Being part of a community means more than providing legal advice. As a Blackheath solicitors firm for 175 years, Grant Saw has always believed that it also means supporting the local people, charities and cultural organisations that help make Blackheath such a vibrant place to live and work.

This year, that includes backing the Blackheath Halls Community Opera and holding legal clinics with Age Exchange.

Supporting the Blackheath Halls Community Opera

As part of its ongoing commitment to the community, Grant Saw is proud to support Blackheath Halls' 20th anniversary Community Opera, a landmark project that brings together people of all ages and backgrounds through the arts. The Community Opera has become a cherished local tradition, fostering creativity, inclusion and community spirit.

Over 20 years, thousands of local people have taken part. This year's anniversary production returns to Carmen, the opera that launched the project in 2007, with a community chorus aged from 8 to over 80 and several performers from that first production. Students from Charlton Park Academy are among the newcomers, and the run included a British Sign Language signed performance.

Grant Saw is one of four South East London businesses backing the production, and helped sponsor both the Gala Night fundraiser and the VIP and Press Night on 22 September.

Supporting the arts is one way of caring for a community. Helping people plan ahead is another, and it is the thinking behind Grant Saw's work with Age Exchange.

Legal clinics with Age Exchange

Age Exchange is a reminiscence arts charity in Blackheath Village. Founded in 1983, it works through arts and intergenerational projects with older people, including people living with dementia, and with their families and carers. Grant Saw works with Age Exchange, where the team regularly offers legal clinics on Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) and estate planning. These sessions help local residents understand their options, plan for the future and protect the people who matter most to them.

The connection is planning ahead. Access to trusted advice on Wills and LPAs matters, and perhaps most of all to people thinking about later life and the families who support them. A Will sets out who should inherit your money, property and possessions, and who should deal with your estate. A Lasting Power of Attorney lets someone you trust make decisions on your behalf if you are ever unable to make them yourself. It can only be made while a person still has the mental capacity to do so, which is why it is best talked through early. Early estate planning, which simply means thinking ahead about what will happen to what you own and who will look after your affairs, can provide peace of mind, reduce uncertainty for families and ensure that a person's wishes are clearly documented and respected.

The clinics are informal, so people can ask questions in their own words. The firm has also hosted a Planning for the Future event at Age Exchange alongside other local organisations, with talks on Wills, LPAs and care fee planning.

Making or updating a Will or Lasting Power of Attorney?

Grant Saw's Private Client team advises individuals and families on Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and estate planning, from a first conversation about what matters to you through to putting the documents in place.

Call 020 8858 6971 or contact us here

175 years as Blackheath solicitors: why community matters

Partnerships like these matter because they bring people together, and bring trusted advice closer to them. A community opera connects neighbours across generations. A legal clinic brings advice on Wills and LPAs into a familiar local setting, where people can ask questions and decide for themselves what to do next. For Grant Saw, both are part of being a good neighbour.

Grant Saw has served the local community since 1851, and its partnerships with Blackheath Halls and Age Exchange reflect the values that have guided the firm throughout its history: supporting local people, building lasting relationships and investing in the community it serves. It is the same approach that shapes its advice to clients: Law plainly put. People, truly understood.

The same spirit runs through the firm's wider community work, from talks on Wills, LPAs and inheritance tax for local care homes and community groups to lawyers who volunteer with Citizens Advice.

As Grant Saw celebrates its 175th anniversary, it is proud of its heritage in Greenwich and Blackheath Village, and looks forward to continuing to support the community for generations to come.

Grant Saw regularly holds in-person events like these, including the legal clinics at Age Exchange. If you are unable to join one, the questions below answer some of those most often asked about Wills and LPAs.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get advice about Wills and LPAs in Greenwich and Blackheath?

Grant Saw's experienced Private Client team advises people in Greenwich and Blackheath on Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) and estate planning, with advice tailored to each person's circumstances. The team can help you to:

Draft or update your Will
Put LPAs in place for property and financial affairs, and for health and welfare
Plan for inheritance tax
Protect vulnerable beneficiaries
Administer estates and trusts

The team also works with local organisations such as Age Exchange, where it regularly holds legal clinics to help local residents understand their options and plan confidently for the future.

When is a good time to make or review a Will?

A Will is worth making as soon as other people depend on you or would be affected by what you leave behind, and worth reviewing whenever life changes. Common moments include marriage or civil partnership, separation or divorce, the birth of a child or grandchild, buying or selling a home, and the sale of a business. A conversation with a solicitor, or a visit to a legal clinic, can help you decide whether your existing Will still reflects what you want.

Do I need both a Will and a Lasting Power of Attorney?

They do different jobs. A Will only takes effect after death, so it cannot help if you become unable to manage your own affairs during your lifetime. A Lasting Power of Attorney covers that gap, but it ends on death. Many people put both in place together so that their affairs are looked after at every stage. An LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.

What is a legal clinic?

A legal clinic is a chance to speak with a qualified legal professional in an informal and accessible setting. Clinics are designed to help people understand their legal options, ask questions and identify any steps they may wish to take. Topics that often come up at Grant Saw's legal clinics include:

Wills and estate planning
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs)
Inheritance and probate matters
Planning for later life
Protecting family assets

Many people find that a legal clinic is a helpful first step in understanding their situation before deciding whether they need more detailed legal advice.

Who are the longest-established solicitors in Greenwich?

Grant Saw has been advising people in Greenwich and Blackheath since 1851. In those 175 years, the firm has helped generations of local families and businesses with Wills, probate, property, family law and dispute resolution. That history shapes how the firm works today: clear, trusted advice from a team that remains actively involved in the community it serves.

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About the Author

Kalpa Prajapati is a Wills and Probate solicitor at Grant Saw, advising a varied range of clients on the administration of estates (probate), Will drafting, estate planning, trusts, lifetime trusts and settlements, Lasting Powers of Attorney, the registration of Enduring Powers of Attorney, and inheritance tax and capital gains tax. She also advises on Court of Protection and Office of the Public Guardian applications, including deputyship orders, statutory Will applications and disabled person trusts, and on declarations of trust. Kalpa has a particular interest and expertise in disputed Wills (contentious probate) and disputed trusts, including claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, contested probate matters, and disputed Lasting Powers of Attorney and deputyship orders. She is bilingual in English and Gujarati.

Kalpa graduated from the University of Southampton in 2005 and completed the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in London. She joined Grant Saw in September 2008 and was admitted as a solicitor within the firm's Wills and Probate Department in September 2010. She is an associate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA number 410872. Her interests include yoga, travelling and cuisine.

Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and estate planning advice

Grant Saw's Private Client team advises individuals and families across Greenwich, Blackheath and South East London on Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, estate planning and probate. If you are thinking about making or updating a Will or Lasting Power of Attorney, Kalpa and her team can help. Call 020 8858 6971 or email privateclient@grantsaw.co.uk to discuss your circumstances.

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Disclaimer

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws and guidance change and outcomes depend on facts. If you need advice on your situation, please contact us. Grant Saw Solicitors LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Last updated: 7 October 2026