From client conversations
Start with the outcome, not the label People regularly tell us at Xwills either “I only need a simple Will” or “I need a trust” before we have discussed what they own, who they want to protect or what could change after the first death. Sometimes the simple Will really is enough. Sometimes it is not.
The useful starting point is the family and the objective: who should inherit, who needs security, what happens if a survivor remarries, and whether a share of the home needs to be controlled rather than given away outright.
Anonymised client example
£780,000 family estate — Property Protection Trust Wills, guardianship and LPAs “James” and “Claire”, both in their early forties, owned a home worth about £575,000, had roughly £55,000 in savings and investments, and life cover that could add around £150,000 for the family. They had two young children. They initially thought they simply needed basic Wills and asked whether a lifetime trust for the house was necessary.
Exact Xwills planning used: Complete Estate Protection — Property Protection Trust Wills for both partners, severance where required, and all four LPAs
Current equivalent Xwills fee: £1,395 professional fee, plus OPG registration fees
What they wanted Keep the survivor secure, protect the first person’s share of the home for the children, appoint guardians if both parents died, stop the children inheriting substantial sums too young, and make sure both spouses had attorneys in place if either lost capacity.
What we chose We chose the Complete Estate Protection package. Their Wills contained Property Protection Trust provisions for the home, together with guardianship and age-contingent inheritance provisions for the children. The property ownership was reviewed and severance of the joint tenancy included where required. We also prepared both types of LPA for each of them.
Why we chose it Because they owned property and had children, the first-death position mattered. Straight Mirror Wills could have left the first person’s share outright to the survivor, exposing that share to later remarriage, a changed Will or other sideways-disinheritance risks. The PPT structure preserved the first person’s defined share for the chosen beneficiaries while giving the survivor appropriate occupation rights. It can also have a protective effect on the deceased owner’s trust share if the survivor later needs care, although no care-fee outcome is guaranteed.
Important technical point The Property Protection Trust and the children’s age-contingent trust provisions perform different jobs. The PPT deals with the deceased owner’s share of the home; the children’s provisions govern when and how minors or younger beneficiaries receive inheritance. Life-policy and pension nominations also need reviewing because not every asset necessarily passes under the Will.
Names, figures and non-material identifying details have been changed. The example reflects the type of planning situation Xwills has dealt with; outcomes depend on the client’s actual circumstances and the law and tax rules applying at the time. Unless a case expressly says “Fee charged at the time”, the fee shown is the current equivalent Xwills fixed fee under our published pricing and may differ from the historic fee charged when the original matter was completed.
Anonymised client example
£600,000 family position — a ‘simple Will’ request that was really a blended-family protection problem “Martin” had a £510,000 share of a jointly owned home, around £90,000 of savings and two adult children from his first marriage. His wife had one adult daughter. They initially asked for inexpensive Mirror Wills leaving everything to each other.
Exact Xwills planning used: Property Protection Trust Wills — Couple
Current equivalent Xwills fee: £695 professional fee
What they wanted Keep the survivor secure while making sure each person’s own children were not accidentally disinherited if the survivor later changed their Will, remarried or redirected the estate.
What we chose We chose Property Protection Trust Wills for the couple , with the ownership position reviewed and severance included where required. Each person’s defined share of the home could pass into the Will trust rather than being given outright to the survivor, while the survivor retained appropriate rights under the trust.
Why we chose it A standard Mirror Will would have been cheaper but did not match the real objective. The key risk was sideways disinheritance: once the first person’s share passed outright, that person could no longer control where it ultimately went. The PPT structure balanced survivor security with preservation of each side of the family’s intended inheritance.
Important technical point The exact percentages, occupation rights, rights to move home and ultimate beneficiary provisions must be drafted around the couple’s ownership and family circumstances.
Names, figures and non-material identifying details have been changed. The example reflects the type of planning situation Xwills has dealt with; outcomes depend on the client’s actual circumstances and the law and tax rules applying at the time. Unless a case expressly says “Fee charged at the time”, the fee shown is the current equivalent Xwills fixed fee under our published pricing and may differ from the historic fee charged when the original matter was completed.
Anonymised client example
Rented home, modest savings — they thought they needed a trust for their son “Tom” and “Rachel” rented their home, had modest savings, no investment property and one adult son. They had been told by friends that putting his inheritance “in trust” would automatically make their estate safer, so they came to us expecting to buy a trust-based Will.
Exact Xwills planning used: Mirror Wills
Fee charged at the time: £199 professional fee
What they wanted Make sure the survivor inherited first and their son inherited after the second death, with straightforward executor and substitute-beneficiary provisions. They did not have a property-protection problem, a vulnerable beneficiary, a blended-family issue or assets that needed ongoing trustee control.
What we chose We recommended Mirror Wills , not a lifetime trust or a specialist Trust Will. The Wills recorded the couple’s inheritance wishes, executor appointments and what should happen if their son died before them.
Why we chose it A trust would have added cost and administration without solving a real problem in their circumstances. Good estate planning is not about inserting a trust whenever someone has a child; it is about using a trust only where there is an identifiable reason for trustee control, protection or staged inheritance.
Important technical point The couple were charged £199 for their Mirror Wills. If their circumstances later changed — for example they bought a home, remarried, had a vulnerable beneficiary or wanted to protect a property share — the Will structure would need to be reviewed.
Names, figures and non-material identifying details have been changed. The example reflects the type of planning situation Xwills has dealt with; outcomes depend on the client’s actual circumstances and the law and tax rules applying at the time. Unless a case expressly says “Fee charged at the time”, the fee shown is the current equivalent Xwills fixed fee under our published pricing and may differ from the historic fee charged when the original matter was completed.
Read more anonymised client stories →
What should a good Will plan cover? Executors Who will administer the estate?
Beneficiaries Who should inherit, and what happens if they die first?
Family Guardians, blended families and vulnerable beneficiaries.
Useful Will guides
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Tell us what you want to achieve You do not need to know the name of the legal document or trust before speaking to us. Explain the family, property or planning issue and we can discuss the relevant options.
