Nancy originally comes from Market Harborough and was deputy head girl at the Robert Smyth Academy before starting her Bachelor of Laws degree at Royal Holloway, University of London.

She graduated with first class honours in 2022 and continued studying on the Legal Practice Course, passing with distinction from the BPP university in Birmingham in September 2023.

Nancy joined BTTJ in November 2022 as a paralegal in our Medical Negligence team, working in the Private Client team from July 2023 before being promoted to trainee solicitor in September 2024.

She continued her training from March 2025 in our Family & Matrimonial team, then the Commercial Property team from September 2025, before rejoining the Private Client team in January 2026.

Partner Richard Stanford said: “Congratulations to Nancy who has qualified as a solicitor following her consistent hard work and dedication across the firm.

“She has gained valuable experience in various aspects of law and we are delighted that she will now be one of the skilled solicitors in our Private Client team.”

John Chadaway, the Partner who oversees the Trainee Solicitors at the firm commented: “Nancy has been an excellent, determined and enthusiastic trainee and it is great to see yet another trainee at BTTJ qualify as a Solicitor. We wish her a long and prosperous career with the Firm”.

Nancy says “I have enjoyed my training here at BTTJ where everyone has been very friendly and willing to share their experience and knowledge.

“I am so pleased to have qualified and am now looking forward to making even more of a contribution with the Private Client team.”

Well done Nancy! Very much deserved after all of your hard work! From all at BTTJ

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But what happens if your decisions need to be made on your behalf whilst you are still living? A Will won’t assist in such circumstances but having an LPA should.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document where you as the Donor appoint someone (usually close relatives or friends) to be your Attorney(s) to make certain decisions on your behalf including when you lack mental capacity.

So, by putting an LPA in place now, means you essentially retain a degree of control – Naturally, you would only appoint people you trust to carry out your wishes and who will always act in your best interests. You can also place restrictions or conditions on the face of the document itself.

There are two types of LPA:

1. A Property and Financial Affairs LPA which allows your Attorney(s) to make decisions about paying bills, dealing with the bank, collecting benefits, selling your house, etc; you can make an LPA to be used for financial decisions while you still have mental capacity.
2. A Health and Welfare LPA which allows your Attorney(s) to make decisions regarding treatment, care, medication, where you live, etc. You can create this LPA to be used only if you can no longer make your own decisions – known as losing ‘mental capacity’.

Currently, almost 1 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with dementia and this figure is rising. It’s anticipated that 1 in 3 individuals over 65 will suffer from some form of dementia and if capacity becomes an issue, it may not be possible to put an LPA in place at that stage. This means that your loved one is then left with the costly alternative of applying to the Court of Protection to become your Deputy (Deputyship). This is a slow process, taking 4-6 months once the paperwork has been completed, and while awaiting the outcome your affairs may be in a state of limbo. Preparing an LPA in a timely fashion could therefore also save your family a lot of stress, pressure and unnecessary expense.

As for accidents, every 90 seconds someone is admitted to hospital in the UK with a brain injury – traffic or contact-sport accidents are examples of what can go wrong. Once completed and registered, an LPA can be used if you suffer a physical infirmity for example in a serious accident, but you regain control of making your own decisions once you recover.

So, an LPA isn’t simply to be considered just by the elderly, although of course it allows you to plan in advance so that other people of your choosing may make decisions on your behalf at a point in time when you might lose the capacity to make those decisions yourself.

If you would like more information, or are looking to put an LPA in place, please contact our friendly team of experts who will be happy to talk to through the process.

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Quite often after we have completed a Will for a client, they comment that it was a much easier process than they had envisaged, & it was something on their “to do list” that they should have completed months or even years before.

Completing a Will is thought to be a daunting experience with having to consider what happens after you pass away, however, it is an important process and task on your to do list to complete, not only to ensure your wishes take place but also to ensure your loved ones are protected.

Our friendly and down to earth Private Client Team will make the process as straightforward and unnerving as possible.

Contact us to book your appointment & get that to-do list ticked off. We have local offices in Coventry, Warwick, Balsall Common & Southam

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This changed in the 2024 budget when Rachel Reeves announced that from April 2026 APR and BR were to be capped at £1 million.  Whilst it would be possible to claim both reliefs on one estate, the total combined amount was capped at £1 million.   Any farming or business assets over and above that would be taxed at 20%.  This is half the normal rate of tax which is 40%.

This caused a lot of concern for many farmers.  Farming is usually an asset rich and cash poor business, with most of the value being in the land rather than cash in the bank.  In order to pay the inheritance tax bill, farmers would have been very likely to have had to sell some of their land.  Farmers tend to get very small returns on their assets, and a smaller farm is less viable. 

Many farmers have taken to the streets in protest, and this has received a lot of media coverage.  The National Farmers Union (NFU) have been campaigning for the last 14 months to get the proposed rules changed and they have been speaking to the government to explain the problems that a large inheritance tax bill would cause for many farmers.  There are people that invest in farmland for inheritance tax planning, but the people that were going to be hit most were the small family farms. There are already many younger people who choose not to follow in their parents’ footsteps and take on the family farm, and so the inheritance tax situation would not help this.

There was a small breakthrough in the November 2025 budget where it was announced that the £1 million relief could be transferred between spouses.  Under the original proposal if a farmer died and left everything to their spouse then there would be no inheritance tax to pay on the first death due to spouse exemption, but when the second person died and the farm passed to the next generation there would only be one allowance of £1 million available.  The change in the November budget meant that there would be a combined allowance of £2 million on the second death.  But due to the value of land most farms would still have been caught by inheritance tax.

However, there was welcome news on 23 December 2025 when the government announced that they were going to increase the APR and BR limit to £2.5 million and it can be transferred between spouses which means that a married couple could have a combined allowance of £5 million.  According to Emma Reynolds, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 85% of farming estates that claim APR won’t have to pay inheritance tax once the legislation is passed.  When being interviewed on Farming Today on BBC Radio 4, Tom Barshaw president of the NFU described it as a ‘massive sense of relief.’  This is a sentiment that will be echoed by many farmers. 

The change in BR will also help many small business owners.  Whilst the changes to BR did not get as much media coverage as the changes to APR, it is equally important that small businesses can continue to run without being crippled by inheritance tax.

Article written by Private Client Chartered Legal Executive Rachel Collett. If you require assistance with regards to Wills, estate administration or inheritance please contact our friendly team who will be happy to help.

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Saher, who is based in our Balsall Common office, joined BTTJ in February, after developing her career at other law firms across Warwickshire.

She has quickly impressed partners and colleagues and has now been promoted to become head of the firm’s private client department.

Saher will still be based at Balsall Common but will work across all four of the firm’s offices with the team.

Richard Stanford, managing partner for the private client team, said: “Saher has made a real impact since joining us, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge that has benefited the company and our clients.

“We are therefore very pleased to reward her efforts with this promotion. She will now be working closely with the team and the partners to develop the department further.”

Saher first qualified as a solicitor in 2002 and became an expert advisor on Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, estate planning and the administration of estates, gaining her TEP qualification from the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners (STEP).

She said: “I’ve really enjoyed my time here at BTTJ since February, and I’m now looking forward to working with the partners to lead and develop a team that already has an excellent reputation.”

Congratulations Saher, from all of your colleagues at BTTJ!

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Upon looking further into these adverts, many of these companies that offer “Local Will Writing for Coventry Residents” for example, are not local at all – in fact one of the companies we found were actually based in Gibraltar!

As a firm of solicitors, you would expect us to advise you to use us to write your Will…. And that is true – but we explain our reasonings for this below.

What is the difference between Will writing companies and Solicitors?

The main difference between Will writing companies and solicitors is that anyone can become a Will writer – many aspects of planning are non-regulated, meaning anyone can write a Will, regardless of training or expertise – whereas Solicitors are regulated and have to adhere to strict codes of conduct. It is unlikely that Will writers are fully legally qualified, but if they’re a member of a recognised trade body, they have at least been trained in Wills and estate planning.

An experienced Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive undergoes years of study, training and practice to assist clients, they will firstly obtain a full understanding of your family dynamics and financial circumstances, and with this insight will then offer tailored Will advice as to the type of Will – be it basic or more complicated – that meets your needs and does so in the most tax-efficient way. They will also oversee the signing and witnessing of your Will to make sure that the process is properly carried out and can advise on additional services to complement a Will, such as a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Trusts. They have also good professional relationships with other local professionals such as financial advisors if required.

Solicitors firms are members of The Law Society and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The SRA regulate all solicitors and most law firms in England and Wales. They protect and help the public by making sure solicitors and law firms meet their high standards, they take action against solicitors who don’t follow their rules – for instance, by taking someone’s money or acting dishonestly and people can get their documents and money back, if, for example, a law firm shuts down suddenly. If an issue were to arise regarding the validity of your Will, you have the security of the regulation authorities, alongside this, solicitors are required by law to have adequate professional indemnity insurance.

Members of our team have STEP accreditation – STEP members are internationally recognised as experts in their field, with proven qualifications and experience. As specialists in inheritance and succession planning, STEP members draft Wills and trusts, administer estates, act as trustees and advise families on how best to structure their finances to ensure compliance and best preserve their assets for future generations.

What is more, we work in partnership with Certainty the National Will Register. This allows us to register your Will, which is included in our fee, as well as Will search and Will Management services.

DIY Wills

You may have also seen that you can purchase ‘DIY Wills’ online or even from shops. Are they legally binding? It depends! The validity of a Will depends on certain requirements being met, including that the person making the Will has adequate mental capacity to make it in the first place. A simple mistake in the drafting of a Will can potentially render it invalid.

DIY Wills can cause many problems even if they are perfectly valid and appear relatively simple. They can become outdated very quickly without professional advice and future planning, and are often made without taking into account important factors that a trained professional would identify.

Depending on you and your beneficiaries’ circumstances, a very basic DIY Will could end up costing a great deal of money to your beneficiaries once you have passed, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. The law about inheritances and how they are taxed can be complex and things might change between when you write your will and when you die. That makes it risky to write your own Will without professional advice.

Charity Wills

We are all for leaving a charity donation in your Will, in fact it can even help with reducing inheritance tax bills. We regularly draft Wills for clients that include donations to charities, and we also take part in ‘Will weeks’ for local charities. However, charity Wills tend to only suit those needing very basic Wills. If your Will is considered to be more complex, such as involving high-value assets, inheritance tax planning, blended families, or business ownership, going directly to a solicitors’ firm is the best option to provide tailored advice to benefit both yourself and your beneficiaries in the future.

To summarise

In summary, a professional service will ensure your Will does what you want it to do. Free online or cheap Wills are not up to ensuring your wishes are respected and may well trigger a legal battle between loved ones. Getting a professional Will written can lead to peace of mind about your money going to the right people cost effectively. At BTTJ, our aim, quite simply is to make sure that you have a properly drafted Will in place and with it, peace of mind knowing that on your death, your estate will pass to your intended beneficiaries. As the saying goes… you get what you pay for!

If you require Will services, then please get in touch with one of our highly experienced and friendly team.  Our Will specialists will take the time to understand your individual circumstances and will provide you with tailored advice.

Unlike the cheap Will writing adverts we have seen; we are truly local! We have offices in Coventry, Warwick, Balsall Common and Southam and our lawyers work across the whole of the Coventry and Warwickshire region. We can trace our beginnings back to 1797 and since then, we’ve not stopped developing great relationships with our clients.

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Types of LPA

There are two types of LPA in the UK:

• Health and Welfare LPA – This is used for decisions about your personal and medical welfare such as your daily care, what sort of medical treatments and health care you receive and where you live.  It also allows your Attorney to give consent or refuse consent to life sustaining treatment on your behalf if you so wish.  This Lasting Power of Attorney takes effect only when you are mentally unable to make decisions for yourself.

• Property and Financial Affairs LPA – This is used for decisions related to finances such as paying bills, managing your bank accounts, collecting pensions and buying or selling property.  You can choose whether it can be used immediately or only when you have lost the ability to make financial decisions.

Do You Need an LPA?

You should consider an LPA if:

• You want someone you trust to handle your affairs if you lose mental capacity.
• You have assets or savings that need managing.
• You want to avoid court intervention (without an LPA, loved ones may need to apply for a Deputyship, which is costly and time-consuming).
• You want to ensure your healthcare and financial decisions align with your wishes.

You’re never ‘too young’ to set up an LPA – the earlier in life you do it the better. The minimum age for setting up an LPA in the UK is 18.

What happens when you suddenly need help managing your affairs?

One of the main benefits of making a Lasting Power of Attorney is that, should you no longer want to deal with your own affairs, or be unable to, you have personally picked someone you trust to help you when you’ll need it – someone you know who will manage things in a way that is in your best interests.

Should you become incapacitated without an LPA in place, an application to the Court of Protection will need to be made to appoint a Deputy to act for you, someone to manage your affairs such as pay the bills and have the legal right to deal with your bank.  The person appointed by the Court of Protection may not be someone you would have chosen and the whole process can take a long time and is expensive.

How to Set Up an LPA

At BTTJ, our specialist lawyers can help you with all aspects of Lasting Powers of Attorney. Simply contact us to arrange an appointment and we can talk you through what is involved. We can help with any queries you have and advise the best approach for your circumstances.

You’ll find our team extremely good at listening, and we will be able to talk through your circumstances with you, and understand exactly what it is that you want.

We can prepare Lasting Powers of Attorney for you and get them registered at the Office of the Public Guardian, ensuring you fully understand all aspects of the documents and what will happen and when. We’ll also be able to ensure that the documents accurately reflect your wishes, and we can add specific conditions and change the scope of the documents to enable this.

An LPA can only be created while you have full mental capacity. Given that none of us knows if, how or when that capacity may be lost, we would always recommend putting something in place at the earliest opportunity..

Do I need a solicitor to set up an LPA?

While you don’t have to use a solicitor to create an LPA, it could prevent problems later on – especially if you’re unsure of the process or your affairs are complex. Using a solicitor is more costly than filling the forms yourself, but you should find that the reassurance of having professional advice is worth it. 

What is an Advanced Decision?

Alongside LPAs and Wills, is the lesser-known Advance Decision (AD), also known as a Living Will or Advance Directive. This is a document in which you can set out your wishes regarding medical treatment in the event where you suffer a serious illness and become incapacitated.

An AD is designed to allow you to say which medical treatments you wish to refuse and under which circumstances, and enables you to refuse life sustaining treatments such as being ventilated.

You will need to ensure that people know that you have made an AD because there is no central register.  You therefore need to file it with your GP and also, if appropriate, with your hospital.  You may also choose to let family or friends know of its existence (or may prefer not to).

Once an AD is finalised, health professionals are legally obliged to ensure your wishes are carried out. It is important to understand that an AD generally overrides the wishes of your next of Kin.

We can help you with all aspects of an Advance Decision document.  We can explain how this document works and also how it sits alongside other legal options such as a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney.

We have local offices in Coventry, Warwick, Balsall Common and Southam and cover the whole of Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond. If you are looking to set up an LPA and/or AD, then please get in touch with one of our highly experienced and friendly team who will be happy to assist.

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Before joining us, Mason was a Family Legal Assistant at a local law firm and has a strong background in Family and Matrimonial law. Previous to this, Mason has also worked within Residential Conveyancing.

Mason studied History at Coventry University, attaining a 1^st Class Honours degree alongside a Course Tutor’s Prize for Excellence and Endeavour. With a keen interest and experience in law, he is currently preparing to sit SQE1 and SQE2 in 2026 alongside working in his role as a Paralegal, as part of his aspiration to qualify as a Solicitor.

Mason is a member of the Warwickshire Law Society Warwickshire Junior Lawyers Division.

Welcome to the team Mason! From all at BTTJ

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#MakeAWillWeek ran from 3rd – 7th March with 100% of the money being raised going straight to The Myton Hospices.

The Myton Hospices is an organisation at the forefront of palliative and end of life care across Coventry and Warwickshire. They have three hospices located in Warwick, Coventry & Rugby, two inpatient units and an ever-developing range of outpatient and community based services.

As a charity organisation, The Myton Hospices have to raise £11 million each year to continue providing their care, you can find out more & make your own donation to this valuable cause by visiting their website: https://www.mytonhospice.org

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