Hartwell & Co
Wills and Probate Solicitor in London: One Person Handling Your Whole Estate, Start to Finish
Looking for a wills and probate solicitor in London usually means you're either planning ahead or dealing with a death in the family, and both need someone who won't pass you between different people every time you call.
At Hartwell & Co in Islington, you deal with one solicitor throughout, whether you're writing a will, applying for probate, or sorting out an estate as an executor. You get a written estimate before anything starts, so there's no guessing what this is going to cost you.
Writing a Will in London: What Actually Happens
A will isn't just a form to fill in. We start by going through what you own, who you want to benefit, and who you'd trust to act as executor. Most people underestimate how much this changes if you have a blended family, property abroad, or a business — these are exactly the cases where a badly worded will causes years of arguments later.
If your estate is straightforward, we can usually quote a fixed fee for drafting the will. If it's more complex — say you want to set up a trust for children, or you need inheritance tax planning alongside the will — we tell you the likely range and explain exactly why, before you commit to anything.
We also draft lasting powers of attorney alongside wills for a lot of clients. It's the document that lets someone you trust make decisions for you if you can't, and people often only think about it once it's too late. Doing both together in one appointment saves you a second round of paperwork later.
Inheritance Tax Planning and Trusts
Inheritance tax planning only works if it's done while you're still able to make decisions, not after. We look at your estate, explain where tax is likely to bite, and set out the legal options — this might mean gifting rules, using allowances properly, or setting up a trust to hold assets for children or grandchildens until they're older.
Trusts get a reputation for being complicated, and some are. But a straightforward trust to protect a vulnerable beneficiary, or to keep a family home out of a future care fee assessment, doesn't need to be. We'll tell you plainly whether a trust actually helps your situation or whether it's unnecessary cost for a problem you don't have.
Probate Applications and Letters of Administration
If someone has died and you've been named executor, applying for a grant of probate is the legal step that lets you access their bank accounts, sell property, and pay out to beneficiaries. If there was no will, you'll need letters of administration instead, and the intestacy rules decide who's entitled to what — which often surprises families who assumed a partner would automatically inherit everything.
We handle the application itself: valuing the estate, dealing with HMRC where inheritance tax is due, and submitting the paperwork to the Probate Registry. In most cases, once everything is submitted correctly, the grant comes through within a few months, though this depends on the Registry's own workload, not us.
A lot of executors come to us after starting the process alone and getting stuck on a form, or realising the estate is more complicated than they thought — maybe there's a property, several bank accounts, or a beneficiary who's hard to trace. You can hand it over at any stage, not just at the start.
Administering an Estate and Distributing Assets
Getting the grant of probate is only the first part. After that comes collecting in the assets, paying off any debts and the final tax bill, and distributing what's left to beneficiaries according to the will or the intestacy rules. This is where families in London often lose weeks to bank delays and paperwork that seems to duplicate itself.
We manage this whole administration for you: keeping beneficiaries informed, keeping records straight for tax purposes, and making sure nothing gets distributed before debts and claims against the estate are properly dealt with. Distributing too early, before you're sure no one else has a claim, is one of the most common mistakes executors make — and one that can leave you personally liable.
Contested Wills and Inheritance Disputes
Sometimes a will gets challenged — because someone thinks it wasn't properly signed, the person lacked capacity when they made it, or they were pressured into it. Sometimes it's a claim from someone who feels they should have been provided for and wasn't. Either way, these disputes are stressful precisely because they happen alongside grief.
We advise both executors defending a will and people bringing a claim against an estate. We'll look at the facts honestly, tell you where you stand, and where court proceedings look likely, we'll say so early rather than letting costs build up on a case that was never going to succeed.
Why Choose Hartwell & Co for Wills and Probate in London
One solicitor, not three
You deal with the same person throughout your will, probate application, or estate administration — not a rotating cast who each need catching up.
A written estimate before we start
You'll know the fixed fee, or the likely range and why, before any work begins. No hourly billing left unexplained.
Based in Islington, working across London
You can come in to talk through sensitive family matters face to face, which matters more than most people expect when a will or an estate is contested.
Executors supported at any stage
Whether you're starting from scratch or you got stuck halfway through a probate application, you can hand it over without starting again.
Frequently asked questions about wills and probate
How much does a wills and probate solicitor in London charge?
For straightforward wills, we usually quote a fixed fee. For probate and estate administration, cost depends on the size and complexity of the estate, so we give you a range and explain what drives it before we start any work — never an open-ended hourly bill.
How long does probate take in London?
Once the application is submitted correctly, the grant usually comes through within a few months, though timing depends on the Probate Registry's workload rather than us. Complex estates with property, tax, or multiple beneficiaries can take longer.
Do I need a solicitor to apply for probate myself?
You can apply yourself, but many people come to us after getting stuck on a form or discovering the estate is more complicated than expected. You can bring us in at any point, not just at the beginning.
What happens if there's no will?
Without a will, the intestacy rules decide who inherits, and it often isn't who the family assumes. In that case you'd need letters of administration rather than a grant of probate, and we handle both.
Can you help if a will is being contested?
Yes, whether you're an executor defending the will or a beneficiary or family member bringing a claim. We'll tell you honestly where you stand before costs build up on a case with little chance of success.
Do you handle inheritance tax as part of probate?
Yes, valuing the estate and dealing with HMRC on inheritance tax due is part of the probate application. We also offer inheritance tax planning separately, before you need probate at all.