Private Client

The complexity of estate administration and gaining probate varies according to the nature and type of the assets involved and the terms of the will. We are used to dealing with a range of estates and so can provide the help you need, doing as much or as little as you require.

If you have been appointed as the executor of a will you will need to finalise the financial affairs of the deceased and distribute what is left according to the instructions in the will. Our expert team can help with applying for probate, valuing the estate, collecting the assets, paying the tax, filling out inheritance tax returns, selling any property, managing any trusts and distributing the funds.

Estate Planning

Careful tax and financial planning is an essential part of any effective wealth management and estate planning strategy. By taking the right steps to manage your assets you can make sure that the right people benefit. We can help structure your financial affairs and assets in the most efficient way possible – including property, land, investments, business and overseas interests.

We can help to make your assets work for you and protect them for your beneficiaries with tax planning measures that can be put in place during your lifetime, and through your will.

Wills

Effective planning starts with identifying your assets, being clear about how you would like these divided, taking full account of every scenario and then writing a will that fully reflects your wishes. We can help you write a will that ensures that those you choose get the full benefit of their inheritance, as well as minimising the chance of any disputes after your death. Our expert team can help you structure your estate in the best way possible to protect your wealth and provide for your dependants in the future.

Trusts

As part of the wealth management process, it may be appropriate to set up a trust, for instance, to ensure that a particular child or relative is provided for. A trust is a legal arrangement established so that named persons – ‘trustees’ – can look after and deal with assets for the benefit of named beneficiaries. We can help you set up a trust to ensure that your assets are protected and your family looked after should anything happen to you.

Our trust advisory services include how best to make use of any existing family trusts, establishing new ones, managing trusts and winding up when appropriate. We work with clients over the long-term and encourage regular reviews, particularly if there are any changes in personal or financial circumstances – such as marriage, divorce, children or the sale of a family business.

Where you have a family trust of any kind, we offer an efficient cost effective trust administration service to help you with trust accounts and annual tax returns. We can advise on all aspects of trust administration and if you choose we can take the burden of this away from you or support you to make effective decisions.

None of us likes to think of a time when we will be unable to make our own decisions regarding our own medical treatment or finances. However, this is a growing issue and increasing use is being made of lasting powers of attorney. There are two different powers of attorney, one that allows for financial decisions to be made and the other for health and care decisions to be made on your behalf. We can advise on the benefits and options available. We can provide invaluable advice in terms of who to appoint as your attorneys, how to appoint them and what conditions or guidance to include. Such powers of attorney can also be important in the context of family or owner managed businesses, where severe disruption can be caused if key decision-makers are suddenly incapacitated.

There is an inevitable overlap between personal and business matters when there is a family business to consider and this can bring the potential for conflict. With significant expertise in both personal and corporate legal issues, we are ideally placed to advise on succession planning and how to protect the future of the family business.

Our solicitors never underestimate the privilege and responsibility that comes with advising our older and more vulnerable clients. We have developed a highly regarded legal practice focused on the needs of our elderly and vulnerable clients. We provide bespoke support and guidance for individuals, their attorneys and deputies, families and carers.

Alternatively, you or your family might need urgent legal advice because of sudden illness or injury. In either situation we’ll adapt to your differing needs and priorities in a flexible and pragmatic way.

Where no Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is in place and someone loses their capacity to manage their own affairs (financial or otherwise) the Court of Protection can appoint a Deputy. The application process is detailed and involves sensitive decisions; our team can assist and will listen to any particular issues for each client and their situation.

As well as assisting others to apply on behalf of their own family members, we have experience of acting as a Deputy. We currently act as the Deputy managing the financial affairs for clients with vulnerabilities whether through mental health, brain injury from an accident or clinical negligence or old age. We ensure there is full compliance with the Court of Protection’s strict safeguards and reporting requirements. Our team also has experience of making specific applications to the Court of Protection where required, for example, where a property needs to be sold or there is a concern about a current Attorney or deputy.