Wills and Power of Attorney: What to Know and How We Can help

I have been working for McSherry Halliday for over 18 years and during my time I have worked within the Troon, Kilmarnock and Irvine offices.

I was initially employed as an administration assistant within the Troon office. After a few years with the firm and having had my children, I went on to complete my Paralegal course in Wills, Trusts and Executries. At the time, I wondered how I would juggle studying along with taking my kids to their out of school activities as well as my full time job. Yet, with the support of my parents and McSherry Halliday I went on and passed my Paralegal course in 2013.

My role as a Wills, Trusts and Executries Paralegal includes drafting and finalising Wills, drafting Powers of Attorney and sending them to The Office of the Public Guardian for registration. My role also includes winding up a deceased person’s estate.

I have learned that not one estate is the same. In many estates, the deceased has made a Will and so our job is to work on behalf of the Executor Nominate to ingather the estate and implement the terms of the deceased’s Will. Some estates are intestate and this is where someone dies without leaving a Will. If this happens, we have to have an appropriate family member appointed as Executor Dative. Some estates can be complex and may require Inheritance Tax to be paid to HMRC within strict timescales. This makes the job interesting as each day is different and you never know what situation you will encounter next.

Without being in this role I do not think I would have realised the importance of having a Will or a Power of Attorney in place. Through what I have learned I have been able to explain to family members and friends why they should have these important documents in place. It is not a case of “I’m not old enough to have a Will or Power of Attorney” and no matter your age or stage in life, you should consider having one, to safeguard the position of both you and your family in the future. Having said that, I am still trying to convince my mum on that one!

At McSherry Halliday, we meet with clients to ascertain their requirements based on their individual circumstances. We advise them on what the most appropriate solution may be in relation to their Will and Power of Attorney. We pride ourselves in providing a bespoke service, which allows us to tailor the advice to suit the client’s needs.

If you are considering putting in place a Will or Power of Attorney, we would be happy to meet with you to discuss this. Please contact one of our team today.