estate-planning

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Tools (16)

• calculate_iht

  Estimate a UK Inheritance Tax bill (2025/26 England & Wales rules). Models the nil-rate band, residence nil-rate band and its £2m taper, spousal doubling, the 40% charge, the 2027 pension change, plus optional debts, charity rate (36% at 10%+), transferred allowances and business/agricultural relief. Illustrative only — excludes lifetime-gift history.

• compare_pension_2027

  Show the Inheritance Tax impact of the April 2027 change that brings most unused pensions into the estate: the IHT before vs after, and the extra tax. Exposure only — models nothing about pension products or what to do with a pension (that is FCA-regulated advice).

• who_inherits_intestacy

  Apply the England & Wales intestacy rules (dying without a will, rules from 26 July 2023): who inherits and how much. ALWAYS returns the warnings — e.g. a cohabiting partner inherits nothing, and jointly-owned assets usually pass outside these rules by survivorship.

• compare_trusts

  Recommend which UK trust types are worth discussing for a goal, with an HONEST note that always accompanies the recommendation (e.g. no trust simply avoids care fees — deliberate-deprivation rules apply with no time limit). Each trust lists what it does NOT do. 'No trust may be needed' is a valid answer.

• will_readiness_check

  Score estate-planning readiness against a checklist. Pass `answers` as a map of item id → true/false (ids: has_will, will_recent, executors_named, guardians_named, lpa_property, lpa_health, wishes_recorded, assets_listed; advanced: pension_nominations, digital_assets, business_succession, foreign_assets, life_insurance_trust). Missing or false items count as gaps. Returns a band: covered / gaps / urgent.

• estimate_probate_cost

  Estimate the cost of probate in England & Wales: the HMCTS application fee (£300 where the estate is over £5,000; no fee at £5,000 or below — the same with or without a will), sealed-copy costs, and — on the professional route — typical fee ranges across the UK market (NOT the firm's fees; most professional fees attract VAT on top). Guidance, not advice.

• check_need_probate

  Check whether a grant of probate (or letters of administration) is LIKELY to be needed in England & Wales, from what the person owned and how they owned it. Returns a guidance verdict — likely / maybe / unlikely — with per-asset reasons and next steps. Indicative only: every bank and institution sets its OWN probate threshold and decides asset by asset, so the honest answer always includes asking each one directly.

• calculate_lpa_cost

  Calculate the Office of the Public Guardian fees to register Lasting Powers of Attorney in England & Wales: £92 per LPA (applications received from 17 November 2025), with a 50% remission where the donor's gross annual income is under £12,000 and a full exemption on certain means-tested benefits (both claimed with form LPA120). Registration fees only — nothing about drafting costs or whether an LPA is right for someone.

• estimate_care_cost

  Project what care home fees could cost: typical self-funder weekly ranges (sourced 2026 estimates rounded from published averages) × 52 weeks × years, by region and care type. The educate-only means-test notes are ALWAYS included — England's capital limits and Wales's single limit are stated as facts for education; there is deliberately no 'how much could you protect' computation, because no arrangement simply avoids care fees.

• gift_7_year_timeline

  Map lifetime gifts onto the 7-year-rule timeline: which taper BAND each gift sits in and when it falls outside the estate. An EDUCATIONAL timeline of the bands and mechanics only — NOT a personal tax computation: taper relief reduces the rate of tax, never the gift's value, and it only matters where total gifts in the 7 years before death exceed the £325,000 nil-rate band (used up oldest gift first). No personal tax figures are computed.

• check_deed_of_variation

  Check whether a deed of variation is available — guidance-only eligibility against the s.142 IHTA 1984 conditions: the hard two-year window from the date of death (HMRC does not extend it), adult beneficiaries with capacity, and the agreement of everyone whose share would reduce. Returns yes / no / depends with blockers, goal-mapped possibilities, and an honest note that ALWAYS accompanies the result. No tax outcome is promised — whether it helps depends on the whole estate.

• check_rnrb

  Check residence nil-rate band eligibility and amount (England & Wales 2025/26): up to £175,000 per person where a home you own (or owned) passes to direct descendants, doubled for a married couple / civil partners, plus a late spouse's transferred allowance — capped at the home's value and tapered by £1 for every £2 the estate exceeds £2m. Illustrative check with plain-English reasons.

• lookup_glossary

  Look up plain-English definitions of UK estate-planning terms (IHT, trusts, LPAs, probate). Omit `term` to list all.

• search_guides

  Search Simply Estate's estate-planning guides (wills, IHT, LPAs, trusts, probate) by keyword. Returns titles, URLs and excerpts to cite.

• get_faqs

  Return Simply Estate's frequently-asked questions and answers (fees, regulation, IHT, trusts, wills/LPAs/probate). Optional keyword filter.

• request_consultation

  Submit a request for a FREE, no-obligation estate-planning consultation on the user's behalf. Use only with the user's explicit consent and real contact details. Returns a reference id; the Simply Estate team follows up. Estate planning here is not FCA-regulated.