9
Ways we can save you money
People
tend to think that seeing a lawyer is expensive but very often taking sound
legal advice can be a good investment of time and money. Not only may we
help you to save money, but we can also make your money work for you.
Consider
the following:
Wills
The cost of making a Will is seldom more than £200.00. If, however, you
die without leaving a Will your estate will automatically have to pay
for the cost of petitioning the court for the appointment of an executor
and also for an insurance policy to ensure that your estate is disposed
of in accordance with the Law. The cost of these will certainly exceed
the cost of preparing a Will. If you have a Will you also have the peace
of mind of knowing that your wishes will be complied with. You will also
have the peace of mind of knowing that you will not be one of the many
people who die and whose estate is sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
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Power
of Attorney
Following the introduction of the Adults With Incapacity (Scotland) Act
2000 a person can complete a Continuing Power of Attorney which authorises
someone to manage his or her financial affairs and which will continue
in effect even if the granter of it loses capacity or the ability to make
his or her own decisions at some point in the future. More often than
not, this is combined with a Welfare Power of Attorney where the person
so appointed can make lifestyle decisions for the granter, for example
where the person will live, what the person will wear and eat, authorise
medical treatment and so on. Such a document is useful at any age and
can come into effect if required during temporary incapacity eg hospitalization
or perhaps in the case of a more elderly person, where they are no longer
able to manage their own affairs. If a person loses capacity without a
Power of Attorney being signed then a Petition has to be lodged with the
Court for the appointment of a Guardian and all transactions are then
scrutinised by the Court. This is a long and expensive process. The cost
of completing a Continuing and Welfare Power of Attorney is modest compared
with the likely cost of having to apply to the Court to appoint a Guardian.
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Personal
Injuries Claim
Many people who suffer personal injuries in, for example, a road accident
will not make a claim in respect of the injuries they have sustained.
Alternatively, if they do make a claim themselves they may not receive
all they are entitled to. By using us as your solicitors you will be assured
of receiving your full entitlement and, in the vast majority of cases,
the legal expenses will also be met by the insurance company. It will
therefore cost you no more to ensure you are fully compensated for any
losses.
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Financial
Advice on Divorce
We have often come across the situation where a husband or wife is invited
to consent to a divorce action after the separation of the parties for
one year. On investigation it has transpired that he or she was entitled
to make a financial claim in respect of matrimonial property which has
not been divided fairly between the parties. After divorce has been granted
it is too late to make any such claim and the small investment of a consultation
with us will, again, ensure that you receive your full entitlement. We
can also advise on whether proceedings should take place in other jurisdictions
that may be more advantageous to any particular client.
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Executry
Part of our core business is the winding up of estates. In many cases
clients may be persuaded by their bank to sign Wills appointing the bank
to be Trustees. In these circumstances, not only do we have the advantage
over banks of being able to deal with all aspects of your estate, such
as the sale of any houses or any land, but our scale of charges is lower
than that of most clearing banks.
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Estate
Agency-Conveyancing
Another part of our core business is the purchase and sale of property.
Some sellers will use an Estate Agency for the marketing of their house
and thereafter will have to use a solicitor, separately, for the Conveyancing.
We have a strong Estate Agency presence throughout Fife and Kinross. We
have access to the Solicitors Property Centres throughout the region and
in Edinburgh. All our properties are advertised on the Internet and by
dealing with both the Estate Agency and Conveyancing at the same time
we can often provide a more competitive quotation than if payment is made
separately to a solicitor and the estate agent.
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Debt
Recovery
We have years of experience in the recovery of debts. If you have unpaid
bills don't just write them off, consult us and you may find that the
small investment will reap benefits in payment of outstanding debts.
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Re-mortgages
A large percentage of the bank and building society lending, at present,
consists of re-mortgaging of properties. Every week new deals are introduced
by the banks and building societies with cash back, fixed rate, discounts,
etc. Are you paying too much for your mortgage? Particularly on larger
mortgages, big savings can be made on your monthly payments by taking
advantage of some of these deals. We have access to Financial Advisers
who can advise on the rates and products of all the current lenders.
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