ESTATE PLANNING

Preserve family wealth--plus--avoid legal and financial pitfalls with a good Estate Plan

Estate Planning lawyers serving Wokingham, Windsor, Ascot, and the Region, helping you do just that.

Whether your need is family only, or you own a family business, we offer a free initial consultation, so that you can make an informed decision.

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WHAT IS ESTATE PLANNING?

Estate Planning includes the process of analysis and organisation of your estate for before you have died, and after you have died. It aims to optimise your wishes relative to your circumstances to give your family a better result. This includes things like later-life planning; inheritance tax mitigation; mitigating probate and estate administration matters, as well building in financial controls, or other special controls, over your estate to achieve given aims. Even control from beyond the grave. Is that the kind of idea you want?

WHAT IS AN - ESTATE PLANNER?

A good estate planner has many skills and wears several hats. He must balance the legal with the financial as well as related factors.  We will draw on skills, including the financial adviser, the tax consultant, the chartered accountant, the solicitor, the business counsellor, the family counsellor, etc. And tailor and blend these to make the plan fit your wish. Anything less, and your wish will fall well short of target.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO MAKE AN ESTATE PLAN?

There are many reasons why you would make an estate plan, including to:

  1. Ensure your wealth and fortune goes to those that you choose; and cannot go to who the law dictates on account of circumstance.
  2. Diffuse and placate family conflicts over who inherits what.
  3. Mitigate inheritance tax and other tax to pay as little as you have to.
  4. Avoid the costs and delay in probate and administration of your estate.
  5. If you are a ‘blended family’; ensure your estate is not subject of a court battle or disinheritance.
  6. If you own a business; ensure it does not die with you, leaving your family in tatters.

WHEN SHOULD I MAKE AN ESTATE PLAN?

It is all a matter of wish and - "what's important to you"? By dealing with these things in a planned way, you will ensure that you, your wealth, your family and loved ones, are taken care of in the way that you want. Not, as is thrust upon you by circumstance and dictated by law. The typical Will is like a - "one-way-street". No stopping allowed. Whereas, the Estate Plan, allows you to make a route map through the legal and financial terrain. Stopping off to enjoy the views. So to speak.

Estate Planning is not just for those who are retired or are "rich". No matter how much “wealth” you own, Estate Planning is good practice. It can make all the difference to families with modest assets. Inheritance legacies can be significantly improved, as well as overall family futures.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON ESTATE PLANNING:

These are some of the common questions with answers that pop up, when we discuss Estate Planning with our clients;

It’s our job to make sure that you are aware of any legal and financial pitfalls that may affect your wish and legacy ideas. The Estate Plan allows you to manage these. This includes mitigating any inheritance tax liability; ring-fencing assets for a particular purpose; preventing family disputes; providing tools for 'later-life' care, and so on.

And, if you are a business owner, you can make sure that the business does not die with you. Our focus is to help you save money and to prevent unplanned expense, as well as keep family happy. Is that what you want?

You do not need to be "rich" in the monetary sense and meaning, to apply good planning measures and benefit your family and loved ones.  Our experience is that many people underestimate their true worth due to assumption and lack of knowledge.  This always comes out when high-lighted in consultation.

For example, important family matters like vulnerable children; children’s and/or your own marital difficulties;  family social habits; children's financial difficulties etc.   Preserved family wealth rarely happens by chance.   It takes planning.   Estate Planning.

Good succession planning, whether for family alone, or includes your business; requires many - 'strings to its bow'.  Estate Planning is one of these.  A good plan, involves building around  and within the full picture of your family circumstances and personal wishes.  It is not just a 'Tick-Box' exercise.

We need to discover the whole you, your financial map and your family circumstances.  Afterwards, you will get a full report so that you can make a truly informed decision on the Return on Investment of what you want.  If your family has intricacies or conflict, then this will be included in it.

It’s a matter of value and - “what’s important to you”?  Your Estate Plan is specific to you.  It is not a 'one-size-fits-all' product.  Each family is different.  That is why our expert lawyers will work closely with you to discover the true terrain of your wishes and circumstances.  We can then show you how your family will be affected by your wish and the law; and what you can do about it.

Our Estate Planning service blends both the 'legal and the financial' and other things of family succession. It's a lot of work to make a plan to realise the optimum path-way for your wishes. So the price of the service is relative to the complexity amongst other things.