CARE FEES PLANNING
Care fees planning solicitor in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire and Stirlingshire
Worried that a care home could swallow the family home? We help families understand the rules and put sensible, lawful plans in place, before care is needed.
THE SITUATION YOU’RE IN
Care fees are one of the biggest financial risks a family faces
If you or a parent needs a care home, the council will assess your savings and your house. For many homeowners that means paying the full fees themselves.
The right planning, done early and properly, can make a real difference. Done late, or done wrongly, it can backfire. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in.
Call 01389 756785 or contact us online to arrange a conversation.
CARE FEES PLANNING
Who is care fees planning for?
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Couples who own their home together and want to protect their share for their children.
Second marriages and blended families, where each partner wants to make sure their own children inherit.
Single homeowners and widows or widowers, who have fewer options but still some, and should know them.
Adult children helping a parent, whether their parent is already in care, about to move into a care home, or beginning to struggle at home.
Families where a parent has been diagnosed with dementia, where time matters and the choices can narrow quickly.
WHAT WE DO
How we can help
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A care fees planning review
We look at how your home is owned, your Wills, any Powers of Attorney, your savings and your family situation, and tell you where you stand.
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Wills with trust provisions
For couples who own their home jointly, a Will that places the first partner's share in a trust (often called a liferent Will) can help protect that share for your children, while the survivor can stay in the home for life. It is not a complete answer, and we explain its limits at the outset.
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Powers of Attorney
A Power of Attorney lets someone you trust deal with the house, pay care fees and speak to the council if you lose capacity. Without one, your family may need to apply to the sheriff court for a guardianship order.
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Guardianship applications
Where a parent has already lost capacity and there is no Power of Attorney, we guide families through the application.
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A check on the council's assessment
If the council has already assessed you or a parent, we can look at whether the figures and disregards look right.
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Advice before you gift or transfer anything
Giving the house to your children is the most common mistake we see. A council can treat a transfer as deliberate deprivation of assets and count the house anyway. Speak to us first.
THE NEXT STEPS
How it works
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We listen, ask about your home, family and finances, and explain the likely position.
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We check the title deeds, your Wills and any Powers of Attorney.
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You will know what we recommend, what it will achieve and what it will cost, before you commit.
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We prepare and sign the documents with you, at our office, by video or at your home.
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The rules and capital limits change each year, and so do families. We are happy to review your plan when things change.
OUR COSTS
What does care fees planning cost?
We agree our fees in writing before we start.
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Mirror Wills for a couple
£300 (£250 plus VAT)
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Power of Attorney (one person)
£519 (£350 plus VAT plus the registration fee)
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Will and Power of Attorney together
£639 (£450 plus VAT plus the registration fee)
A Will with trust provisions, or a wider planning review, is more involved than a standard Will, so we quote a fixed fee for it after an initial conversation. See our Our Fees page for all our prices.
FAQ’S
Question? We have answers
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As early as possible, and certainly while you and your partner are well and able to sign documents. Once someone has lost capacity, a Will can no longer be made for them.
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No. No arrangement can guarantee how a council will assess a house, and we will not promise one. What we can do is explain the realistic options and put sound, lawful documents in place.
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Yes. We can check the assessment, explain how the house is being treated, and advise on guardianship or other steps if needed.
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Of course. We are happy to see adult children with their parents, and to speak to you by video if you live away.
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Our article Protecting Your Home from Care Home Fees in Scotland: Advice from a Solicitor sets out the rules in full, including the 2026-27 capital limits.
CONTACT US TODAY
Care fees planning in Alexandria, Helensburgh and across Stirlingshire
We act for families in Alexandria, Balloch, Dumbarton, Helensburgh, Loch Lomondside and the villages of West Stirlingshire, including Killearn, Drymen and Balfron. We understand how West Dunbartonshire, Stirling and Argyll and Bute councils approach financial assessments. You can see us at our office at 102 Main Street, Alexandria, by video, or at your home. Call 01389 756785 or contact us online. If a parent is about to move into care, tell us when you call so we can see you quickly.
This page is general information about the law in Scotland and is not legal advice on any individual case. No arrangement can guarantee that your home will not be counted in a care fees assessment, and each council applies the rules to the facts of the case. The law described is correct as at the date of publication.
GET IN TOUCH
Let's talk about your case
A confidential first conversation, at no obligation. Tell us what's happened — we'll tell you exactly where you stand and what happens next.
CALL
HOURS
Monday-Thursday 9am - 5pm | Friday 9am - 4pm