There can be many circumstances where you need to entrust the management of your affairs, or those of a loved one, to someone else. There may be mental health problems which mean you struggle to make decisions for yourself and therefore need someone to make them for you. You may want to leave a large inheritance to your grandchildren but need someone to look after this until they are old enough to receive it. You may be the parent of a child who has received a substantial compensation payment following an accident and need help ensuring this in invested wisely to fund future care costs. Eventually, you will also need someone to manage your affairs after you have died to ensure your debts are settled and everyone receives their inheritance.
Deciding who should have responsibility for the management of your affairs can be difficult, particularly where you are worried about your family’s ability to cope with this or where there is the possibility of a family rift occurring if agreement cannot be reached on certain issues. This is where appointing a professional trustee can help.
Working alongside your family, a professional trustee can:
- ensure your affairs are handled in accordance with your wishes;
- ensure your best interests are protected at all times;
- ensure money is invested wisely;
- ensure the needs of you and your family continue to be met;
- prevent money being wasted or misappropriated;
- help make it easier to reach difficult decisions or to achieve consensus on controversial issues; and
- ensure all legal requirements are complied with so your family does not have to worry about this.
At Hatten Wyatt Solicitors in Kent we offer a professional trustee service through our wills, trusts and probate team which enables you to appoint one of our solicitors, either alone or in conjunction with someone else, to act as:
- a trustee under the terms of a trust, established to ensure, for example, the careful management of a personal injury compensation payment or the preservation of money held in a family trust fund;
- an attorney under the terms of a lasting power of attorney, created to ensure someone of your choosing has authority to make decisions on your behalf if you become unable to make them yourself;
- a deputy under the terms of a deputyship order made by the Court of Protection where no lasting power of attorney exists; and
- an executor under the terms of your will, to ensure your affairs are in order and your estate is distributed according to your wishes.
Advising families throughout Gravesend, Kent and beyond
We have offices in Maidstone, Gravesend, Tonbridge, Chatham and Tenterden where we can meet you to discuss your requirements.
We can also offer meetings at your home, in hospital or in a care facility, and in exceptional circumstances a telephone appointment can be arranged via skype.
Funding
An initial appointment to discuss your requirements can be arranged from £150 plus VAT. After that we can agree funding arrangements to suit your budget.
Get in touch with our professional trustee solicitors in Gravesend, Kent
If you are thinking about appointing a professional trustee, please get in touch to see how we can help. You can call us on 01474 351199 or use our contact form and we will call you.