Wills,Trusts, Tax & Probate

Our Private Client team has a proud history of helping clients and often subsequent generations of their families manage their personal affairs, draft their Wills and administer their Estates.

We provide a professional Will Writing service and guide clients through Probate law, at what can sometimes be a distressing time.

Our solicitors work solely in this area of law so our clients can be assured of clear, practical and sensitive advice, combined with the most advanced legal knowledge in this complex field of law.

We offer specialist services including:

Wills and Trusts - creation and management
Inheritance Tax Advice and Estate Planning
Powers of Attorney
Probate, including administration of estates and will disputes
Special services for older people and their relatives.

Will writing is often a sensitive area, people often put off making their Wills when instead it should be considered prudent planning ahead. Almost 70% of people do not have a Will, or have not reviewed it due to changing family circumstances for example divorce, the birth of children or grandchildren or changing circumstances and this can have an affect on your estate.

A surviving spouse will not necessarily inherit everything, an unmarried partner has no automatic entitlement, the family home may have to be sold, your children may be unintentionally disinherited. As legal professionals we would also encourage younger people to consider making a Will and with an increasingly elderly population the need for a Lasting Power of Attorney is becoming more and more necessary.

Our Will & Probate Solicitors can help you protect your interests and give you the peace of mind knowing your Estate is taken care of when you pass away.

Please use the menu to the left for more information on the range of services offered by our Wills, Trusts, Tax & Probate team.

Make an appointment at our offices in Oldham, Ashton or Hollinwood, or alternatively arrange for a home visit at your convenience.

It is always advisable to use a professional when having your Will drafted. DIY and online Wills often lead to problems for your beneficiaries, as recommended here by the Law Society in a campaign encouraging the use of a solicitor for advice, instead of unregulated providers.

Latest News

High Court Dementia Ruling - Judge Acts to Protect Widow

Amidst an ageing population, the role of judges in protecting the weak, vulnerable and infirm is of ever increasing importance. In one case that proves the point, the High Court stepped in to set aside land transfers made by an elderly farmer with dementia...

Don't Litigate Without a Lawyer to Tell You When You're Wrong!

One reason why it is rarely advisable to represent yourself in litigation is that you need a good lawyer to tell you when you are wrong. That point could hardly have been more clearly made than by a case in which a widower claimed that his sister had made...

Court Rejects Will in a Crisp Packet

Unfulfilled hopes of substantial inheritance are commonplace, both in fact and fiction, but not often do they lead to such ham-fisted attempts at forgery as that shown by a disappointed widow after her husband left her just £25,000 of his...

Managing the Affairs of Missing People Law Passed

With the general election hogging the headlines, the passing of the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 , which received Royal Assent on 27 April 2017, went almost unreported. Although the date on which the Act will come into force has not yet been...

Car Bonnet Will is Valid, Rules Court

There are a number of requirements that must be met for a will to be valid and one of these is that the signing of the will must be witnessed by two people who are not beneficiaries. A recent case before the High Court turned on that point. It was brought...

“Daniel’s attentive service was first class. He was very personable and knowledgeable and very clear in his explanations of all aspects. He made the process very simple for us – much appreciated.” Michael Percival, Chadderton
“My wife and I wished to take a review of our Wills. Mr Prince was very understanding and fully explained all our options. We asked him to re-draft our Wills and this was done to our complete satisfaction and our new Wills are held at the offices of Pearson.” Anthony McGrath, Delph
Mr Prince explained to us in plain English what changes to make when we updated our Wills. He answered all our questions and queries we had in as much detail as we required. We would have no hesitation in recommending you to family and friends in the future.
“Very Satisfied” - Would like to thank Sarah for how she dealt with my husbands will, very professional and patient, thank you for also dealing with all my financial paperwork. Lynne Smart
We wish to thank you for your kind and efficient attention in dealing with our wills and updating the Land Registry details. You carried out our wishes to the letter. Just a pity the Land Registry people were not as efficient as yourself and Pearson’s are. We will obviously be contacting you in the future if our circumstances alter.
I have no comments on how to improve just to say that the staff are very polite and any queries or questions that I had I only had to phone them and advise was given to me thank-you. Lindsey Connelly – Oldham
We were seeking clear and concise advice delivered in a friendly relaxed manner and that’s what we got. Our Wills were not straightforward, patient build up to the final draft was evident and what could have been tedious and confusing was in fact a pleasant (and not overly expensive) experience. Thank you Daniel. Neil and Fiona Faragher, Oldham
Good service received at all times, Hannah always made sure we understood what had been explained and she was very patient with us.
Pearson’s provided an organised approach to estate administration, clear and intelligent with great client care.
The solicitors who visited our house was so kind and very plain speaking in explaining the law to us. Mr W, Ashton-under-Lyne
Sarah Finnigan is friendly, informative and Pearson’s staff are all very good at explaining details of your legal matter in laymans terms.
We got advice from Joanne Jones which was informative and was provided in a professional and friendly manner. Mr McQuillan, Derker
Thank you for your excellent attention, it’s made a difficult subject for me into a pleasure. I have been amazed how thorough and quick you are with letters to cover everything, I would firmly recommend you to anyone.
Lots of information was given to us and we were allowed to consider all our options. We were given a flexible meeting place of our choice for convenience and Mr Prince gave us excellent and professional service. Mr and Mrs W, Hollinwood.
It was very easy to make contact with you, everything went as smooth as clockwork and Sarah Finnigan was so professional and such a lovely person. Mr H Shaw
Sarah was quick, efficient and very considerate in every way. It was a pleasure to meet up with her.
As a family we knew that the winding up of our late mother’s estate would not be simple. Sarah approached the task quietly and confidently, which provided us with total confidence throughout the whole process
Mr Graham, Worcester
The service from Pearsons has been exemplary at every stage of the process. Every step has been straightforward and well explained and every member of staff an ambassador of the Pearson brand. Faye Mills, Ashton-u-Lyne
Making a Will in your 60s seemed like the right thing to do. Pearsons were recommended by a friend and gave us confidence in our choice. We were made welcome at our first meeting, it was easy to discuss our requirements, every step mapped out with the paperwork involved and the cost for each product. We would recommend you for your down to earth approach to matters we have very little knowledge of. Marilyn Bennett, Bredbury, Stockport.
Excellent service and advice, you dealt with matters clearly, concisely and as quickly as possible and I have recommended you to other people. Keep up the high level of service. Mrs Brown, Oldham
I came to you through the internet, comparing organisations in the area and was very pleased with your service. I felt comfortable discussing my situation with Hannah and she was able to offer alternatives when I didn’t realise some of the legal aspects of will making.
Everything was dealt with very professionally and Sarah was excellent. If in future I require your assistance I will certainly contact you.
From first contact with Hannah Pearson, to meetings with Simon Taylor, the help and advice given has been clear, concise and easy to follow. Ann McDonough, Oldham
My will was complicated and Sarah was very patient when outlining all the issues involved and I have recommended Pearson Solicitors to my neighbours.
Everything was dealt with by courteous and professional staff.
In the past five months I have twice needed a solicitor and twice seen someone from Pearson. Sarah and Daniel helped with the many forms we needed, what would happen and how long it would take and I felt very happy with the work done. Mrs Morris, Oldham
We felt a little in over our heads and very stressed until we saw Pearson Solicitors, we left your offices with the weight lifted and confident everything would be dealt with and everything legally required done. David Morris, Oldham
Your staff, secretaries, solicitors and the front desk staff are excellent, we have known about Pearson Solicitors in Oldham for some time and were recommended by family members.
I have had previous experience with another solicitor and it was very bad so I came to Pearsons and the service has been very good.
We were very pleased with the advice and help we got from Sarah, she made the whole process quite painless.
My husband and I decided to write our Wills and went to see Daniel Prince - it was a wise decision. He explained everything in layman’s terms, provided options and made the whole process uncomplicated. It was quite daunting, but he was a pleasure to deal with and I wish other professionals were as understanding.
Christine Lowe, Oldham
No one could have helped me more, changing my will wasn’t something I’d even thought of but circumstances change and I felt it necessary. Mr Prince was very helpful and made it easy for me to do, I would certainly recommend you to a friend.
Mrs G, Saddleworth.
I have been amazed at how thorough and quick you are with letters to cover everything. I can only say thank you for your excellent attention, it’s made a difficult subject into a pleasure.
Mrs B, Dobcross, Saddleworth.
The Preparation of our Powers of Attorney - health and welfare and property - was carried out efficiently and with the minimum of fuss leaving us feeling well prepared for the rainy days that we hope will not arise.
Mr and Mrs J, Oldham.
Quality of service, efficiently dealt with by pleasant and helpful staff and with very clear explanations of what was required.
Mrs W, Royton
John Pearson came to my house to discuss matters and produced a revised will quickly, which is what I asked him to do. I like the fact that it is possible to speak to one of your partners on the phone.
Mr L Mudd - Oldham
Helen Law was brilliant, it was a professional service and we were given information which we were not aware of. I have used Pearson Solicitors for different services and have always been very happy.
Val Lee, Oldham
I needed advice on changing my will to incorporate a growing family, I was offered sensible advice and felt happy with the result. I would recommend your company to anyone needing legal help
I will always use your firm as I have had exceptional service.
Mrs P Jackson - Bacup
Your service helped me by firstly being easy to contact and attentive to my request, secondly your home visit was excellent as transport is a problem, thirdly you were courteous, friendly and very efficient.
"Pearson's have been very good since we asked for a female solicitor to visit our aunt. Hannah was very caring and helpful. I am pleased with the way we have been treated and would certainly recommend your services wholeheartedly."
Angela Dobson, Shaw
You dealt with my mother-in-law’s will and probate on my father-in-law’s estate promptly and efficiently and showed kindness and courtesy in sensitive circumstances.
Mrs S, Prestwich
You were recommended to us when we needed to arrange a Power of Attorney for our daughter and for each other. The process was quick, efficient and friendly, everything was explained clearly and the result was excellent. We would have no hesitation recommending Pearson Solicitors to our friends.
Mr and Mrs Buchanan, Mossley
We received excellent advice for elements of our wills and you suggested ideas we hadn’t thought of. A very professional service, helpful friendly and prompt with everything completed in two weeks from start to finish.
A home visit from a solicitor who took the time and trouble was very appreciated and the advice was dealt with very professionally.
Sylvia Hussey, Saddleworth
We had confidence in a satisfactory outcome from Sarah Finnigan and are pleased you employ dedicated and knowledgeable staff.
Hannah treated us with the utmost respect and explained the procedure regarding LPA so that we were able to understand in laymans terms without any legal jargon and this suited us because this was our first experience with solicitors.
George Guest, Chadderton
We sought a firm with a good reputation to provide skills and professional abilities to meet our requirements at competitive costs. Our needs were understood, we had confidence that all expectations would be met and Sarah provided a comfortable client experience – legalities with anaesthetic
Mrs Y, Rochdale
I cannot fault the service received, we were dealt with very quickly and efficiently. All in all a very nice experience.
Mrs L, Rochdale
I needed someone to help me sort out everything when I was going through a traumatic time. Sarah was helpful and had a caring and understanding disposition. She went through each point carefully and made sure I understood what was happening.
Mrs Flowers, Oldham
It was excellent service - you were very quick to attend and deal with both my last will and testament and power of attorney, which was a weight off my mind.
Mr W Picken, Shaw
When I decided to make another will I was worried I would be baffled with legal double talk and sign up for things I could not afford, but it was exactly the opposite. Hannah explained everything in a clear and easy to understand way. Now I have my will made out and don’t have to worry about it.
Mr W, Oldham
Super Service and a very good result. We will use Pearson’s in our other affairs.
Mr Heginbotham, Alderley Edge, Cheshire.
We were disillusioned by other solicitors and recommended to your Hannah Pearson. We found her most professional, very very thorough and she gave her own unqualified attention to us. Her patience was exemplary and we recommend her unreservedly. All of the above fixes our intent to use Pearson’s in our other affairs and amongst others have asked Pearson’s to manage our firm’s auto-enrolment pensions.
Mr Heginbotham, Alderley Edge, Cheshire.
Will making made easy with helpful advice making you look at new angles including ones you had never thought of.
Mrs N, Chadderton.
It was easy to make an appointment and our solicitor listened and acted on our wishes. Plain English was spoken, not legal babble. We were left with a ‘feel good’ factor after finally getting around to dealing with something we had put off for ages and the @make a Will Week’ prompted us.
Mary Whinnie, Oldham.