Estate planning specialists
Estate planning, Wills and trusts for Devon families
We help families across Devon and the South West (and beyond) protect their home, savings and loved ones with a clear written plan. You see a written plan and fee before you decide to go ahead, and we come to you.
27 Years of estate planning experience
STEP Affiliate Member, The Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners
Insured PII – Professional Indemnity Insurance
5.0 Rating from 24 Google reviews
Why choose us
Specialist advice, with a personal touch
We bring 27 years of experience and have advised thousands of private and business clients. Estate planning is our sole focus, and every plan is built around your family, because no one size fits all.
Expert partners
SRA-regulated solicitors, full STEP members and tax and trust specialists.
Insured
Professional indemnity insurance.
Clear fees
You see a written plan and fee before you decide to go ahead.
We come to you
At your home anywhere in Devon and the South West, or by video.
Michaels & Co is a specialist estate planning consultancy. Legal document drafting such as preparing trusts, applying for probate, HM Land Registry & HMRC work is carried out by our preferred partners, who are SRA-regulated solicitors, full STEP members and Tax & Trusts Corporations. All work submitted is compliance checked throughout the process through to delivery to you, the client.
Why plan
A Will alone is not always enough
Most of the Wills we review leave gaps. Your family can lose what you intended them to have through events nobody planned for. We call it accidental or sideways disinheritance, and each of these risks can be planned for.
Your partner remarries, after your death
Your home can pass to their new family instead of your children.
A child divorces
Their inheritance can be lost in the divorce settlement.
Care fees
Long-term care can use up the home and savings you meant to pass on.
Debts or bankruptcy
Money left outright to a child is exposed to their creditors, should they experience financial difficulties.
A child dies first
If their spouse remarries, your grandchildren can lose out.
Inheritance Tax
Without planning, tax can take a large share, and pensions count from 2027.
Not sure if your Will covers these? Talk to us.
What we do
Estate planning services in Devon
Estate planning goes further than a Will. We look at your home, savings, pensions and business together, using tried and tested solutions checked by STEP practitioners.
Protecting your family’s inheritance
Help keep what you leave in the family, whatever happens: remarriage, a child’s divorce, creditors, or the cost of care later in life.
Inheritance Tax planning in Devon
The legal ways to reduce what your family pays, including the pension and business relief changes in 2026 and 2027.
Disability / Vulnerable Beneficiary Trusts
Provide for a family member with additional needs without putting their benefits at risk.
Wills
Make sure everything goes where you want it to, and choose who looks after your estate and your children.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
Choose who decides about your money, health and care if you ever can’t.
Deed of Variation
Within two years of a death, change who inherits, which can reduce Inheritance Tax.
Trust taxation
Tax returns, registration and the ongoing tax rules for trusts you already have.
For business owners: Protecting business assets Cross Option Agreements Shareholder Trusts
Here’s how we work
Three steps. No jargon, no pressure.
You always know what happens next, and you see a written plan and fee before you decide to go ahead.
01
A call or meeting
We talk through your family, what you own and what you want to happen, by phone, video or at your home.
02
Your written plan
We analyse your situation and send you a written summary with a plan tailored to your family.
03
Implemented then supported
We put everything in place with our partners, and stay on hand as your life and the rules change.
Reviews
What families say about us
Rated 5.0 from 24 reviews on Google.
★★★★★
“Michael Doctors has a natural ability to grasp complex personal circumstances and responds with clarity, professionalism, and warmth. He creates a calm, unhurried space to talk through sensitive topics.”
Nicola W.
Google review
★★★★★
“We were looking for advice on how best to secure our family home in Exmouth for our daughter and her children. Michael, working with a law firm, has helped us establish a bespoke Trust and new Wills which exactly fits our needs. Michael is a good listener and was clear from the start about what he could do and how much his service would cost.”
Ian T.
Google review
★★★★★
“Michael has been an excellent person to deal with and I’m very happy with the outcome.”
Virginia N.
Google review
We come to you
Advice at your kitchen table
We visit you at home anywhere in Devon and the South West, at a time that suits you, or meet by video.
Questions
Estate planning, answered
The questions families ask us before their first conversation.
Do I need estate planning?
If you own a home, have savings or a pension, or have children, a plan is worth having. It makes sure everything goes where you want, with as little tax and delay as possible. At the first meeting we tell you plainly whether you need to do anything at all.
Do I need Inheritance Tax planning?
If your home, savings and pensions together could be worth more than the tax-free allowances, it’s worth a conversation. We’ll show you the allowances you can use before anything else.
Who is the best person to talk to about estate planning?
Someone who specialises in it. Estate planning is all we do. We work with SRA-regulated solicitors, full STEP members and tax and trust specialists, so you get specialist advice and properly prepared documents in one place.
What is the biggest mistake people make with a Will?
Leaving everything outright and assuming that is enough. A simple Will can’t protect your children’s inheritance from remarriage, divorce, care fees or creditors. We check for these gaps in every Will we review.
Will you come to my home?
Yes. We visit families at home across Devon and the South West, or meet by video if you prefer.
What will it cost?
You see a written plan and fee before you decide to go ahead.
How long will it take?
Once you’ve decided on your plan and instructed us, first drafts are normally 10 working days from instructing our solicitors depending on workload. Signed documents usually take one to two months and sometimes longer depending on complexity and client approval of drafts. Registering trusts with HMRC will take some weeks, and the Land Registry can take 12 months or more after that. We keep you updated throughout, and your estate planning is legally valid from the moment you sign your documents.
Book a call
Let’s talk about protecting your family
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