At Sydney Mitchell, we pride ourselves on our expertise in wills and estate planning, offering a comprehensive service to meet the individual needs to each of our clients.
Estate planning
Our estate planning service involves reviewing the current make up of your estate and the current exposure to taxes, including inheritance tax (IHT). This service is offered by our most experienced lawyers and is tailored advice to your specific circumstances.
We will review the assets and liabilities included in your estate and what is likely to change from a business, financial or family perspective together with any other interests you may have which could impact on your tax exposure.
We will then provide holistic advice on the appropriate solution and a roadmap for how to achieve your aims. We provide comprehensive advice in person but also in writing to ensure that you have that advice and information to refer to in years to come.
We provide advice in plain English without legal jargon
Many of our clients who benefit from this service are business owners who are facing the daunting task of succession planning for the business which has been their life’s work. We will work alongside our colleagues in our corporate team to advise you regarding your succession plan, to make sure that your route to retirement is clear, structured and doesn’t result in unforeseen tax consequences. That advice often sits alongside the preparation of a new will for you personally as well as a review of corporate governance documents for your business, for example shareholder agreements.
We can advise on a wide range of circumstances and provide tailored solutions for:
- Business and agricultural interests and succession planning
- Provision for vulnerable beneficiaries
- Asset preservation.
You may be considering the use of lifetime trusts and we can advise on whether these are suitable for you and the implications of them.
Making a will
Whilst it is not a pleasant topic of conversation, it is a fact of life that we’re all going to die eventually. The consequences for those who are left behind can lead to all manner of difficulties and complications, if the deceased did not make any plans for the inevitable.
Aside from the obvious issues about deciding who you would like to inherit your property, there are many other things to take into consideration when you are thinking about making a will. If you have family who rely on you to support them and you die without having made proper provision you may leave them unable to pay the mortgage or other household bills.
Arguably a will is the most important document that you will ever make, and you should not be without, especially if you have a partner and or children.
Our Private Client team can help advise you and answer any questions you may have.
Find out more about the team
