Expertise

Helen advises on the administration of complex estates, often with a cross border element. She prepares Wills for clients, many of whom have assets in other jurisdictions, ensuring that the Will is drafted to achieve the client’s aims in a tax efficient way. Helen also advises clients on lifetime inheritance tax planning, including creating new trusts and appointing assets out of existing trusts. She has a particular interest in mental capacity issues, and advises on powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters.

Recent Experience

• Advising the executor of a multi-million pound estate, which passed under the terms of a home-made Will; liaising with HMRC to maximise inheritance tax reliefs and exemptions for the estate.
• Advising clients on the gift of a property to their children, putting in place arrangements to ensure that they can continue to use the property themselves without a gift with reservation of benefit arising.
• Advising on an application to the Court of Protection to make gifts to the donor’s children and grandchildren and creating a trust into which the gifts for the grandchildren can be held.
• Attending a secure facility to take instructions for Lasting Powers of Attorney for a client with severe paranoid schizophrenia, having obtained a suitable expert opinion on the client’s capacity to give those instructions.

Career History

Helen joined Wedlake Bell in October 2018. She trained at Bircham Dyson Bell, and qualified as a solicitor there in 2011.

Helen has a degree in History from Cambridge University, she completed the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course at BPP.

Helen is a member of STEP, having completed the STEP Diploma in Trusts and Estates (England & Wales) in 2014.

Endorsements

• Top Recommended 40 Under 40 2022 in Citywealth Leaders List
• Silver Medallist in ‘Lawyer of the Year: Associate’ in the Citywealth Future Leaders Awards 2020
• Citywealth ‘Top 100 Future Leaders’ – 2020
• Eprivateclient ‘Top 35 under 35’ winner – 2014
• Citywealth ‘Top 100 Future Leaders’ – 2016