I specialise in wills and probate, trusts, tax planning and general advice for the elderly, including powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters. I have been working in this field since I qualified, and deal with a variety of matters including more complex Estates and inheritance tax planning. I qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and joined Crane & Staples in April 2000, becoming a Partner with the firm in April 2003. I am currently the Firm’s finance partner and COFA. I am the Head of the Wills and Probate (Private Client) Department at Crane & Staples. For many years, I have been an active member of the Hertfordshire Law Society Probate and Trust Committee, which I now chair. I am a full member of both Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Longcroft House, Fretherne Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6TU
Licensed for 28 years
Money & Tax, Wills, Trusts & Probate
Amazing friendly staff. Especially Dave 😉
A representative from Crane & Staples LLP responded to this review on 08 October, 2019
Thank you for taking the time to post this kind review. We are so glad you found our staff to be friendly and will pass this review on to David Bird. Kind regards, Crane & Staples
Was this review helpful? Yes
I specialise in wills and probate, trusts, tax planning and general advice for the elderly, including powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters. I have been working in this field since I qualified, and deal with a variety of matters including more complex Estates and inheritance tax planning. I qualified as a solicitor in 1995 and joined Crane & Staples in April 2000, becoming a Partner with the firm in April 2003. I am currently the Firm’s finance partner and COFA. I am the Head of the Wills and Probate (Private Client) Department at Crane & Staples. For many years, I have been an active member of the Hertfordshire Law Society Probate and Trust Committee, which I now chair. I am a full member of both Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Languages Spoken: English
Crane and Staples LLP
Longcroft House
Fretherne Road
Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
AL8 6TU
Phone 01707329333
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Exceptional service
I don't ususually leave reviews, but I just wanted to recognise the consistent excellent sevice and advice we have received from Crane & Staples over a number of years and on various matters. Particularly from Heather Charles-Wall helping us with property purchases, David Bird sorting my fathers estate and our wills and more recently from Adrian Boulter for responding so promptly with some great practical advice.
Solicitor named in this review: David Walter Bird
A representative from Crane & Staples LLP responded to this review on 10 October, 2022
Thank you for your review. We appreciate the positive feedback you have given us and look forward to working with you in the future.
Was this review helpful? Yes
Probate Review
Our family has used Crane and Staples (who were named as executors on our father’s Will) through a very complex probate process involving five separate jurisdictions. David Bird has been a steady pair of hands, giving wise counsel at stressful times. He has been methodical and efficient, quietly getting the job done.
Separately we have also used the firm to sort out property and Land Registry issues and I cannot recommend Katie Smits highly enough too
Solicitor named in this review: David Walter Bird
A representative from Crane & Staples LLP responded to this review on 08 October, 2021
Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely review for David Bird and Katie Smits. We are so pleased that you were happy with the service provided and we look forward to working with you in the future.
Was this review helpful? Yes
Helpful professional service
We needed to write new Powers of Attorney to include new material, and the advice from David Bird was extremely helpful. Despite limitations imposed by the C19 pandemic, the documentation proceeded efficiently, both by email and by Zoom. guided centrally by David Bird, who was home-working. We feel able to recommend Crane & Staples without reservation.
Solicitor named in this review: David Walter Bird
A representative from Crane & Staples LLP responded to this review on 16 April, 2021
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave this lovely review for David Bird. We are so pleased that you were happy with the service and that your matter was dealt with successfully, despite Covid-19 restrictions. We look forward to working with you in the future. Kind regards, Crane & Staples LLP.
Was this review helpful? Yes