Wills and Probate Solicitors in Scunthorpe

Making a will, planning for later life or dealing with an estate after someone has died are things most people only do a few times. Our Wills & Probate team works from our office at 2 Park Square in the centre of Scunthorpe, and helps families across North Lincolnshire get them right, explained in plain English and without fuss.

You can sit down with us face to face in Scunthorpe. We explain what is involved and what it will cost before you commit.

A properly drafted will says who inherits your home, savings and belongings, who will deal with your estate as your executors, and who would look after any children under 18. Without one, the intestacy rules decide who inherits, which is often not what people expect, particularly for unmarried partners and stepchildren.

We prepare single wills, mirror wills for couples, and wills that include trusts, for example to protect a vulnerable beneficiary or children from an earlier relationship. Once we have your instructions, we prepare a draft and go through it with you before it is signed and witnessed properly. It is sensible to review your will every three to five years, or after a marriage, divorce, birth or a significant change in your assets. Read more about will writing.

A lasting power of attorney (LPA) lets people you trust make decisions for you if you lose the ability to make them yourself. There are two types: one for property and financial affairs, and one for health and welfare. An LPA can only be made while you still have mental capacity, and it must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.

If capacity is lost without an LPA in place, your family may have to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order, which is slower and more expensive. Read more about powers of attorney.

When someone dies, their executors (or, if there is no will, their administrators) have to value the estate, deal with HMRC, apply for the grant of probate, collect in the assets, pay any debts and tax, and share out what is left. It is a lot of work at a difficult time.

You can choose how much you would like us to do. We can obtain the grant of probate only, leaving you to deal with the rest, or deal with the whole estate for you: valuations, HMRC forms, collecting and selling assets, statutory notices, a lost and dormant asset search, paying liabilities, estate accounts and the final distribution. Where a property needs to be sold or transferred, our own conveyancing team can handle it. Read more about probate.

Good planning can reduce the inheritance tax your family pays and protect assets for the next generation. We advise on inheritance tax planning, set up and run trusts, and explain the rules on care home fees so you understand your options. Where it helps, we work alongside your accountant or financial adviser.

Sometimes a will is not what the family expected, or there is disagreement about how an estate is being handled. Our team can advise whether you are bringing a claim, defending one or acting as an executor caught in the middle. Time limits can be short, so it pays to take advice early. Read more about will disputes.

1. 1
   Tell us what you need

   Call us or send your details. We talk through what you need and confirm what it will cost before any work begins.

2. 2
   Your instructions

   We meet in Scunthorpe or speak by phone to take the details of your wishes or the estate.

3. 3
   We do the work

   We draft your will and go through it with you. For probate, we keep you and the beneficiaries updated throughout.

4. 4
   Signed and complete

   Wills are signed and witnessed properly. LPAs are registered. Estates are finished with clear accounts.

We offer fixed fees and hourly rates, and confirm the cost with you before any work starts. Third-party costs such as court and Land Registry fees are extra.

There is likely to be an additional cost if there is no will or the estate includes shareholdings, and selling or transferring a property is priced separately. Extra copies of the grant of probate are £0.50 each. Full details are on our probate pricing page.

A small, experienced team based in Scunthorpe. You will know who is dealing with your will or the estate, and you can pick up the phone and speak to them.

Andrew HorwichPartnerWills, probate and elderly client work. With SBB since the merger with his previous firm, where he was a partner.Molly-Mae TaylorAssociate SolicitorJoined SBB in 2018 as a secretary in our Wills & Probate department and qualified as a solicitor in 2023. Helps clients with wills, probate, lasting powers of attorney and deputyship.Thomas JordanAssociate SolicitorEight years at a trust corporation in Lincoln before joining our Wills & Probate team in 2022. Qualified as a solicitor in 2024.Charmayne Lloyd-WilliamsParalegalWith SBB since 2014 and qualified as a paralegal in 2024. Works in our Wills & Probate department.

Our fixed fee for a straightforward single will is £195 plus VAT (£234), and £295 plus VAT (£354) for mirror wills for a couple. Wills involving trusts, business assets or inheritance tax planning are quoted individually before we start.

It depends on what your will needs to cover. Once we have your instructions, we prepare a draft and go through it with you and arrange for it to be signed and witnessed properly.

We charge for probate and estate administration on an hourly basis, from £173 to £308 plus VAT an hour depending on the seniority of the person dealing with your matter. We give you an estimate of the total before we start, and keep you updated as the work progresses.

Not always. Some people deal with a simple estate themselves. A solicitor helps where the estate includes property, inheritance tax, shareholdings, or family disagreements, and takes the paperwork and responsibility off the executors.

The intestacy rules decide who inherits, and an administrator applies for letters of administration instead of probate. Unmarried partners and stepchildren are not automatically entitled. We can apply for the grant and deal with the estate.

A legal document that lets people you trust make decisions for you if you lose mental capacity. There are two types, property and financial affairs, and health and welfare. It must be made while you have capacity and registered before it can be used.

Review it every three to five years, or after a significant change such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child or grandchild, or buying or selling property.

Yes. Our Wills & Probate team is at our office at 2 Park Square, Laneham Street, Scunthorpe, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.