About
About Beyond Paperwork
Beyond Paperwork is an independent administrative practice based in Harlow, founded by Vallessa Solo. We support families after a bereavement, and people managing later-life administration, across Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford, Epping and the surrounding areas. We work to the standards you would expect of a professional office: written instructions, fees agreed in advance, a named person who answers the phone, and a complete written record of every call and letter.
A personal service, built from personal experience.
Beyond Paperwork was created after seeing first-hand how difficult it can be to manage administration when circumstances change.
When my stepfather’s health declined, my mother became his full-time carer. There were benefits to apply for, forms to complete and practical matters to manage. I took on the paperwork, from benefit applications to everyday correspondence, so that she could focus on him.
Following his death, there was another long list of organisations to contact, accounts to sort out and papers to organise. I handled the calls and letters so that my mother had space to grieve. It showed me how much practical work falls to a family at an already difficult time.
Beyond Paperwork was created to provide the kind of practical support I would have wanted for my family: professional, discreet and personal.
That is what we offer today: clear, careful help with the administration after a death, and with later-life paperwork, from the first conversation onwards.
Who you will be working with
Vallessa Solo, founder of Beyond Paperwork.
I am a law graduate and have spent over ten years working with sensitive information. I began in Court of Protection and private client matters, managing finances for people who could not manage them themselves and preparing reports for the Office of the Public Guardian. I then worked at a government regulator and in government relations, where accuracy and discretion were essential.
I am not a solicitor and do not provide legal advice or legal representation. If your situation needs one, I will tell you plainly and help you reach the right person with your papers in order.
I visit families at home across Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford, Epping and the surrounding areas.
What we do, and what we do not
We do
- Make the phone calls, with you and for you
- Write the letters and emails, and chase the replies
- Notify banks, pension providers, insurers, utilities, councils and subscription services, and request the cancellation of direct debits and closure of accounts
- Keep one clear schedule of assets, liabilities and everything still outstanding
- Complete benefit application forms with you, and keep a written record of every contact
We do not
- Give legal, financial, tax or benefits advice
- Decide whether you are entitled to a benefit
- Apply for probate or administer an estate
- Draft wills or other legal documents — legal work stays with your solicitor
Your protection
Vallessa Solo, sole trader, trading as Beyond Paperwork · ICO registration no. ZC229136 · Fully insured · DBS checked.
How we work
- A free 45-minute initial consultation, with no obligation
- A written quotation with a fixed fee, agreed before any work begins
- Home visits across the area, or work by phone and email — whichever suits you
- Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. Replies within 1 working day. Texts welcome
Where we work
Harlow, Sawbridgeworth, Bishop’s Stortford, Stansted, Epping, Loughton, Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt, Hoddesdon, Ware, Hertford and Chelmsford. Travel within 20 miles of CM18 6TP is included; beyond that, mileage is agreed in advance.
How our benefits fees work
- A fixed fee of £180 per application, agreed in writing before we start — £150 for each further application in the same engagement.
- Payable when your form is submitted: not before, and never as a percentage of anything you are awarded.
- We do not offer “no win, no fee” arrangements and we never take a share of your award.
- We do not decide whether you are entitled to a benefit. We complete the forms accurately with you; the decision is made by the Department for Work and Pensions or your local council.
Free help with these forms is also available from Age UK, Citizens Advice and some local councils. If we think one of those routes would suit you better, we will say so.