mr W (55) to draft his Power of Attorney. Mr W had suffered some health problems and didn’t want his adult children to have any problems accessing his finances in the event his health deteriorated. (Mr W instructed us before the Covid-19 crisis.)
We had a meeting with Mr W to discuss his options in terms of who to appoint as an Attorney, when they could act, what his instructions were to his Attorneys etc, and we also discussed putting in place a Health and Welfare Power of Attorney. Mr W took time to consider his options and we then arranged a second meeting.
Mr W decided not to put in place a Health and Welfare Power of Attorney at this time, but would consider it should he suffer further health issues. We confirmed Mr W’s instructions regarding his Power of Attorney and we ensured that he understood all aspects of the Power of Attorney and that he was happy with his decisions.
We then drafted Mr W’s Power of Attorney for him and provided a copy to him for his approval. Mr W confirmed that he was happy to proceed as per the draft documents and so we then arranged a third meeting to supervise the signing of the Power of Attorney. We then submitted the signed document to the Office of the Public Guardian for registration.
Mr W now has a Power of Attorney in place that ensures that, if his health deteriorates, his adult children are able to access his finances, deal with any financial or property issues on his behalf and take care of him financially in accordance with his wishes. He is relieved that his adult children will be able to do this without difficulty or delay and without having to spend their own money looking after him. He is also aware of his options as to a Health and Welfare Power of Attorney and feels reassured that this can be put in place for him should he wish to do so.
Mr W already had a Will in place, but we reviewed this for him without charge to ensure this still complied with his wishes.
We charged Mr W a fixed fee for his Power of Attorney which was agreed at the outset so that he knew exactly the cost of the whole process. This fixed fee included all home visits, telephone calls and the drafting and registration of the documents.
Mr W feels relieved and reassured now his Power of Attorney is in place and we are pleased that we were able to help him at a difficult and worrying time in his life. He said that Leech & Co provided him with a “fast, efficient, friendly service” and we “work very hard to provide you with an excellent service”. He gave us “5 out of 5” and said he would recommend us to his friends and family, which he already has done.
