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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If we all accept that one day we’ll be having a funeral, it makes total sense to plan for it.  Having a plan in place will save your family the stress and cost of arranging your funeral at what will be a very upsetting, emotional time for them.  It will also ensure you have the funeral you want and, last but not least, it will save you money.  For the same reasons, it’s also vital to make sure that your loved ones have plans for their funerals.

This won’t be something that anybody wants to spend time doing, but once you’ve done it, it’s done.  You can then feel very pleased with yourself for planning your future and protecting your family and finances and you can then forget all about it!

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably already thinking about Funeral Plans and whether or not you need one.  Are you asking yourself these sorts of questions?:

• Are you trying to put a plan in place for your future, for example Wills, Powers of Attorney etc and wondering whether a Funeral Plan should be part of those plans?
• Are you worried about how to pay for your funeral and/or are you worried about your loved ones having to pay the cost of your funeral?
• Are you concerned that you may have to pay for the funeral costs of your loved ones?
• Are you worried about leaving your loved ones the responsibility and expense of arranging your funeral and do your loved ones even know the type of funeral you would like?
• Who will be responsible for arranging your funeral?
• How do I arrange a funeral for a loved one?

If you’re thinking about these sorts of issues, it’s probably time to start putting a Funeral Plan in place for your and your loved ones.  Leech & Co can help you set up a Funeral Plan in a few quick and easy steps so call us on 0161 749 9000 / 07572 373 813or at e-mail us at leech@leech.co.uk and we can talk you through the whole process.

We think Funeral Plans are so important to put in place as part of the plan for your future and your family’s future that we have devoted a whole section on our website to them but we’ve set out below the main points you might want to think about.

What is a Funeral Plan?

A Funeral Plan is a way of saving to pay for the cost of your funeral i.e. you pay a one-off payment or a series of monthly payments (up to a maximum of 25 years) which guarantees the cost of the type of funeral you have chosen.  You can also personalise the type of funeral you want i.e. whether you want to be buried or cremated, the type of music or readings you want at the service etc.

What will the Funeral Plan pay for?

A Funeral Plan will generally include the following:

• Full cost of Cremation / contribution to cost of burial;
• Full, personal support from local Funeral Director;
• Guidance from the funeral director as to the process and paperwork;
• Collection, transportation, care and presentation of the body of the deceased;
• Coffin;
• Funeral director, driver and pallbearer to attend the funeral;
• Hearse and limousine for the family.

The Funeral Plan won’t include certain things, such as the cost of flowers or the wake etc, but your choice for these things can be included with the Funeral Plan and the Funeral Director at the time can help your family to arrange them.

How will a Funeral Plan save me money?

The cost of Funerals is rising all the time.  In 2019, the average cost of a Funeral was in the region of £4,000.00.  It’s estimated that in the next 5 years, the average cost will have risen to approximately £6,000.00.  It is expected that these costs will continue to rise in the future.

The Funeral Plan saves you money by fixing the price of your Funeral at today’s prices and it guarantees to cover the cost of the funeral no matter how much funeral costs rise in the future.

You can pay for your Funeral by saving money into a savings account or an ISA or pay into an insurance scheme, but these savings may not meet the rising cost of Funerals so your loved ones may be left to pay for any shortfall.  Also, you could continue to pay into these savings schemes for the rest of your life and you end up paying too much.  This would mean you and your loved ones wouldn’t be able to spend the overpaid amount on other things during your lifetime.

Having a Funeral Plan means you know exactly the amount you need to pay and you know exactly what you’ve paid for.  This will save you money and give you peace of mind that your Funeral is the one you want and it’s all paid for.

How will a Funeral Plan help my family?

A Funeral Plan will help your family by removing the need for them to arrange and pay for your Funeral immediately after you have died.  At that time, your loved ones will understandably be upset, emotional and stressed.  Do they really want to be discussing your funeral, making all the arrangements and finding the money to pay for it?  Do they even know what sort of Funeral you would want?  Might they fall out about what they think is the best Funeral for you?

It’s obvious that at that time, your loved ones need to be focussing on grieving and supporting each other.  They do not need the burden of arranging and paying for your Funeral.  With a Funeral Plan, all your loved ones need to do is call the appointed Funeral Director and the Funeral Director will take care of the arrangements.  Of course, the cost of the funeral has already been taken care of.

Is a Funeral Plan right for me?

In terms of money, there are different types of Funeral Plans at different prices and there are different payment periods so there will be one to suit your budget.

In terms of what’s included, everything you could need for a Funeral will be covered and paid for.  You can then personalise it and express your wishes for the parts that aren’t included, for example, flowers, hymns, the wake etc so you will know that your Funeral will be your Funeral.

In terms of whether you qualify for a Funeral Plan, the plans are available to everyone over the age of 50, there are no medical or health restrictions, there are no upper age limits (although payments must be completed by the age of 85) and there are choices as to Funeral Plan providers so you will be able to find a plan to suit you.

What should I do now?

It’s our advice that everyone should have a Funeral Plan in place as early as possible.  It’s a vital part of any plan for the future for you and your loved ones.  There are many benefits to having a Funeral Plan, but there are many risks and downsides if you don’t have one in place.

If you would like to discuss Funeral Plans or any part of a plan for the future, for example Wills, Powers of Attorney etc, call us for a free, no obligation initial chat on 0161 749 9000 / 07572 373 813 or e-mail us at leech@leech.co.ok and we can talk you through the whole process and help you to get started.

However, if you would like to read more about Funeral Plans and how we can help you, read our Funeral Plan section on our website here.

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