Probate and Trust Administration
Probate work has been the cornerstone of our practice since the firm started in 1780. We have a specialist team who administer a wide variety of estates. This cover estates with UK based assets and estates with multi-jurisdictional interests where working with overseas advisors is required to provide a seamless service.
Our Probate team has significant experience in dealing with HMRC and negotiating on inheritance tax reliefs available. It also understands what disclosure requirements HMRC requires in order to avoid unnecessary queries later.
We also have extensive experience of dealing with the establishment and administration of trusts that have been created in lifetime or under a Will. This can include advising multi-generational trusts holding considerable family wealth to the administration of trusts for grandchildren’s school fees or over the family home.
Our detailed knowledge of tax legislation and the duties of trustees (a number of our Partners and Consultants act as trustees) means we can provide expert advice on income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax on the initiation and during the administration of our trusts– dealing with annual accounts, filing tax returns and advising on strategies for distributing wealth down the generations.
We keep our trustees up to date and on top of the latest compliance regimes introduced to combat money laundering and/or terrorism steering them through what are complex and burdensome regulations.
Please see here for regulatory information in respect of our fees for uncontested probate work, as required by the SRA’s Transparency Rules.
News
Wills and Probate Monthly Update – May 2023
A round-up of legal updates for the Wills and probate industry over the past month is as follows. Contentious estates – a promise made by deed can override testamentary freedom… Read more →
News
Wills and Probate Monthly Update – April 2023
A round-up of legal updates for the Wills and probate industry over the past month is as follows. Tax policy – new tax year The new tax rates and allowances… Read more →
Uncategorized
Wills and Probate Monthly Update – March 2023
A round-up of legal updates for the Wills and probate industry over the past month is as follows. Estate administration – change to the legal definition of “treasure” The government… Read more →
News
Oxford University Press: Advancing forward—narrowing the divide between powers of advancement and powers of appointment
Oliver Embley explains the differences between powers of advancement and powers of appointment, including how such powers can be exercised to benefit non-objects of a trust. The article discusses the… Read more →
Globally Speaking
DISCLOSURE AND THE FAMILY TRUST
Once upon a time there were only two certainties, death and taxes – both highly relevant to private client legal advice. Now there is a third – ever increasing compliance… Read more →
News
The murky world of unregulated heir hunters
Head of the Private Client, Jenny Cutts has been quoted in The Times, discussing her response to new research that shows local authorities are entering into anti-competitive and unaccountable contracts… Read more →
News
Extension of the UK Trust Register
Since 2017, trusts that incur a UK tax liability have been required to register on a central register of trusts (“the Trust Register“) managed by HM Revenue and Customs (“HMRC“).… Read more →
News
Acting as an Executor during Covid-19
Acting as an Executor for a deceased loved one is hard enough at the best of times, but the Covid-19 crisis and resulting lockdown have made many aspects of administering… Read more →
News
INHERITANCE TAX REBATE FOR ASSETS THAT DECLINE IN VALUE AFTER DEATH- Campden FB
With the spread of Covid-19 bringing the UK housing market to a standstill and shaking financial markets across the world, families who have lost loved ones leading up to the… Read more →
News
Covid-19: Update on court hearings and mediations
As of 20 April 2020, there were 159 open courts in England & Wales dealing with essential face-to-face hearings. Telephone and video hearings are increasingly being used for non-essential face-to-face… Read more →
News
Brexit and Spanish Inheritance Tax
Now that Britain has left the European Union, UK nationals with relatives in Spain might welcome a Spanish Supreme Court ruling, confirming that non-EU residents will not have to suffer… Read more →
News
Government scraps proposed probate “Death -Tax”
The Government announced in November 2018 that it was reintroducing its proposals to increase the costs of applying for grant of probate that they originally tried to get through Parliament… Read more →
Regulatory Pricing Information
Probate (uncontested)
News
Andrew McIntyre responds to a readers’ question on a complex probate issue for Choice Magazine
Q: My wife is a beneficiary of the Will of someone who died in February 2009. One of the other beneficiaries predeceased this person and no clause was inserted in… Read more →
News
“Could my will be challenged by friends or relatives after my death?” – Caroline Miller explores for Advising Families
Could my will be challenged by friends or relatives after my death? Under the laws of England and Wales, an individual has complete testamentary freedom. This means that you have… Read more →
Bulletins
Making a Will
Consultation Response: Wedlake Bell LLP On 13 July 2017, the Law Commission launched a major consultation project on the law of Wills. The law in this area has not been… Read more →