Central Co-op, in partnership with Co-op Legal Services

Find the answers to our most frequently asked questions

Could my home be sold to cover care fees?

If you or your partner need to go into residential care in the future, your home may need to be sold to cover the cost. Your local authority will carry out a means test to determine whether you’re eligible for financial support. If you don’t qualify, you’ll need to use your own assets, potentially including your home, to pay for your care fees.

With the right planning, you and your partner can each ringfence part of your home's value so that it's protected against being used for the other person's care fees. During your free legal review, we will explain who's liable for care costs and how to protect your home through the use of trusts.

Can my family make decisions for me if I can’t make them myself?

If you lose the ability to make your own decisions due to illness or accident, no one automatically has legal authority to manage your affairs. This includes managing your finances, paying your bills or making decisions about your medical treatment or care. Although many people assume their spouse, partner or children can step in if needed, unless you have legally appointed them as a lasting power of attorney, they do not have the right to act on your behalf.

If you lose capacity and you don't have a lasting power of attorney, your loved ones must apply to the Court of Protection for the court to decide who can manage your affairs. This process can be long, costly and complex

For peace of mind that someone of your choosing can immediately begin to look after your affairs as soon as you need them to, consider making a lasting power of attorney. In your free legal review, we'll explain how a lasting power of attorney works and look at the options available to you.

Does getting married void your will?

In England and Wales, when you get married any legally valid will that you previously put in place automatically becomes void, unless it includes specific reference to your intended marriage.

As a result, if you don't either make a will in contemplation of your marriage, or make a new will after you get married, you could die without a will. This is known as dying 'intestate'. When this happens, the law will decide who inherits your estate meaning you have no control over how your home, money, and personal belongings, are distributed. During your free legal review, we'll explain your will writing options so that you can make informed decisions.

Could I accidentally disinherit my children if I get remarried?

If you have children from a previous relationship and then get married or enter into a civil partnership with someone new, your children could be at risk from accidental disinheritance. This is because marriage or civil partnership automatically voids any existing will and your new spouse or civil partner legally becomes your main beneficiary. If your estate passes to them, they can make a will leaving it to anyone they choose. It could even be redistributed to their next of kin under inheritance laws, which don't recognise step children. When this happens it's called sideways disinheritance.

During your free legal review, we’ll help you understand this risks and how you can protect your children’s inheritance with the right planning.

Terms & conditions

A legal review is a review of your circumstances and estate planning objectives – there is no charge to you for this review and we will provide helpful hints, tips and things to think about. If we recommend any estate planning product or service, we will provide you with a fixed fee for that service. Payment will be required for any product or service you wish us to undertake on your behalf. Co-op Estate Planning or Co-op Legal Services will not be accountable for any errors or omissions in legal documents considered as part of the legal review which were not written or prepared by us, or where you have failed to provide us with relevant documents when we undertake the legal review

Co-op Legal Services reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time.

Co-op Estate Planning offers preliminary advice on estate and later life planning. We do not charge you for our services, but we may introduce you (as appropriate) to the services of our sister company, Co-op Legal Services. Co-op Estate Planning is not authorised or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), as it is not a requirement for the services that it offers. Consequently, the services it provides, does not benefit from the protections offered to clients of firms that are SRA regulated. For example, the Legal Ombudsman service would not have jurisdiction to hear any complaint you may have about the services of Co-op Estate Planning, nor would you be entitled to payments from the SRA Compensation Fund in respect of those services. By contrast, you will be entitled to benefit from these protections in relation to services provided by Co-op Legal Services, as it is authorised and regulated by the SRA. Likewise, the work of Co-op Legal Services will be covered by compulsory professional indemnity insurance which is not the case with Co-op Estate Planning.

Offer:

This offer is available for Central Co-op Members in England and Wales with a valid Membership number who are eligible for a free legal review. The 5% discount is only valid where the offer code “CentralFLR” is quoted at the time of booking an appointment and can only be applied to Co-op Legal Services’ fee for either a will (standard, mirror and trust wills) or a fully advised lasting power of attorney purchased between 01/10/2025 to 12/11/2025. The discount does not apply to VAT or disbursements.

The service provided by Co-op Legal Services is subject to a suitability assessment.

Central Co-op Member Reward:

Central Co-op Members will receive £15 in their Member pot for a single will and 1 lasting power of attorney (individual): either finance or health and care and £20 for mirror wills or 2 mirror lasting powers of attorney (for a couple): either finance or health and care. The reward will be added to the membership card number given at the time of the meeting. The reward can take up to 3 months to be added to a Membership card and is not available when contacting Co-op Legal Services directly through their website or through their direct contact telephone number.

Central Co-op reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time.