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The passing of a loved one can change your world in an instant. In one moment, everything is as it should be, and then within a heartbeat, it can all come crashing down. Sometimes we are prepared for the passing of our loved one in that we know it is coming but it does not take away the impact of that final moment when it actually happens. No matter how mentally prepared you may be, especially when a person has an illness for an extended period, there is always that sense of hope that things will be ok. When that call comes and hope dissolves, you need a support structure in place to help you navigate the unknown road ahead.

Grieving loved ones, are advised to include, in their support system, a probate legal expert.

When it comes to the legalities associated with the end of life, Lodge Brothers Legal Services probate Guildford and probate Feltham knows what is required for the executor of an estate and who is responsible for the probate process that authenticates a last will and testament of the deceased person.

Should the deceased have a will in place, Lodge Brothers Legal Services have the training and expertise required to facilitate the court-administered legal process of probate Woking. Even more importantly, when an individual does not have a last will and testament, the process can become significantly more difficult. While families deal with the immense emotional grief which they must face when their loved one passes, Lodge Brothers Legal Services solicitors take care of the legal logistics.

There are 4 steps to the probate process. Firstly, the will, should there be one, has to be proven for authenticity. This is required to make sure that the Will is the most valid and latest version. In order for this to happen, a case is filed at the court. Once the court has validated the Will, the court will be in contact with the relevant beneficiaries and creditors. Before the beneficiaries can inherit assess indicated in the Will, creditors will need to be paid. Thus clearing all debts and outstanding taxes, so that the court can process the remaining assets as stipulated by the Will. At this stage there may be objections raised because of either complicated family dynamics or resulting from the process whereby all debts were settled. Should the debts out-weigh the assets, beneficiaries may not be advised, this may cause financial, and emotions stress for the family. Should the estate be unaffected by the debtors payments, an inventory of the properties and other assets such as jewellery, furniture and other possessions. The assessment covers everything from bank accounts affected by joint-tenancy with rights of survivorship, to distinguishing between probate or non-probate assets and properties.

At the end of the probate process, the assets are distributed according to the instructions found within the Will. The process of executing probate Weybridge and closing an estate can be a long and difficult one and your Lodge Brothers Legal Services attorney will be available for consultation until all details are legally finalised.

All across England people are being required to stay home. Funeral ceremonies may only be allow limited attendance and those who do attend must still follow all Covid health instructions with regards to social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitizing. The funeral industry has been thrown into turmoil at the result of the pandemic and Lodge Brothers Funeral Directors are following government guidance on managing a funeral in England, during this coronavirus pandemic.

This short explanation from Lodge Brother explains what can be expected if you need to arrange a funeral, and will help you to understand how funerals have changed over this period.

Funeral attendance is limited to 30 people or less, this is for funerals both indoors as well as outdoors. Should you hold an event which is not a funeral per say, but is a belief-based or commemorative event, only 15 people may attend, whether it be indoors or outdoors. Lodge Brothers funeral directors recommends that funerals are to be announced as by invitation only, thereby controlling the numbers of attendees to within permissible limits and ensuring that close family and friends gain preferential access to the funeral.

In line with the government guidelines, our funeral events are held in Covid secure venues that have been through thorough health and safety risk assessments, ensuring that all risks regarding the coronavirus are mitigated and limited.

In the event that your loved one has passed from covid-related complications, family members who have been in contact with the deceased must remain in isolation for the prescribed amount of time and personal attendance to the funeral will not be permitted. Remote attendance is the alternative to curb the potential spreading of the virus and placing other family members in harm’s way.

Government guidelines state that funerals should not be delayed in order to accommodate family members finishing isolation. This is hardest on loved ones left behind to accept however, Lodge Brothers funeral directors Slough, funeral directors Roehampton and funeral directors Teddington will make all of the relevant arrangements and alleviate you from any additional and undue stress resulting from the difficult circumstances that you are already facing. It is a well-known fact that funerals are a vital part of the grieving process however priority must remain to contain the virus, in order to ensure that no one suffers unnecessarily and becomes ill themselves, placing their own lives in danger as well. Families need their members who are Covid free, to stay that way so that life can carry on as best physically possible under these trying circumstances.

Family members and friends who are not part of the family bubble who wish to travel in order to attend the funeral, should chose to stay in a hotel or guest house where they will not be exposed to other family members who may be isolating or in quarantine.

All mourners must follow Covid rules and remain compliant to those rules throughout the event. Funerals can be held in a shorter period, or in rotation, so that respects can still be paid to the deceased yet in a safe environment.

It may surprise the majority of people, that having a Will in place for when you pass on, is only the start of a series of rather complex legal events which needs to be finalised after a funeral takes place. For the most part, people feel prepared for all eventualities once the Will has been drawn up but in reality there is more that one needs to take into account other than just the allocation of your possessions as part of your last wishes.  To complicate matters more, no more than 30% of UK citizens actually have prepared their Will. This can lead to the possibility that the majority of families who experience the passing of a loved one, will end up have much more on their plate than they originally anticipated. Dealing with grief and loss is one of the most distressing experience a person could have. Add to that, the multitude of decisions and choices which need to be made once a person has passed, and its almost certainly too much to bear.

Lodge Brothers Probate Guildford attorneys are able to assist families with issues of this kind, which arise, in situations where a person has failed to prepare. And just as one might think that drawing up a Will is something that they need professional help with, so too is the process of probate which is the next of the complex details that families are faced with.

Should a person pass away before they have had the opportunity to prepare their Will, their estate is automatically placed “intestate” meaning that the courts become responsible for assessing who is officially your next of kin and allocate your possessions accordingly. What this can mean is that your possessions are not allocated in the way in which you would have preferred them to be allocated. For example, a person who is on their second marriage to a person on their first marriage, may have children from that first marriage. The husband or wife of the second marriage may be deemed as your next in line heir, however you may wish for your children to received all of your inheritance and for nothing to be left to your second spouse. For whatever reasons you deem to be necessary, you have the right to do as you wish with your estate. If you should die without a Will in place, the courts may find that your second spouse receives everything. Nothing may be wrong with this at face value, however what if your second spouse re-marries and then all of your possessions go to the new spouse, by-passing your children entirely. Not through malice but rather through a series of events, your children may be left without financial security as a result.

The importance of reaching out Lodge Brothers Probate Ashford professionals to assist you with such decisions, which can have far-reaching effects on your family’s future, can never, be over-emphasised. Provide for your loved ones in the way that you wish and chose Lodge Brothers Legal attorneys to administer your estate.

Contact Lodge Brothers Probate Feltham and Probate Woking for all your legal requirements.

Lodge Brothers Probate Weybridge Legal Services is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Our family had no idea what we were about to face when our family was struck down by corona virus in May of 2020. Living with my elderly mother and father-in-law was intended to keep them financially stable and safe in their latter years and it was a choice our family made, to ensure that we would always be just a door-knock away when every they needed us for the small things or the big things. One of those big things happened to our family at the end of April as the country locked down to protect each other from… well… each other. Since my mother and father in law were of the vulnerable age to the deadly virus, we endeavoured to take every precaution to ensure that they were isolated and that all exposure opportunities were limited. Like many other families around the UK, it became priority to ensure that there was as little risk to the family as we could physically mitigate.

As it so happened, with a number of additional underlying comorbidities, my mother-in-law began to display some of the symptoms including fever, dry cough and severe headaches and was subsequently collected on the May Day bank holiday 2020 and taken via ambulance to New Victoria Hospital. After testing positive, the hospital placed her in high care on a respirator and we waited with heavy hearts for 3 days as she used all of her energy to fight off the virus. Finally, in the early hours of Tuesday 5 May, she lost her fight and passed away leaving my father-in-law and her two grown son’s and their families, reeling with disbelief and immeasurable sadness that this virus is so destructive. From there everything became a bit of a blur and we immediately started looking for funeral directors to assist us with the preparation of the funeral. Just a few minutes’ drive from the hospital we found the Funeral Directors New Malden branch of Lodge Brothers funeral directors who responded immediately, despite us contacting them in the exceedingly early hours of the business day, to our every need.

When we arrived at the Lodge Brothers office later that day, the staff were extremely compassionate and prioritised our needs, from the minute we walked in. Their professionalism and compassion made us feel like we were the only family in the whole world, who was going through the passing of a loved one. All plans came together seamlessly as Kerry listened carefully to all our requests calmly and with 100% attention to detail which we so appreciated as everything was all so very overwhelming to process and decision-making was particularly difficult. Lodge Brothers staff went over and above to get us through the difficult time, which was especially helpful for my father-in-law whose whole life had changed in an instance. We thank Lodge Brothers Funerals and while we don’t look forward to it, we will trust you to help our family when we need to, in the future.

Funeral directors Ascot and Funeral directors Shepherds Bush are there for you family in time of grief!

Always here to help…. This is the Lodge Brothers promise which has been proven true, day after day by the Lodge Brothers Funeral homes countrywide. No matter how prepared you think you may be when it comes to planning your funeral, your family will still need someone to turn to when the times comes. So many people understand the need to have their Will in place and the need to ensure that their affairs are in order ahead of time. Mostly we do this because we don’t want the ones that we love to have to deal with the decisions that need to be made at a very difficult. Everyone knows that like taxes, death is a sure thing which is why people try to everything that they can to make sure that things are in place when the days comes, whether it be tomorrow or in 30 years’ time. Unfortunately, life is fluid, and best-laid plans change. When they do, we don’t always think to allow for those changes to follow through to the end of life plans. So, no matter how carefully a person plans around this, it is more often than not, not the smoothly laid out plan that it was intended to be.

Lodge Brothers Funeral Directors Guildford has been in business for so long that there is nothing that they have not seen or had to deal with. Pure passion for people is what it takes be a funeral director and to know that each person who walks through the front door of the Funeral home is someone in pain and grief. A deep understanding of what each person is going through, in their own unique way, and the needs of each person, is only deeply known after having been in the industry for as long as Lodge Brothers have. A deep understanding of you needs is why most of the Lodge Brothers are situated as close to the Register Office Westminster as possible, for example, our Lodge Brothers branch is located just 5 driving minutes from the office.

Funeral directors have to focus on two major areas: taking care of the logistics and legalities involved in the passing of a person, as well as taking care of the emotional aspects ensuring that the life of the person who has departed is respected and celebrated in the way in which they lived. But to the Funeral directors at Lodge Brothers, this is not a stranger who has passed away… it’s your family and your family may as well as be our family which is why we treat each instance with the love and respect we would give if it WAS our own family. No request is too much to ask and no need is less important than the next as every single decision which has to be made for help finalise the person’s life, is of utmost importance in order for you be supported the journey that you find yourself facing. Nothing is more important to Lodge Brothers than to ensure that we are always here to help…

Click here for your local Register Office Twickenham, Register Office Uxbridge, Register Office Wandsworth

It may surprise the majority of people, that having a Will in place for when you pass on, is only the start of a series of rather complex legal events which need to be finalised after a funeral takes place. For the most part, people feel prepared for all eventualities once the Will has been drawn up but in reality, there is more that one needs to take into account other than just the allocation of your possessions as part of your last wishes.  To complicate matters more, no more than 30% of UK citizens actually have prepared their Will. This can lead to the possibility that the majority of families who experience the passing of a loved one, will end up have much more on their plate than they originally anticipated. Dealing with grief and loss is one of the most distressing experiences a person could have. Add to that, the multitude of decisions and choices which need to be made once a person has passed, and its almost certainly too much to bear.

Lodge Brothers Legal attorneys are able to assist families with issues of this kind that arise in situations where a person has failed to fully prepare. And just as one might think that drawing up a Will is something that they need professional help with, so too is the process of probate which is the next of the complex details that families are faced with.

Should a person pass away before they have had the opportunity to prepare their Will, their estate is automatically placed “intestate” meaning that the courts become responsible for assessing who is officially your next of kin and allocate your possessions accordingly. What this can mean is that your possessions are not allocated in the way in which you would have preferred them to be allocated. For example, a person who is on their second marriage to a person on their first marriage may have children from that first marriage. The husband or wife of the second marriage may be deemed as your next in line heir, however, you may wish for your children to receive all of your inheritance and for nothing to be left to your second spouse. For whatever reasons you deem to be necessary, you have the right to do as you wish with your estate. If you should die without a Will in place, the courts may find that your second spouse receives everything. Nothing may be wrong with this at face value, however, what if your second spouse re-marries and then all of your possessions go to the new spouse, by-passing your children entirely. Not through malice but rather through a series of events, your children may be left without financial security as a result.

The importance of reaching out for Funeral Legal Services Guildford professionals to assist you with such decisions that can have far-reaching effects on your family’s future can never be over-emphasised. Provide for your loved ones in the way that you wish and chose Lodge Brothers Legal attorneys to administer your estate.

Contact Funeral Legal Services Ashford and Funeral Legal Services Shepperton for all your legal requirements.

Lodge Brothers Legal Services is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

Lodge Brothers has been in the business of funerals for many decades and have experience with every kind of funeral or memorial. As times change, so do the desires of the families of those who have passed away but the intention to celebrate their lives remains the same. Lodge Brothers Funeral Services understands these changing times and has kept up with the needs of their clients allowing them to arrange whichever type of bespoke funerals they may have.

Society in the UK and indeed across the world is so vastly diverse when it comes to religious beliefs, cultural, ethnic and social origins, orientation and conscience that one funeral plan would not be enough to suit all. Through the generations it has been important to stay current with trends and it is important for funeral service providers to be able to provide individual funerals to suit the diverse society in which we all live. Differences in society are all to be recognised and celebrated equally which is foremost on the minds of Lodge Brothers Funeral Directors.

Modern Funerals are popularised through movies and social media and are gaining acceptance within the larger population, especially the younger generations. Old style funerals which were accepted as the norm are becoming out-dated as all around the world, different cultures and origins become blended and families seek more original funerals for their loved ones.

Trends include using more up-beat music, bright and varied colours, and a party style atmosphere with the tone and location of the funerals as a way of changing funerals from a sad and somber expression of sadness into time to appreciate life of those who have shared theirs with each other, whether it be current or past. Some traditions speak to more ancient rituals of ancestry celebrations which can be seen in some alternative funerals stemming from southern America and Mexico.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you start to think about preparing for your passing? It could be that you want to prepare a will to ensure that your assets are evenly and fairly split between family members or to ensure that special items are guaranteed to be transferred to a specific person because of personal reasons which a legal attorney will not be privy to. It might be decided what kind of funeral you would prefer, so that you can take this burden off your friends and family who will be grieving your loss and so that you could ease their stress or because you have a particular vision for your funeral or memorial service. Or is it that you want to ensure that all of your viable organs are donated to the living once you are passed, or perhaps just a specific aspect of your physical body that you wish to donate to science and the like.

There are so many aspects to the passing of an individual that most times, we forget that there are legal requirements as well as the will, which come into play. Especially if you have never had to be involved in the legal side of the passing of an individual, you would not have been exposed to certain aspects of the process. Without knowing what can be required, families can be left shell-shocked and unsure of how to execute all of the decisions which they will need to navigate if you do not choose to make these decisions for them.

This is why Lodge Brothers Probate Guildford offers a number of special services that are pre-paid and which will alleviate your family’s stress and give you the final say in how you would like your affairs to be handled. These services include the preparation of last wills in testament, lasting powers of attorney and pre-paid Probate Woking services.

Choosing Probate Feltham services is a way in which you can assure that your final life decisions will be a certainty. Probate Ashford is required for ascertaining the value of your assets and liabilities, finalising any inheritance tax, preparing probate-related paperwork such as grants of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration as well as collecting your assets within your estate and dealing with any liabilities after the Grant has been received. And to make things even easier and more certain, Lodge Brothers Probate  Weybridge Legal Services offers this service with fees that are both fixed and guarantees ensuring no unexpected surprises will meet your loved ones at the end of your life’s journey.

Probate Sunbury is a service that most people will need in order to sell or transfer property and shares and also in order to close bank accounts: all things which are very admin based and entrenched within legal systems which can be daunting to anyone who does not have knowledge of these areas. Probate is best left to the professionals which is why a visit to the Lodge Brother Legal Services team for a free, no-obligation quote is the best gift you could leave to your family when the times comes.

During times of shock and grief at the loss of a loved one who has passed away, generally the last thing that family members and friends need to worry or think about is physically sorting out the affairs of their beloved. It is always at times like these when emotions are high, that “life administration” is the hardest thing to deal with. Leaving your affairs in order is one final gifts that you can give to your family, making a difficult time a little easier for them.

If this is your intention for when you pass away, you will need the services of a reputable legal firm to place your belonging s in probate.  If you have a Will, your executor applies for a grant of probate which then ensures that they are responsible for the administration of your estate and affairs, as well as ensuring that you estate is being administered according to your wishes and that the right people are dealing with your affairs.

A grant of Probate will need to be applied for by an Executor or administrator and it is a legal document. The document confirms who the executor of your estate is and that they have the authority to deal with your assets, on your passing. This includes your money, any property that you may have and your general belongings. The Executor uses the grant as proof that they have the right to access your funds, assist with any and all finances that need to be dealt with and then subsequently distribute the finances and assets as you have set out in your Will, to those who are meant to receive them.

At the offices of Lodge Brothers Legal Services, we offer theses probate services to all of our clients.

Contact Probate Twickenham, Probate Feltham and Probate Ashford for all legal services in your area.

Lodge Brothers have been assisting the community with funerals for over 230 years offering a professional and personal service that their clients have come to rely on. Lodge Brothers legal arm of the business has helped hundreds of families with accessible, affordable legal advice in relation to Probate, Wills Twickenham and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

They have a highly qualified, strong legal team whom collectively have many years of experience in all aspect of Probate, Wills Ashford and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

MEET SOPHIE ANDREWS – DIRECTOR

Sophie joined Lodge Brothers as Head of Legal Services in 2016 to develop and set up its legal services business. Lodge Brothers Legal Services is a separate company, which has been granted a licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, allowing Lodge Brothers Legal Services to provide professional Legal Services to its clients through its own legal team.

Sophie grew up in Surrey and studied law at University College London and the College of Law in Guildford qualifying as a Solicitor in 1997. Having trained at a leading Private Client Firm, Charles Russell, Sophie has specialised in Wills, Probate and Powers of Attorney and now has many years of experience in these areas. She is an affiliate member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and holds the Advanced Certificate in Will Preparation (passing with a distinction). Sophie lives in Surrey with her husband and three children.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING AN UP TO DATE WILL?

Only 30% of people in this country have made a Will. This is because we do not like thinking about death and we are unaware of the importance of having a professionally drafted Will. Once a person overcomes their fears and makes a Will they find that it is a positive step that gives them great peace of mind. They are reassured that their affairs are in order.

If you die without a Will you die “intestate” meaning the intestacy laws set out which of your family members inherit and the amount. Your spouse will not necessarily inherit all of your estate and if you are unmarried your Partner will not inherit anything.

A legally valid Will, carefully prepared by a qualified expert Solicitor, will ensure that:

you provide for your loved ones in the way you wish;

you choose the Executors who will administer your estate;

you choose the Guardians for your minor children; and

you can take steps to reduce the Inheritance Tax payable.

You can also choose to appoint Lodge Brothers Legal Services as the Executors of your Will. We will ensure that your estate is dealt with promptly and efficiently so that your loved ones do not have the responsibility but do receive their inheritance as quickly as possible.

Fixed fee for a single Will starting from £325 +VAT (£390 inc. VAT).

Fixed fee for mirror Wills starting from £500 +VAT (£600 inc. VAT).

All our fees are fixed and agreed in advance.

Our professional services offer peace of mind to you and your family.

If you don’t have an up to date will click here Wills Feltham and Lodge Brothers Legal Services will assist you.