Estate Planning Legal Services

Advising on the most efficient ways to pass on your assets to ensure they are passed on in line with your wishes.

Guidance on making gifts during your lifetime, including making the best use of the various tax exemptions and understanding the potential tax implications to avoid unintended consequences. 

Providing advice on the various types of trust available to you and drafting and running such trusts to protect your assets and beneficiaries, control distributions, and offer potential tax advantages.

Offering tailored advice on inheritance tax, capital gains tax, and other potential tax liabilities associated with your estate, while always recommending clients to get financial advice from regulated financial advisers in respect of particular financial products.

Strategies to safeguard your assets from potential future creditors or liabilities, ensuring they remain within your intended beneficiary circle.

Assisting those with assets abroad or international family members to navigate the complexities of cross-border estate planning. 

Estate planning encompasses the various methods and tools used to manage an individual’s assets while they’re alive and distribute them after death, minimizing potential taxes and ensuring wishes are met. 

While a will is a central component of estate planning, detailing how assets are to be distributed upon death, estate planning goes further by considering tax implications, potential gifting, trusts, and more. See our Wills page for more detail. 

Yes, lifetime gifting is often an important component of estate planning. It’s essential to understand potential tax implications and the rules around gifting to ensure it aligns with your broader estate plan. 

Trusts can be instrumental in controlling how and when assets are distributed, potentially reducing inheritance tax liabilities, and protecting assets. For a more detailed look, visit our Trusts page. 

In England & Wales, there are certain exemptions and thresholds for various types of gifting, beyond which inheritance tax may be due. Always consult with a specialist before making significant gifts. 

Beyond asset distribution, consider potential tax liabilities, the current and future needs of beneficiaries, future asset protection, and any charitable contributions or legacies you’d like to leave. 

Regular reviews are recommended, especially after significant life changes such as marriages, births, asset acquisitions, or changes in tax laws, rates or exemptions. 

While we offer legal advice on structuring your estate, we always recommend seeking independent financial advice to ensure that you fully understand any financial products that you may consider as part of the broader estate planning process. 

Yes, but international estate planning can be more complex due to differing laws and tax implications. It’s crucial to work with experts familiar with cross-border considerations. 

Trusts can be included within a will or set up during your lifetime. While a will outlines asset distribution after death, a trust can manage assets during one’s lifetime and beyond, offering more control over asset distribution and potential tax benefits. For an in-depth look, reference both our Wills and Trusts pages.