“Sara visited me at home on three occasions to make sure my Will and LPAs were completed according to my wishes. A true professional, willing to explain everything in plain English.”
Ashford
Estate planning in Ashford, Tenterden and the Wye valley.
Serving Ashford, Tenterden, Wye, Hythe, Charing and the TN23–TN30 villages. By video, at home, or in our office.
SLS Wills and More serves Ashford and the surrounding area, including Tenterden, Wye, Charing, Hothfield, Hythe (TN24), the villages of mid-Kent and the TN23, TN24, TN25, TN26, TN27 and TN30 postcodes. Our office is in Aylesham, around 35 minutes from Ashford. We meet Ashford clients at our office, at their homes, or by video and telephone. Our founder Sara Sheppard, TEP, is a Trust and Estate Practitioner with 38 years of experience across East Kent.
Local context
Ashford, commuter belt and country.
Ashford has grown significantly with the High Speed 1 link to London and the M20 corridor. The town now combines an established Ashford community with a substantial commuter population working in London but living in Kent for the schools, the space and the quality of life.
Our Ashford clients include working families with property in Ashford and a long commute to London, retired residents in Tenterden and the surrounding rural villages, and professionals based at one of the area's substantial employers. Estate planning concerns tend to focus on property values (Ashford and Tenterden include substantial properties), Inheritance Tax planning for higher-value estates, and trust planning for families with young children.
Ashford clients also frequently have business interests; the area has a strong base of small and medium businesses, and business succession planning is a common conversation.
Services in Ashford
What we do for Ashford clients.
Single and Mirror Wills for Ashford families, from online Wills (£120 single, £180 mirror) to bespoke Wills with full consultation (£300 single, £500 mirror). Rural clients in Tenterden, Wye and the TN27 villages are a regular part of the practice.
Lasting Powers of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs and for Health and Welfare, often alongside the Will. We draft and oversee the OPG registration; the £92 per-LPA fee is additional.
Trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries, protective trusts for young children, and Inheritance Tax planning for Ashford estates that cross the £325,000 nil-rate band and the £175,000 residence nil-rate band. Property values across Ashford, Tenterden and the Wye valley often put planning squarely on the agenda.
Probate and estate administration through our third-party provider for Ashford families bereaved and needing a Grant.
Business succession planning for Ashford business owners — Will combined with shareholder agreements or cross-option agreements, coordinated with the client's accountant where helpful.
Where we meet
Where we see Ashford clients.
Many Ashford clients meet by video given the working patterns of the area. Home visits and office meetings remain options for clients who prefer them. Our Aylesham office is a 35-minute drive via the M20 or the A28 through Canterbury.
Coverage
The Ashford area we cover.
Ashford town and the surrounding estates; Tenterden, Wye, Charing, Hothfield, Bethersden, Smarden, Pluckley, High Halden, Appledore, Woodchurch, and the rural villages of mid-Kent out to Hamstreet and Hythe. Postcodes TN23, TN24, TN25, TN26, TN27, TN30.
Pricing
Standard SLS pricing.
Online Wills from £120 inc VAT (Single) and £180 (Mirror). Bespoke Wills with a consultation from £300 (Single) and £500 (Mirror). LPAs from £300 to £1,200 inc VAT per LPA plus the £92 OPG fee. Free initial consultation. Complex matters quoted individually.
Services available
Estate planning services in Ashford.
The full SLS service set is available to clients in this area, by office, home or video meeting.
- W
Will writing
A properly drafted Will makes your wishes clear, protects the people you love and saves your family from unnecessary stress. Single Wills, Mirror Wills, Complex Wills.
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Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Lasting Power of Attorney lets you choose who makes decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself. Both types: property and finances, health and welfare.
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Trusts
Trusts can protect assets for vulnerable beneficiaries, ring-fence money for grandchildren, reduce IHT exposure or keep wealth in the family across generations.
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Probate and estate administration
When someone dies, the people they left behind have to deal with paperwork, banks, HMRC and often the courts, all while grieving. We handle as much of that as you want us to.
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Inheritance Tax planning
With careful planning, much of an estate can be passed on without an unnecessary tax bill. We work with you, and your other advisers where helpful, to plan properly.
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Business succession planning
Owning a business changes how you plan. We help business owners protect what they have built and prepare for what happens next.
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Document storage
Once you have spent money on estate planning, it is vital you keep these documents safe. We offer secure storage of original Wills and other key documents, with retrieval whenever you or your executors need them.
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Free Will review
A Will written today is not necessarily the right Will in five years. We offer a free review of any Will we have written, and a paid review service for Wills written elsewhere.
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Not sure where to start? Take the two-minute Will assessment.
Start the assessmentReviews
What clients say.
“I'd had a complete mental block about making my Will. Sara has been a godsend. Professional and experienced but also patient and supportive. I'm now relieved to have finally done it.”
“Couldn't fault Sara. Expert advice, she knows what she's talking about. I checked with the Society of Will Writers who confirmed she was a member and on their advisory board.”
FAQs
Common questions.
Yes. SLS writes Wills for clients across Ashford, Tenterden, Wye and the surrounding TN postcodes. Choose online (from £120) for simple situations, or bespoke (from £300) for a full consultation and tailored drafting. The first conversation is free.
Yes. Most Ashford-area commuters prefer video consultations, often outside of standard office hours. We are flexible on timing.
Yes. Tenterden, Wye, Charing, Smarden, Pluckley and the surrounding rural villages are part of our regular Ashford-area working zone. Postcodes TN23 through TN30 all count.
Yes. Hythe (CT21) sits between Ashford and Folkestone and is covered by both our Ashford and Folkestone working zones. Home visits are standard; office meetings in Aylesham remain an option.
Yes. We draft LPAs for Property and Financial Affairs and for Health and Welfare, from £300 per LPA plus the £92 OPG registration fee. Many Ashford clients prepare an LPA alongside their Will in a single consultation.
SLS coordinates probate through a third-party provider so Ashford families get one point of contact and a clear plan. Scope ranges from Grant-only to full estate administration. The free consultation is the right place to start.
Yes. Business succession planning sits alongside the standard estate planning work and is a frequent Ashford conversation. The pattern is a Will coordinated with shareholder agreements, partnership deeds or cross-option agreements — not two separate Wills, which English law does not allow. We work with your accountant and corporate adviser where helpful.
Guardianship is the most important consideration. A Will that appoints guardians, alongside trust provisions for any inheritance until the children reach a chosen age, gives peace of mind that the family is protected.
Property values across Ashford, Tenterden and the Wye valley often take estates over the £325,000 nil-rate band and £175,000 residence nil-rate band. The free consultation includes an outline of the tax position and planning options. Written quotes for any further planning follow in writing.
Take the next step
Book a free consultation, from Ashford or anywhere.
Thirty minutes by video, telephone or in person. No obligation.
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Or call us on 01304 577 998