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At RIAA Barker Gillette, we understand that you may require a more discreet setting or a home visit to provide instructions to our team. Therefore, we can arrange to meet you in the comfort of your own home or at your care home or hospital in or around Central London.
Why a home visit?
People tend to feel more comfortable and relaxed in their home environment. In addition, having a meeting at home is often more practical if you have mobility issues. It also makes it easier to locate and provide any documentation straight to your solicitor, which can help to reduce costs.
Before your home visit
Before any meeting, you should consider who should be present when giving us your instructions. For example, when taking will instructions, it is preferable not to have anyone present who may be a potential beneficiary. Not having a potential beneficiary present avoids any prospect of undue influence taking place and deters future allegations. No one should coerce you into having an appointment, and your instructions must be your own without any outside influence. When an older person is vulnerable, friends or family members may be more likely to influence them. Sometimes it is obvious when this is happening. Still, it is often much more subtle, and your solicitor must be aware of the possibility and take appropriate precautions. We will usually discuss this with you when we arrange to meet.
Capacity
When taking instructions to make a will or an LPA, we are required to assess your mental capacity so that we are confident that you meet the legal test for creating such documents. In addition, attending your home lets us pick up helpful information about your living conditions, such as whether you can live safely alone. Sometimes it is clear from a person’s living conditions that other concerns may come to light, or the situation may raise further questions that your solicitor should follow up on to ensure a sufficient understanding of your needs.
Finalising your documents
Once your will has been finalised and prepared for execution, if you are an older or vulnerable person, it is advisable that a second meeting takes place to ensure that the will is signed and witnessed correctly and complies with section 9 of the Wills Act 1837. Once you have executed the will, it can be stored free of charge in our storage facility. In addition, we can provide copies of the documents to you by post, email, or as required.
Our aim
The main aim of our team is to provide sensitive, holistic advice regardless of the environment where a meeting occurs. By taking this approach, we hope to make you feel comfortable and listened to and to ensure we meet your requirements.
Contact Charlotte Barbaroussis from our private client team today to arrange your home visit.
Note: This article is not legal advice; it provides information of general interest about current legal issues.