Steele Rose & Co, Members of the Society of Will Writers and the Institute of Paralegals and Will Writers for over 10 years.

Estate conjures up a grand house and hundreds of acres. In reality, on death everyone leaves an estate - what is left after any bills are paid.

What happens to your estate depends on your will - a legal document that:

Records wishes about funeral arrangements

Appoints people to deal with the estate - the executors

Nominates guardians for any minors

Specifies any gifts for people and charities

States how the remainder is to be distributed

Names beneficiaries

Your Will can also be used to reduce Inheritance Tax, levied at 40% on chargeable estates above the Nil Rate Band threshold. This concession has not kept pace with rises in property values. Many more people will therefore be liable for the tax, especially on the second death in an unmarried couple, unless special trust clauses are included in their Wills.

If you have no Will, the laws of intestacy will determine who is to administer your estate and how it is to be distributed. This is unlikely to match either the requirements of the survivors or the wishes of the deceased. Whether young, old, single, co-habiting, married, divorced, widowed, wealthy or not so well off it is better and more responsible to have an up to date Will.

The best Wills are drawn up after careful consideration of all personal and financial circumstances. Expert help and advice from Steele Rose & Co is essential.

Steele Rose is a family company and one of the largest firms of visiting Will Writers, chosen each month by hundreds of new clients, who prefer the firm's dedicated yet unstuffy approach. Consultants are well versed in the use of trusts to minimize Inheritance Tax and protect your family from potential long term care fees.