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At Leech & Co we remain committed to helping our clients prepare for their future. We are continuing to help our clients make Wills, put in place Powers of Attorney and Funeral Plans and assisting them following the death of a loved one. We also remain committed to serving our clients by holding all appointments at our clients’ homes so that our clients do not have to make an appointment to visit us at our offices.

However, the health and safety of our clients and members of our team are our number one priority at all times. So, how do we make sure our clients and team members are safe while also continuing to help our clients?

The first thing we can all do is keep ourselves informed of the facts and the latest guidance. By this stage of dealing with Covid-19, we all know what we need to do to try to keep ourselves and each other safe and, through the year, we have all learnt about Covid-19, its symptoms and how it can be passed between people. However, there is a lot of information to take in and so it is always good to remind ourselves of the basic facts – a good summary of what we need to know at the moment can be found on the BBC website:

Coronavirus – what are the symptoms? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51048366
A cold, flu or Coronavirus – which one do I have? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54182329
What are the rules in your area? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54373904
What are social distancing and self-isolation? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51506729
Coronavirus – how can I look after my older relatives? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51855011
As well as keeping ourselves informed, there are practical steps we can take to combat the spread of the Covid-19. At Leech & Co, we are committed to keeping our clients safe, but also to continue helping our clients and visiting them in their homes. These are the steps we are taking to do this:

1. We have provided all team members with the latest medical advice provided by the Government and NHS in relation to measures to stop the spread of the virus. We will continue to do this on a daily basis so that we are all aware of all preventative measures that we need to take.
2. The latest Government and NHS advice can be found using these links:
3. Coronavirus (COVID-19): UK government response – GOV.UK
4. Coronavirus (COVID-19): NHS
5. All team members wear face masks to all appointments (and in public spaces generally);
6. All social-distancing guidelines will be observed at all appointments;
7. We have instructed our team members to wash their hands regularly through the day and especially before and after every client appointment and to wear gloves if appropriate;
8. All team members work from home and drive to all appointments by car. Therefore, we avoid contact with people in offices and/or on public transport;
9. All non-essential team meetings have been cancelled;
10. We regularly disinfect all office equipment i.e. keyboards, printers, phones etc so that any contact with any paperwork sent to our clients should be safe;
11. We do not share equipment with each other or with clients including pens, folders, files etc;
12. We will offer all clients the option of holding their appointments by telephone and/or by Skype/Facetime. We are aware that some clients prefer a face-to-face meeting and we are happy to visit our clients in their homes (observing all safety and social-distancing guidelines);
13. Each day we are monitoring all team members and all team members’ families to see if they are displaying any relevant symptoms. If any relevant symptoms are displayed, the team member and their family will immediately self-isolate and re-arrange all client appointments in accordance with the latest advice and guidance.

We will continue to monitor and update these steps in line with the Government’s and NHS advice.
We wish all of our clients and their families well at this difficult time and if we can be of assistance to you in any way, please let us know.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of our Covid-19 policy further or if you wish to discuss making a Will or Power of Attorney or any of our services, please call one of our friendly team on 0161 749 9000 or e-mail us at leech@leech.co.uk to ask for a call back.

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We can help you with Wills and Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Funeral Plans, Probate and administering the Estate (if a loved has died and you are an Executor).  There are full details on our website – www.leechandco.co.uk – together with Factsheets, Blogs and FAQs to help you understand the issues involved and why these matters are so important.  Below is a very quick guide to help you get started with a plan.

Wills

What happens if you have a Will

Your family will know exactly what your wishes are and these wishes can then be carried out without arguments; your property, assets, savings and belongings will go to who you want them to go to; your family will be protected from legal and tax bills; if you have children under 18, your wishes as to their future will be clear and so can be carried out.

What happens if you don’t have a Will

Your family will not know what your wishes are and so may disagree on what to do adding to their stress at an already emotional time; the law will decide who receives your property, assets, savings and belongings and so these may not to go to who you want them to go to and/or a person who you want to receive something may receive nothing; there may be legal and tax bills; if you have children under 18, you will have no say as to what happens to them when you are not here.

A Will is one of the most important documents you will ever make.  It is vital to have one and it is vital that you get it right so that your future, and your family’s future, is protected.  The relatively small cost now of using a Solicitor to prepare and execute a valid, legally binding Will that will carry out all of your wishes will be a saving in all sorts of ways down the line for you and your family.

Making a will now is a small investment in terms of time and money that will pay off in the long-run for you and your family.  Unfortunately, nobody knows when the time will come so having a Will in place as early as possible will give you and your family peace of mind, legal certainty and financial security.

Powers of Attorney

What happens if you have a Power of Attorney

If you are ever unable to look after yourself or make decisions to do with your health or finances e.g. dementia, a stroke, long-term illness or isolation etc, your family will immediately be able to look after you, make decisions for you so that you are supported financially and looked after in terms of your health and wellbeing; your family will have peace of mind knowing that you are protected.

What happens if you don’t have a Power of Attorney

If you are ever unable to look after yourself or make decisions to do with your health and finances e.g. dementia, a stroke, long-term illness or isolation etc, your family will not be able to access your finances, will not be able to contact your services or utility providers on your behalf and will not be able to make decisions for you to do with your health and wellbeing.

Essentially, your family will be very limited in what they can do for you.  Your family will have to apply to the Court of Protection for court orders to access your finances and make decisions on your behalf to do with your health and wellbeing.  This is a lengthy, complex and expensive process.

Again, as with a Will, a Power of Attorney is one of the most important documents you will ever make.  It is essential that everyone has one in place to protect them and their family should there ever be a time they are unable to look after themselves or make their own decisions.  Think of it like an insurance policy – you hope you never have to use it, but it is better to have it in place and not need it than to need it and not have it.

The relatively small cost now of using a Solicitor to prepare and register a legally binding, valid Power of Attorney that ensures you are protected in terms of your health and finances is far outweighed by the cost of applying to, and dealing with, the Court of Protection and the emotional cost to your family of being unable to look after you.  It is a small investment now in terms of time and money that that will pay off for you and your family in the long-run.

Funeral Plans

What happens if you have a Funeral Plan

The cost of your funeral will be fixed at today’s prices; you will not pay or save more for your funeral than you need to; the cost can be spread over 25 years; the cost of your funeral will be covered in certain circumstances even if you haven’t finished paying for it; your family will not have the cost and stress of organising your funeral as this will all be taken care of by the Funeral Director in accordance with your wishes; you can specify your wishes so your family is in no doubt about the funeral you want.

What happens if you don’t have a Funeral Plan

Your family will be left with the cost and stress of arranging your funeral at what will be an emotional and upsetting time for them; the cost of the funeral will be the cost at the time which may be significantly higher than today’s costs; your family will not know the type of funeral you wanted and so this may become the cause of family arguments and fall-outs.

A Funeral Plan is basically a sensible way to pay for your funeral, to ensure you have the funeral you want at the price you can afford and to avoid family arguments and fall-outs.  It just makes sense to put a Funeral Plan in place as early as possible.  They are available for all over-50s, there is a choice of funerals, costs and flexible payment plans and there are no health or background checks.

How Leech & Co can help you

Leech and Co can help you put in place your Will, Power of Attorney and Funeral Plan.  You don’t have to have all three, but having even one in place will help the future be that little more certain and safe for you and your family.

We can also help you if you’re an Executor for a loved one’s Will with the Probate and Administration of the Estate.  Here is a guide to the steps you need to take – What to do when a loved one dies – a practical and legal guide – but please call us so we can help you straightaway.

If you have concerns about your finances and your future financial plans, we work with a network of trusted, experienced and friendly Independent Financial Advisers who would be able to help you and we would be happy to put you in touch with them.

At Leech & Co, we understand that matters relating to Wills, Powers of Attorney, Funeral Plans and Probate are delicate, emotional and stressful.  We will treat you at all times with compassion, kindness and empathy.  We pride ourselves on being friendly and approachable, we’re good listeners and we will talk to you in jargon-free plain English.  We are here to provide you with expert, professional, legal advice and we work quickly and efficiently to ensure a good outcome for you.

We offer fixed fees wherever possible and flexible payment plans to make our services reasonable and affordable for everyone.

We understand that dealing with these matters is an upsetting and emotional thing to do and it’s something you want to put off and not think about.  However, we aim to make the whole process as stress-free and smooth as possible for you.  Once these documents are done, they’re done and you don’t have to worry about them – you have put in place a plan that will protect you and your loved ones’ future.

Further reading for full details

When can I make a Will? When should I make a Will? Why do I need a Will?

Powers of Attorney – do I need a Power of Attorney?

Funeral Plans – do I need one?

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Before the Coranavirus outbreak, our small, friendly team at Leech & Co all worked from home so we are already set-up and ready to help our clients.  We did not work in a crowded office and we did not use public transport to get to and from work. Since the outbreak, we have followed all Government guidelines to keep ourselves safe and well.  Please see our article https://leechandco.co.uk/protecting-our-clients-against-coronavirus/ for the steps we have taken to keep our clients and our team safe. 

Before the outbreak, we would visit all of our clients at their home at a time that was convenient for them so we could talk to you and get to know you, confirm your instructions and ensure all documents were correctly signed and witnessed.  Since the outbreak, we have had to change the way we do things and make some adjustments, but it is business as usual for us.

Telephone or video appointments

We are holding appointments with our clients on the telephone or by video link wherever possible.  This is working well, but if this isn’t possible we are thinking creatively – we can take instructions, sign and witness Wills and Powers of Attorney through a client’s ground floor window or outside at a safe distance or even through a car window.  We are all having to adapt to this new situation and at the moment we are doing all we can to help our clients and keep them safe.

We are able to help our clients in all of the ways we could do before the outbreak – we can help them with their Wills or Powers of Attorney, we can set up a Funeral Plan and we can assist with Court of Protection, Probate and Estate Administration.  If there are concerns about the mental capacity of a family member, we can also advise and help you with this.

Lancashire Local Support Group Network

At this time, we are here to help our clients in any way we can.  We also have a network of local support groups and agencies throughout Lancashire and so, if we can’t help you, get in touch and we can at least put you in touch with someone who can.

If you would like to have a free, initial chat with one of our friendly team to see how we can help you and your family at this difficult time, please call us on 0161 749 9000 or 07572 373 813 or  request a call here.

We help clients all around Lancashire and Manchester and we offer 20% off our fees and rates to all NHS staff, Carers, Teachers, Police, members of the emergency services and armed forces, Key Workers and Volunteers.

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How do we make sure our clients and team members are safe while also continuing to help our clients make a plan for their future?

The Coronavirus has made us all uncertain about how to act with each other and what we can do to keep people safe and well.  We have read as much as possible about the Coronavirus, its symptoms and how it can be passed between people – a good summary of what we need to know at the moment can be found on the BBC website:

Coronvirus – what are the symptoms?  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51048366

What are social distancing and self-isolation?  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51506729

Coronvirus – how can I look after my older relatives?  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51855011

We have set out below the steps we have taken to combat the spread of the Coronavirus, to keep our clients safe and to keep providing our services to our clients:

1. We have provided all team members with the latest medical advice provided by the Government and NHS in relation to measures to stop the spread of the virus.  We will continue to do this on a daily basis so that we are all aware of all preventative measures that we need to take.The latest Government and NHS advice can be found using these links:
   Coronavirus (COVID-19): UK government response – GOV.UK
   Coronavirus (COVID-19) – NHS
   There is also a summary of the latest advice on the BBC website (correct as at 17^th March 2020): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-51632801
2. We have instructed our team members to wash their hands regularly through the day and especially before and after every client appointment;
3. All team members work from home and drive to all appointments by car.  Therefore, we avoid contact with people in offices and/or on public transport;
4. All non-essential team meetings have been cancelled;
5. We have disinfected all office equipment i.e. keyboards, printers, phones etc so that any contact with any paperwork sent to our clients should be safe;
6. We will offer all clients the option of holding their appointments by telephone and/or by Skype/Facetime – please see full details here.  We are aware that some client matters will require a face-to-face meeting, but these meetings will be kept to a minimum for the time being.
7. Each day we are monitoring all team members and all team members’ families to see if they are displaying any relevant symptoms.  If any relevant symptoms are displayed, the team member and their family will immediately self-isolate and re-arrange all client appointments in accordance with the latest advice and guidance.

We will continue to monitor and update these steps in line with the Government’s and NHS advice,

We wish all of our clients and their families well at this difficult time and if we can be of assistance to you in any way, please let us know.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of our Coronavirus plan and policy further or if you wish to discuss making a Will or Power of Attorney or any of services, please call one of our friendly team on 0161 749 9000 or e-mail us at leech@leech.co.uk to ask for a call back.

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However, at the moment, this is not an ideal world.  The Coronavirus means that, for now, we have had to change the way we do things.  We take the health and safety of our clients and team members extremely seriously and so a face-to-face, sit down meeting with all of our clients is not the best way to help them.

Change in circumstances

We have adopted the steps and procedures detailed to help combat the spread of the virus and keep our clients and team members safe.

However, to allow us to keep helping our clients put a plan in place for their future, we will do the following:

• All appointments with our clients will be held on the telephone (we are also able to speak with you via SKYPE or Facetime or video call.  Please let us know if you need assistance setting these up on your phone or computer);

• All clients will be offered as many telephone appointments that are needed so don’t worry about asking us to call back or spreading the appointment over a series of calls;

• We will provide all documents to you by post or e-mail;

• We will provide you with all of the information (either on the telephone or in writing) you will need to allow you to make your decisions and confirm your instructions;

• We will provide you with full advice and assistance about the correct way to sign and witness your documents;

• We will provide you with self-addressed envelopes to allow you to return documents to us;

• If any of our clients need further assistance, please let us know and we will do our best to help you.

We hope that we will be able to help our clients get through this difficult time and plan for the future.  If you would like to discuss any aspect of our Coronavirus plan and policy further or if you wish to discuss making a Will or Power of Attorney or any of services, please call one of our friendly team on 0161 749 9000 or e-mail us at leech@leech.co.uk to ask for a call back.

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