Legal services from Robert Duff

Your property is special to us

Our friendly estate agency teams in Largs and Millport, Isle of Cumbrae have a wealth of knowledge of the local market and will provide you with regular updates as your property is actively marketed for sale.

Free valuation and marketing advice

We will provide you with an initial valuation of your property free of charge. We will also market the property using high quality images and an in depth, professional property description.

Property Marketing Services

As part of our package, you will receive:

• Online marketing via Rightmove, ZOOPLA, ESPC, On The Market, S1 Homes, and more
• Window displays in both offices
• For sale signs and/or window boards
• Feature on our regularly updated website
• Feedback from viewers

Purchase

We have many years experience behind us in the purchase of property across Ayrshire and throughout Scotland. The earlier in the process you contact us the better. That allows us to assist you in considering a particular property, examine the Home Report, and discuss the terms of any offer you may wish to submit.

We will guide you through the entire process including explaining any conditions in the title deeds, negotiating the terms of purchase with the seller’s solicitor, and, if you have arranged a mortgage, we will ensure these funds are received in time to receive the keys for your new home.

Sale

As with a purchase, early discussion is recommended when selling a property. Even before a purchaser has been found we can check your title deeds for any issues which require to be investigated. This can include ensuring the correct documentation is in place for any alterations which may have been made to your property over the years. If any title problems arise, we can assist in finding solutions at an early stage to ensure they do not hold up the settlement of your sale.

Personal Contact

We aim to be approachable throughout your transaction and to explain the process in plain English. We offer flexible meetings to work around your life and are happy to arrange out of hours meetings if required. We can also deal with matters remotely using video calling and email if you would prefer.

Power of Attorney

Increased life expectancy allows us to enjoy the company of our friends and family for longer than ever before, and although this brings many benefits, it can also bring its own challenges.

As we live longer, there may come a time when you become unable to deal with your affairs, both financial and concerning your welfare (medical and care). To help with these matters, we recommend having a Power of Attorney in place. This legal document allows you to appoint family members or a close friend to assist you with your day-to-day financial affairs and, if required, your medical or care needs. This deed does not mean you lose control of your life, rather it is an insurance if you are unable to manage.

As well as full Powers of Attorney, we can also prepare temporary deeds to allow your Attorney to deal with your affairs should you travel abroad for an extended period of time or if you are temporarily incapacitated due to, for example, a stay in hospital.

Wills

A Will is the only way to ensure that after your death your estate is distributed as you wish and not by the rules of intestacy.

A Will can be as simple or involved as required and will not only make the administration of your estate easier to deal with, it will also save on costs associated with estates where there is no Will.

We consider a Will to be essential for everyone but in particular if you:

• Own a property
• Are co-habiting but unmarried
• Are remarried and have children from a previous relationship
• Think your estate may be liable to Inheritance Tax (the current threshold is £325,000)

Currently we do not charge a fee for the preparation of Wills. Instead, we request you let us have a donation which we will send on to Ayrshire Hospice on your behalf.

Living Wills and Advance Directives

Although not strictly legally binding, an Advance Directive is widely recognised as a way of recording your wishes in respect of medical treatment which you may or may not wish to receive at some point in the future. We are happy to advise on these matters.

Elder Care

As we get older and dementia and other illnesses become more common, day to day tasks can become more difficult to deal with alone. Some situations can feel overwhelming and we can offer practical and legal advice including planning for care at home or nursing home costs.

When a loved one passes away, there is so much to be dealt with that it can often seem overwhelming. At Robert Duff we know this is a difficult time and aim to make this as straightforward as possible.

First Steps

Get in touch with us in order that we can check the Will for any funeral instructions and, once the death has been registered, please make an appointment to visit us to discuss the estate in more detail.

Administration and Winding-up

The distribution of an estate will follow either the wishes in the Will left by the deceased or as set out in the rules of intestacy and we can explain these to you.

Although every estate is different, the following general procedure is used for winding-up estates:

• Identify assets and debts using information received from the Executor
• Obtain date of death values for assets
• Complete paperwork to obtain Confirmation (official document allowing Executor to deal with assets) from Sheriff Court.
• Ingather assets
• Settle debts and any legacies
• Account for transactions in estate
• Final Distribution of net estate

In intestate estates the following, additional steps must be taken:

• An Executor must be appointed by Sheriff Court
• In most cases, a Bond of Caution (a single premium insurance policy to protect the estate) must be obtained
• Estate will be distributed according to the rules of intestacy

This is a general guide to estate administration and we are happy to discuss your particular requirements.