A will is only as good as the advice behind it. Our wills and estate planning team reviews your whole estate — your home, savings, pensions, business or farm — and builds a plan that protects it, for families across Chester, Cheshire and North Wales.
Choose what you would like to sort out.
Protect my home
If one of us later needs care
Provide for a second family
Children from more than one relationship
Reduce inheritance tax
Including pensions from April 2027
Pass on a business or farm
Business and agricultural property relief
Plan for a vulnerable family member
Protect benefits and long-term care
Arrange lasting powers of attorney
For me, or for a parent
Check an existing will
Review and update your current will
A will decides who inherits your estate, who looks after your children, and how much of your estate is protected from care fees and inheritance tax. A standard will — one that simply leaves everything to your spouse — may leave the family home exposed, or result in the wrong people inheriting.
The risk
If everything passes to the surviving partner and they later need residential care, the whole home — including your share — can be assessed for care costs.
What planning changes
A property protection trust in your will ring-fences your share of the home for your children while allowing your partner to remain there.
The risk
Without careful planning, children from a first relationship can end up with nothing if the surviving partner remarries or changes their will.
What planning changes
A life interest trust provides for your spouse or partner during their lifetime while protecting your children's inheritance.
The risk
From 6 April 2027, unused pension funds will count towards your estate for inheritance tax purposes — a change that affects many families who have not reviewed their plans.
What planning changes
Reviewing your will and pension nominations now, before the change takes effect, can make a substantial difference to your family's position.
Free tool
Answer a few questions in our free ‘Who would inherit?’ tool and see exactly what the law would do with your estate under the current intestacy rules.
Key figures — 2026/27
Inheritance tax nil rate band
Frozen to April 2031
£325,000
gov.uk/inheritance-taxResidence nil rate band
£175,000
gov.uk/inheritance-taxUnused pensions counting for IHT
From 6 April 2027
GOV.UK policy paperStatutory legacy on intestacy
Deaths from 26 July 2023
Care capital limit — England
Contributions down to £14,250
£23,250
GOV.UK charging guidanceCare capital limit — Wales
£50,000
GOV.WALES charging guidanceLPA registration fee
£92 per LPA
gov.uk/power-of-attorneySources: GOV.UK and GOV.WALES. Reviewed by Laura Kirton, Wills & Probate Solicitor, October 2026.
PDA Law has advised families in Chester, Cheshire and North Wales since 2001. We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 622755). Our wills team includes a solicitor with ten years’ post-qualification experience, a STEP member, and a legal executive — all supervised by Principal Solicitor and Founder Paul D’Ambrogio. We are estate planning solicitors who review your whole estate before recommending any structure.
How you own your home, your pension nominations, your business or farm, and your family — we review everything before recommending any structure.
Joint ownership that defeats your will, out-of-date nominations, Inheritance Act risks, and tax on the second death — issues that only become apparent when it is too late.
We explain every clause and supervise the signing, so your will is valid and achieves exactly what you intend.
Free storage of originals, review reminders, and support for your family when the time comes.
| Feature | PDA Law | Unregulated will writer |
|---|---|---|
| Regulated by the SRA | Yes | No |
| Professionally insured to SRA minimum terms | Yes | May not be |
| Legal Ombudsman and SRA Compensation Fund | Yes | No |
| Advice on care fees, tax and trusts from qualified lawyers | Yes | Usually not |
Every matter is handled by a named member of our wills team, supervised by Principal Solicitor Paul D’Ambrogio.
Principal Solicitor & Founder
Paul founded PDA Law in Chester in 2001 and has 25 years in practice, including wills and probate. He oversees the quality of the firm's work and ensures every client receives honest, family-focused advice.
Wills & Probate Solicitor · 10 Years Qualified
Laura is a qualified solicitor with ten years' post-qualification experience, specialising in wills, probate and lasting powers of attorney. Known for her calm, methodical approach, she brings both legal expertise and genuine insight to every matter.
Senior Private Client Executive · STEP Member
Darren has been in the legal sector since 1998 and is a STEP Member (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners). He specialises in inheritance tax planning, trusts and complex estates across Chester, Cheshire and North Wales.
Legal Executive — Wills, Trusts & Estates
Nikolina specialises in wills, trusts and estate administration. She supports clients through what is often one of the most difficult periods of their lives — from straightforward administrations to complex estates involving inheritance tax and sensitive family circumstances.
“My wife and I would like to express our thanks to PDA for drawing up our Will and expression of wishes. Nikolina, Victoria and Dan were extremely professional in their advice, help and assistance during the process. We would highly recommend Nikolina if you are seeking legal assistance as her professional knowledge was extremely helpful.”
Andrew G.
Chester
“I used PDA Law to write my Will. Upon calling I was immediately put through to Nikolina who discussed my requirements and quickly arranged an appointment. The service provided by Nikolina, supported by Victoria, was friendly, professional and prompt. Can highly recommend.”
Paul W.
Cheshire
Reviews verified via Google
Read how we have helped other families →Start with our free guide, then use our interactive tools to understand your position before speaking to a solicitor.
Care fees, second families, inheritance tax and LPAs — in plain English, with real-life examples. Written by our wills and estate planning team.
See what the law would do with your estate today under the intestacy rules.
Use the tool →Check whether your estate could face IHT, including pensions from April 2027.
Calculate now →Build a fixed-fee, VAT-inclusive quote for your will, trust or LPA in minutes.
Build my quote →We start with a free consultation and a review of your whole circumstances — your family, your assets, your wishes. We then plan the right structure, draft every document precisely, supervise the signing, and store your originals free of charge. We send review reminders and support your family when the time comes.
Your fixed fee is confirmed in writing before any work begins. There are no hidden extras.
Comparing quotes? Ask these 7 questions first →Single wills from
£495
Mirror wills from
£795
Packages for individuals from
£1,164
Packages for couples from
£2,138
All prices include VAT.
A short, friendly call
We listen and answer your first questions — no obligation, no pressure.
A free initial consultation
At our Chester office, by video or by phone. Housebound and local? We come to you.
Your fixed fee, in writing
No obligation. Take the time you need. We confirm every cost before any work begins.
No hard sell. If you do not need us, we will say so.
From April 2026, 100% business property relief (BPR) and agricultural property relief (APR) is capped at £2.5 million per person, with 50% relief above that — a significant change under the Finance Act 2026 that affects many family businesses and farms. We advise on structuring estates to make the most of available reliefs.
Business owners & directors
BPR, succession and shareholder planning
Farmers & rural landowners
APR and the Finance Act 2026 changes
Landlords & property companies
Portfolios, company structures and IHT
Cross-border & international estates
Domicile, foreign assets and succession law
High earners approaching retirement
Pensions, investments and IHT from 2027
Professional referrers
For accountants and financial advisers
A single will starts from £495 including VAT. Mirror wills for couples start from £795 including VAT. All fees are confirmed in writing following a free initial consultation — use our quote calculator for a full itemised estimate.
You are not legally required to use a solicitor. But a will drafted by a regulated, insured lawyer, after advice on your whole circumstances, reduces the risk of mistakes, disputes and wishes not being carried out — problems that often only come to light after death, when they can no longer be put right.
A property protection trust in your will can ring-fence your share of the family home so that it is not included in the surviving partner's estate for care-fee assessment purposes. However, lifetime gifting or trusts used as a cure-all may be treated as deliberate deprivation by the local authority. We advise on what is likely to be effective in your circumstances.
If you die without a will, the intestacy rules decide who inherits your estate — and the result may not reflect your wishes. Unmarried partners inherit nothing under intestacy. The statutory legacy for a surviving spouse is £322,000 (for deaths from 26 July 2023); the rest is split. Children may inherit at 18 rather than at an age you would choose.
Inheritance tax is payable on estates worth more than the nil-rate band (currently £325,000, frozen to April 2031). With the residence nil-rate band, the effective threshold for a married couple passing a home to children can reach £1 million. The standard rate is 40% on the value above the threshold. Various reliefs and exemptions are available.
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that appoints someone you trust to manage your affairs if you lose mental capacity. There are two types: property and financial affairs, and health and welfare. The registration fee is £92 per LPA. Making both LPAs alongside your will is one of the most important steps in estate planning.
Mirror wills are two separate wills made by a couple, usually leaving everything to each other, and then to the same beneficiaries (often the children) on the second death. Each person can change their own will at any time. For blended families, a life interest trust may be more appropriate.
Yes. We act for clients across Chester, Cheshire and North Wales — including Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Conwy and Anglesey — and throughout England and Wales. Many clients in North Wales choose PDA Law because of our proximity to the border and our understanding of cross-border estate issues.
Reviewed by Laura Kirton, Wills & Probate Solicitor, October 2026.
Explore other services that often work alongside Wills, Trusts & Estates. Our integrated approach ensures comprehensive legal support across multiple areas.
Applying for probate, administering estates and supporting executors through the full process.
Appoint someone you trust to manage your affairs if you lose mental capacity.
Deputyship applications and Court of Protection proceedings for those who have lost capacity.
Divorce, financial settlements, child arrangements and cohabitation rights.
Buying, selling and remortgaging property — fixed fees, no completion no fee.