Individual Estate Planning

What is Private Client?

Private Client is the collective name for all those areas of practice relating to individuals, their wealth and their plans for how matters will be dealt with should they lose mental capacity and what will happen to their assets upon death.  It is a highly personal area of the law where individual and families entrust their plans and hopes into our hands to ensure that their wishes are complied with and that they get the most up to date estate and tax planning advice.  During your lifetime this includes drafting or reviewing Wills, creating trusts, planning for Inheritance Tax liability and preparing powers of attorney or deputyships.  Probate or Letters of Administration and any probate disputes will be dealt with after death by helping executors, beneficiaries and estates where there is no Will.

Who are we?

We are a team of highly specialised and experienced Private Client lawyers who hold, or are working towards the most prestigious additional qualifications with STEP (The Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners) and SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly), which are the gold standards in this area of practice.  We pride ourselves on over 200 years of service to individuals, families, estates and trusts.  In helping you with what matters most, we build a warm and lasting relationship with you so that you have a knowledgeable and friendly team of solicitors on hand dedicated to ensuring your peace of mind that your personal affairs are in order.  

What can we help you with?

Wills and Succession Planning

Having an up-to-date will is an essential part of succession planning. We offer consultations with all of our clients to discuss their individual needs and provide advice that is tailored to their unique circumstances.

We can assist you with:

• Drafting your will and advising on succession planning
• A free and safe will storage service for existing clients
• Assisting you with any variations to your existing will
• The creation and administration of trusts
• Acting as professional executors of your estate

We also work closely with The Royal Trinity Hospice and local nursing homes and are happy to attend locally with clients who are unable to reach our office personally.

If you would like us to prepare a Will for you, please start the process by completing our Will Questionnaire

Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court Of Protection

We offer a bespoke service to assist you in dealing with the property and financial affairs, and personal welfare, of friends and family members who lack the mental capacity to make these important decisions for themselves.

We can assist you with:

• Drafting Lasting Powers of Attorney (both financial and health and welfare) and acting as Professional Attorneys
• Applications for Deputyship, Statutory Wills, Court of Protection and Office of the Public Guardian
• Continuing Care and retrospective Continuing Care fee applications

Probate and Administration of Estates

When a loved one dies, dealing with their estate can seem a daunting task. We have experience of dealing with both simple and complex estates with cross-jurisdictional assets. We also regularly advise on the issues surrounding intestacy, post-death variations and the tax implications of post-death arrangements. Our solicitors regularly act as professional executors and trustees.  

We can assist you with:

• Applying for a grant of probate or letters of administration
• Advising on issues surrounding intestacy
• Acting as professional executors and administrating estates
• Resealing foreign grants of probate

Tax and Trusts

A trust can be an efficient way of protecting assets from the harsher tax regime levied on individuals. Whether the trust is created whilst you are still alive or as part of a tax- efficient Will, it can provide control, security and flexibility. We can advise you in the establishment and administration of all kinds of private trusts as well as the preparation of associated tax returns.

What will it Cost?

We aim to provide you with best value for money and to develop a long term relationship with you. In some instances we can agree a fixed fee for the work and we will always give a costs estimate with regular updates.

For more information regarding our fee scales click on the links below:

Applying for the Grant, collecting and distributing the assets in an estate.

Wills, LPAs and Deputyships

What are your next steps?

Please get in touch with us. We look forward to helping you.